From the "Let's Mess with an Icon" Dept
…we have this:
Nobody else than [Chairman and CEO] Dr. Martin Winterkorn gave the order for a more appealing logo to reassemble the brand’s finery.
The position of the logo in the grille will stay, but it will grow in size and will look more 3D with the letters V and W more standing out from the ring around them.
Here’s the current, sorta-3D variety used in advertising, etc.:
It’ll be interesting to watch. The Golf VI is due next year in Europe (later here in the US), so don’t hold your breath. And here’s hoping VW doesn’t mess it up.
Posted by Giles, Sunday, July 22, 2007, at 11:34 PM.
Posted to Design | Personal | Type and typography
This Day in Type
Added to the daily-stop list:
This Day in Type. Great.
Posted by Giles, Friday, June 29, 2007, at 2:06 AM.
Posted to Type and typography
Pulp Action Pack
No sooner had I “almost completely caught up” than I was reminded — by more than one person — of other items that I should be doing/working on, such as today’s emphasis on paperwork and taxes for 2006. Joy! Back with more Friday or over the weekend.
It’s always nice when something book-design related shows up in the mailbox. Veer’s catalogs, on the other hand, almost always delight — so when Veer send something that’s book design, it’s gonna be yummy:
Perfect.
Posted by Giles, Wednesday, January 31, 2007, at 10:07 AM.
Posted to Site news | Type and typography
Weekend Research: Font Management Applications
We’ve covered ’em before — but not on this level:
Well, it was a long time coming, but I’ve been through the trenches and come up, sucking chest wound and all, with the Ars review of font management programs. I’ve also succeeded in not completely losing my mind while the developers updated the apps, nullifying half my criticisms in the process. Giving a lot of time to these programs in a production setting is crucial to seeing how they perform on a daily basis, and I am confident I’ve thrown enough varied scenarios at each to find out where they succeed and fail.
To people outside of design and typography, I’m sure that the words “font manager” sound like something taking itself way too seriously—like some sort of gilded spice rack—but for those that need to work with fonts on a daily basis, the font manager is serious business. To prepress houses and service bureaus, it is the pit stop: you turn it on, hit Print, and go deal with the real work—the more time you have to spend dealing with the font management/activation process, the less money you are making. For designers that juggle a range of clients and projects, working with fonts is more a nebulous creative ritual of feeling a brand, and it demands a tool worthy of the task.
In simpler times, you pulled open a drawer, chose between the three sets of steel blocks, said “I don’t care who you are, you’re getting Garamond,” and that was that. Nowadays clients are wiser and choosier, fonts are cheaper (not making them out of steel helps), and everyone and their dog is making fonts (the dog fonts are terrible; you really don’t want to use those). The result is a need to handle and navigate the abundant libraries available while not stifling that creative process. Now, years after Suitcase started the ball rolling on System 6, we’re lucky enough to have some very mature font management tools for Mac OS X. The big three reviewed here—Insider FontAgent Pro, Linotype FontExplorer X, and Extensis Suitcase Fusion—are now all Universal Binaries for Intel Macs. After a slow and rocky start for font management on Mac OS X, it’s now good times for font junkies. So with the stage set, let’s see how they fared.
Read on for those results.
…Unless you’d prefer to cut to the chase. They gave Font Agent an 8 (out of 10), and Suitcase and Font Explorer both 7s. All have plusses and minuses, none enough to make working with one application over another anything more than choosing which application works best in your workflow.
P.S. Be sure to check out the cache deletion utility mentioned in the article — good for when those fonts aren’t behaving the way they should!
Posted by Giles, Sunday, January 7, 2007, at 12:04 AM.
Posted to Book design | Computers | Design | Type and typography
Ode: Challenging
Latest from Vertical:
Cover design by Chip Kidd. He’d just started work with them when I met him many moons back, and was genuinely excited about it — glad to see the collaboration continues to flourish.
And an interesting cover it is. Two different fonts, so close to one another, yet different. Spacing that doesn’t, at first glance, have alignment. A sliding slipjacket for the title. Like a good deal of Chip’s stuff, it pushes the boundaries — and begs examination.
The Toon Zone had more to say about the book and design. Here’s a highlight:
Vertical would earn kudos simply for bringing such a challenging and uncommercial project to press, but their edition of Ode to Kirihito is exemplary. Vertical presents the work in “flipped” format to allow for a left-to-right reading style more familiar to Western eyes and commissioned an excellent translation by Camellia Nieh. Normally, the binding isn’t something that calls attention to itself in a book, but it proves to be exceptionally noteworthy when the book is 800+ pages and is still easy to open and read. The only criticism of the book’s design comes from designer Chip Kidd’s use of a separate half-sleeve on the cover, similar to the colored bands he used on Vertical’s Buddha hardcovers or the half a dust jacket on DC’s Batman: Year One deluxe hardcover. These design elements may look wonderful on a desk but are often far more trouble than they’re worth in bookstores or on bookshelves. However, the one on Ode to Kirihito isn’t quite as fragile as those on Kidd’s earlier books, and also serves an interesting artistic function as it slides back and forth on the cover.
Someone else is challenged, it would seem…! What do you think? Leave a comment.
Posted by Giles, Thursday, December 7, 2006, at 10:04 AM.
Posted to Art | Book design | Books, design, art | Type and typography
Three of Potential Interest
Checking my email online tonight, to discover more than thirty open tabs in the browser; stuff to read later, stuff to blog on, stuff to deal with, etc. Here are three:
— Sports Artist Sued for Mix of Crimson and Tide:
In the solemn cathedral of college football devotion and instruction that is the Paul W. Bryant Museum here, a large painting dominates the main chamber. It is called “The Sack,” and it shows an encounter between a Notre Dame quarterback and a human locomotive in crimson and white.
“I’ve never been hit like that before,” the quarterback, Steve Beuerlein, said after his near-lethal sack by Cornelius Bennett in 1986, in the University of Alabama’s first victory ever over his team.
Daniel A. Moore, who painted “The Sack” and scores of other renditions of signal moments in Alabama football history, said he felt something similar last year, when his fax machine began to spit out a lawsuit from the university.
Downward spiral. Here’s a wish for recovery before impact.
— Droolworthy, and, uh, funny as hell:
MacRumors Apple ad contest winner. See more.
— I’d noticed the font used in the Sony Alpha ads recently, and wondered about it. Lo and behold, in my (astonishingly large stack of) email was an ad for it:
Vista Sans, from Emigre. (Natch. Love their stuff.) Read some of the designer’s notes on Vista and others at FontShop.
More ASAP.
Posted by Giles, Tuesday, November 14, 2006, at 12:00 AM.
Posted to Advertising | Computers | Design | Ethics | Freedoms and rights | Personal | Public domain | Publishing | Technology | Type and typography | Whatever
FontExplorer X Updated
…to version 1.1. MacInTouch says:
Linotype’s FontExplorer X 1.1 combines font management, font display and information, font activation, and font shopping. It includes plug-ins for Illustrator, InDesign, and QuarkXPress, along with Smart Sets, the ability to clear application font caches, and other features. This release adds activation of single fonts in a suitcase, duplicate import, labels, a QuarkXPress 7 plug-in, customizable columns in the conflict table, improved font import, improved InDesign and Illustrator plug-ins, and more. FontExplorer X is free for Mac OS X 10.3.9 and up (Universal Binary).
Haven’t tried it again — but perhaps soon. These regular updates signal a maturing product worthy of consideration. Well, that and the new Quark 7 plug-in.
Kidding!
Posted by Giles, Thursday, August 10, 2006, at 7:41 PM.
Posted to Computers | Type and typography
Second Part of Paul Buckley Interview Up
…over at Hear, Hear. Tons of great insights and stories behind covers — including some frank talk, mind the youngins — with this wonderful Penguin designer and art director.
Check out his office, too:
Always like to see someone’s office. Neat offices scare me — glad to see one that looks worked in.…
Enjoy!
Special kudos to Hear, Hear for publishing this great interview. Thank you!
Posted by Giles, Friday, July 21, 2006, at 12:41 PM.
Posted to Book design | Books, design, art | Design | Publishing | Type and typography
Interview with Penguin's Paul Buckley
…over at Hear, Hear:
No matter what you’re selling - a product, an idea or a skill - the presentation is just as important as the thing itself. Your customers will only do so much research (if at all) when purchasing your product, and when presented with similar choices, they will choose the one they feel most comfortable with. And that decision is most likely based on the packaging. Nothing illustrates this better than the experience of shopping for new books: before we even bother to read the description on the back of a book we have never heard of, we need to first notice the book and have enough desire to pick it up. And that decision is based on the book’s cover.
In this interview, Hear, Hear chats with an expert in book cover design - Paul Buckley, a veteran art director of one of the largest book publishers in the world, Penguin Group.
The interview will be published in two installments; the first went up yesterday (thanks for letting me know, Shawn!), while the next will be next Friday.
Some great stuff here, too, including a bunch of click-for-larger covers to get in to.… Hear, hear — nicely done!
Posted by Giles, Thursday, July 13, 2006, at 9:39 AM.
Posted to Book and design blogs | Book design | Book people | Books | Business | Design | Publishing | Type and typography
"Better Than Suicide"
ArsTechnica has posted a comprehensive review of Quark 7 — from an InDesign user’s perspective:
With a new face, you would hope that there would come a new heart for Quark, one capable of stopping the flow of customers it once so confidently thought it would never lose. The new text engine is a welcome, but long overdue change, and it’s hard to call things like full Opentype support and decent onscreen rendering “features” in this day and age. The addition of powerful transparency options are a boon but otherwise, the main new features in XPress 7—Collaboration Setup and Job Jackets—are not going to appeal to every user and the latter feature even misses the mark as a substitute for a preflighting tool. This while Quark still avoids basic features like drag-and-drop that people have been waiting on for years. It’s not encouraging and doesn’t say “we’ve clued in to your needs” to me.
[…] In the end, XPress 7 is good for QuarkXPress but not great compared to the competition and while I enjoy using it much more than previous versions, it doesn’t have me excited or itching to leave InDesign.
See the rest, including screen captures, specific features, and a good comparison of Quark 7 and InDesign CS2, here.
Posted by Giles, Sunday, June 25, 2006, at 8:50 PM.
Posted to Advertising | Book design | Computers | Design | Publishing | Technology | Type and typography
That Reminds Me....
Many, many moons ago, I posted on a cover that wound up being abandoned in favor of another designer’s work. I promised an update, but, as often happens, life moved on and I forgot.
However, I was at the Online Photographer, reading a satire post — with serious implications, of course — this morning, and it featured an image that triggered that memory.
So, finally, what I presented (again):
And, what the author went with:
One word: Ew.
I’d leave a comment on the Online Photographer, but it suffers the same fate as Joseph’s NYT Covers blog and everything else from Blogger: it doesn’t allow me, using Firefox on a Mac, to enter the necessary letters to approve comments — just keeps asking for ’em over and over. Unfortunately, the Online Photographer doesn’t have a contact form for me to let him know.
Blogger: Enough already. Please Fix That!!
Posted by Giles, Sunday, June 25, 2006, at 1:28 PM.
Posted to Book cover photography | Book design | Photography | Type and typography | Whatever
'Nuther Design Observer Must-Read
We get the word “koan” from Zen Buddhism, where in Japanese it translates literally as “a matter for public thought,” sort of an open-source philosophy for ancient times. Koans often demonstrated the inability of logical reasoning to produce enlightened thought, and, as a trained lawyer and insurance clerk throughout his life, no one knew the deadening effects of logic better than Franz Kafka. Writing was his escape, his meditation, and, fittingly, Meditation was the title of his first published work, released in 1913. While all 18 koans inside are very much worth enjoying, it’s the shortest of them all — the penultimate “Die Baüme,” or “The Trees” — that I’d like to read as a meditation on typography.
Read the rest. Nice article, Rob Giampietro.
(Check out Coudal’s Field-tested books, too, courtesy of DO’s Observed column. What a great idea!)
Posted by Giles, Wednesday, June 21, 2006, at 11:49 AM.
Posted to Book people | Books | Type and typography | Writing
More Trends
Since we’re already on the subject of trends, let’s talk about another: handwriting fonts. MyFonts is promoting their Casual Hands, one of which I particularly like:
Alas, it’s their #4 seller right now — which means tons of other people like it, too, and we’ll soon see it everywhere. I’ll pass.
As it happens, I had an email conversation this morning with Ethan Dunham, who runs FontHead Design, and there’s no way I can put up a post about handwriting and casual fonts without pointing to some of his:
Which I’ve used extensively on children’s titles, and,
Which I haven’t used, but hope to soon. (I’m a few volumes behind — a lame excuse at his pricing.) Check out his entire collection of great, great fonts — all incredibly priced — here.
Posted by Giles, Wednesday, May 31, 2006, at 12:09 PM.
Posted to Type and typography
Not Exactly Book Design, But
…wanted to show a catalog spread I finished up yesterday:
Custom photography makes all the difference here. The client had originally asked for a Fotosearch image, but I really wanted something to use large and put text on — and wound up going with a custom photo.
Helps with exclusivity, too — nothing like using a stock image for a big spread like this, then seeing it in an ad selling something else tomorrow.
The catalog’s a few days out from completion, making the above still a draft. Comments — and suggestions — welcome. Thanks.
Posted by Giles, Tuesday, May 2, 2006, at 6:39 PM.
Posted to Advertising | Design | Flickr | Photography | Type and typography
More on Richard Eckersley
…at the Design Observer:
That legacy is enormous. His books and jackets have been annually included as selections in the annual Association of American University Press competition, as well as frequently included in the AIGA “50 Books” competition, and among them are many that were instantly hailed as masterpieces of the publishing arts: Karl Bodmer’s America and The Journals of Lewis and Clark, of course, but also Jacques Derrida’s Glas and Cinders, Avital Ronell’s The Telephone Book: Technology, Schizophrenia, Electric Speech, Warren Motte’s Small Worlds, a steady stream of translations of contemporary French writers (including books by Marcel Benabou, Marguerite Duras, Jean Echenoz, Maurice Blanchot and Gérard Genette), and many, many more.
The article includes links, but in case you’re busy and need to get back to it, here’s a taste — also called out by Joseph in response to the original post — of Glas:
Thank you for the link, William. Been too behind the curve to surf and am sure folks appreciate the follow-up.
Posted by Giles, Tuesday, April 25, 2006, at 6:37 PM.
Posted to Art | Book design | Book people | Computers | Type and typography
Bush: Okay. Not Great.
Well, finally:
My feelings could best be summarized as “a shrug.”
Continue reading "Bush: Okay. Not Great."
Posted by Giles, Tuesday, April 25, 2006, at 4:14 PM.
Posted to Book design | Flickr | Jobs | Personal | Type and typography
Crash Into This
The serializing technique known as ‘crash numbering’ has been in use since well before computers started roaming the earth: some say possibly as far back as the days of phrenology and five cent sasparillas. If you’ve ever bought a raffle ticket or been handed a claim check you’ve likely experienced crash numbering first hand. Our digital simulacrum, which we are happy to present here and now, includes Serif and Gothic styles; three variants of each numeral per font; and a smattering of numerical symbols. It’s ideal for numbering invoices, gift certificates, undergarments… anything that’ll hold still long enough to run through your inkjet printer.
Beautiful. Best description I’ve read in a while, too. Bonus — it’s free.
Check out the rest of PsyOps font collection, too, including the lovely (and new to my wish-list) Aquamarine Titling.
Posted by Giles, Monday, April 24, 2006, at 7:03 AM.
Posted to Type and typography
RIP, Richard Eckersley
UnBeige notes:
Eckersley was born into a family of graphic designers in England and worked as a junior at Lund Humphries, which published the now-cult-classic Typographica magazine. He was in the US only one year before he took a job at the University of Nebraska, where he had lived since 1981. He focused on innovative book design, and was most famous for his typographic tricks in The Telephone Book, the first book he designed on a computer.
Stephen Heller wrote a nice piece for the NYTimes that also includes a wonderful cover. Here’s a larger version:
Rest in peace, sir. Your work will continue to be treasured.
Posted by Giles, Friday, April 21, 2006, at 12:00 PM.
Posted to Art | Book design | Book people | Computers | Technology | Type and typography
FontShop: Legibility
No sooner do I put up a post about Veer’s fonts than an email pulls in from FontShop:
FontShop’s acclaimed magazine of typography and design continues its run with /Font 005: Legibility/. This issue’s cover story takes on the historical and cultural impressions left by letterforms that are very different from those of digital type: graffiti. Writer Ian Lynam finds that despite their disparity, graffiti and graphic design continue to influence each other and mix blood as they evolve.
Heavy stuff, indeed. There’s less serious fare in this issue, too. Marian Bantjes returns to write and illustrate in hilarious fashion a long overdue critique of the alphabet. And in the Foundry Spotlight, type designers chime in with their (sometimes acerbic) takes on the topic of legibility.
All this, plus a slew of new font showings and typographic eye candy. With design from Punchcut and editorial help from Amos Klausner and Tamye Riggs, /Font 005/ is another trove of design inspiration and edification.
Can’t wait to see this in print. Meanwhile, check it out online.
Posted by Giles, Tuesday, April 18, 2006, at 12:35 PM.
Posted to Type and typography
Veer: Distressed Type
I have a ton of distressed typefaces, but can never seem to get enough. Here are a few that Veer has highlighted this month. Their Flont™ tool is pretty darned cool, too — enter the text you’d like, see all of the characters, or both.
Think Veer’s my favorite creative catalog. (Of those I currently receive, not a definitve statement.) It’s such a pleasure to receive a catalog so well put-together that I almost always look through before I get back from the mailbox.
Posted by Giles, Tuesday, April 18, 2006, at 11:37 AM.
Posted to Type and typography
Covered Forever: Germano Facetti
From the UK’s Guardian:
Germano Facetti - who died, aged 77, at the weekend - probably wouldn’t have liked the idea much, but he was the master of branding long before the word entered the popular consciousness. Facetti’s book covers for Penguin, where he was art director from 1961 to 1972, gave an extraordinary unity and unmatched visual impact to a publisher already regarded by readers as a vital part of British cultural life.
One of Mr. Facetti’s covers caught my eye (pun intended…;) early in my book design career:
Thoughtfully included in their extensive gallery of book he’d designed. Definitely worth a moment’s tribute.
Posted by Giles, Thursday, April 13, 2006, at 5:01 PM.
Posted to Art | Book design | Book people | Personal | Publishing | Type and typography
Kool-Aid Never Had It So Good
Another week, another major hat tip to Joseph. This time for some Kool-Aid:
I haven’t seen it in person, But electronically — whew. That’s a 10 in my book. (Well, on my blog…;) Oh, and there’s this:
[Y]ou have to check out Toure’s Web site. How long has it been since you’ve seen the Web site-as-city metaphor? Yeah, me too. 1998.
Bonus: Hardcover (left) and paperback versions of the author’s previous title.
There’s some (soul) food for thought!
Posted by Giles, Monday, April 10, 2006, at 7:09 AM.
Posted to Art | Book and design blogs | Book design | Publishing | Type and typography
Preserved for Posterity
Found myself downright barking at a professional photographer tonight who had argued that restricting access to her work online was better than dealing with a few people out to cause trouble. I felt kinda bad afterwards; I was perhaps a little harsh. (Who? Me?)
I’m not a professional photographer, in the sense that I earn a living exclusively selling photographs, but I do sell photos, deal with photographers’ rights, and sell a creative, copyrighted or work-for-hire product/service that, while not as easily “stolen for use elsewhere,” is subject to a good deal of competition. Above-board, honest people and grab-your-ideas-and-undersell-you-later types alike.
Pushing your work farther and farther out into the world instead of walling it off clearly works. Foreword is my evidence.
Click through to Flickr and look at all the little notes by moving your mouse over the boxes on the photo. They’ll run you through all the stuff in the picture, including the icons, menu items, etc. (Warning: geek alert…;)
Sure, there are hassles. (Looking at new web servers [hosts] this week, for instance, so we can rebuild pages in the middle of the day without timeouts. You wondered why so few mid-day posts…?) It’s definitely a challenge to post regularly with the quality we’d all like to see — and that keeps traffic growing. Oh, and have I mentioned there’s still the rest of the web site to finish?
But it’s so worth it. Glad we can be here together, learning about book design. Whether it’s your first visit or your thousandth, thanks for coming by.
Posted by Giles, Monday, April 10, 2006, at 5:51 AM.
Posted to Book and design blogs | Book cover photography | Book design | Books, design, art | Business | Computers | Design | Ethics | Flickr | Freedoms and rights | Jobs | Love | Personal | Photography | Public domain | Publishing | Site news | Technology | Type and typography | Whatever | Writing
Reordering Needed, Please
Bumped into this today:
From last year, it’s a collection of her poetry. And an absolutely wonderful photo — the angles, her look, and she’s so inviting you to occupy the empty chair, sit for a spell, and just listen. The photo literally jumped out of the crowd and pulled me over.
But. But oh, that crop; but, the title treatment is, well, boring; but, that box just sinks it (the price of a tie to an earlier title, apparently); but, but, but.
So, let’s assume that the original designer’s hands were tied. Imagine the possibilities this title could offer. Now — anyone have a minute to redesign this?
Please. Madeleine would appreciate it.
Posted by Giles, Tuesday, April 4, 2006, at 7:44 PM.
Posted to Book design | Personal | Type and typography
NYTimes Covers
It’s Monday, which means a trip by Book Covers from the NYTimes Book Review around here. Missed last week, so double the fun today!
Including this gem:
J’adore. Spacing, aging, colors, amazing photo arrangement, all of it. Joseph is exactly right about the noose, too.
Update: Crown kindly let me know that David Tran did the cover for Our Town. Nicely done, David!
Great conversation going about A Changed Man, as well — check it out. (Like the Saunders and Disposable American, too. Thanks, Joseph!)
Posted by Giles, Monday, April 3, 2006, at 6:22 PM.
Posted to Book and design blogs | Book cover photography | Book design | Books | Type and typography
Another New Logo: Volvo
Slightly off topic, but hopefully interesting nonetheless. A “Sunday design diversion,” if you will…:
When the decision was taken to start producing Volvo cars in August 1926, financial backer Svenska Kullagerfabriken – SKF – reactivated a company that had been idle since 1920 for the purpose. The name of that company was VOLVO and it had been formed in 1915 for the manufacture and marketing of bearings for the automotive industry.
Not only was the name ingeniously simple, it was also easy to pronounce in most places around the world and with a minimal risk of spelling errors. And best of it all was its immensely strong symbolic connection to the company’s entire operations.
“Volvere” is the infinitive form of the verb “roll” in Latin. In its first person singular form, the verb “volvere” becomes “volvo”, i.e. “I roll”.
At the same time as VOLVO was reactivated, the ancient chemical symbol for iron, a circle with an arrow pointing diagonally upwards to the right, was adopted as a logotype.
My fave, actually, is this flavor from a 1937 prototype — just lovely:
Meanwhile, fast forward to 2006.
Almost 80 years old, it now makes a grand comeback as an updated logotype – the Volvo iron symbol.
Read the rest of this article and tons of other Volvo news, tuning information, and stuff for Swedish car fans at SwedeSpeed.
So, why’s this logo here? I was on “heightened logo awareness,” to coin a phrase, after visiting with Quark’s new effort — and seeing Volvo’s invited the comparison. I believe it an appropriate comparison, too: both are large corporate efforts aimed at the “above-average” consumer; both are round symbols (more or less) that use text as part of the overall piece (Quark’s requires the word “Quark,” remember); both logos will feature prominently in the companies’ marketing; and, both logos are three-dimensional.
Volvo uses a custom flavor (as far as I can tell) of Egyptian for its typeface, original to the logo (1920/6). Quark’s on #2 in six months. Volvo’s icon is tastefully shadowed, conveys strength, taste, and modernism, and portrays the brand with dignity and honor. Quark’s is flashy, feels amateurish, and, let’s say, might appropriately reflect that company’s dignity and honor, too…;)
In short: The old Swede on some new vitamins knocks out the former heavyweight from Denver in a few short rounds. No TKO here — Quark’s deservedly bruised.
By the way, some of you may note that Volvo’s car operations were purchased by Ford in 1999:
The brand name was consequently put into a holding company, Volvo Trademark Holding AB, which is co-owned fifty-fifty by Volvo and Ford, and whose management decides on how the name can be used and in what contexts. Currently, the holding company’s management group consists of Leif Johansson, President & CEO of AB Volvo and Bill Ford Jr, Chairman & CEO of Ford Motor Company.
Smart. Bet those conversations are fun!
Waaay off-topic: I hope Volvo produces the C30. Would be on my shopping list, if so; a European hatchback would be cool and I think I’m getting too old for a GTI — even if it is fast. Heh.
Posted by Giles, Sunday, April 2, 2006, at 1:38 PM.
Posted to Business | Computers | Personal | Technology | Type and typography | Whatever
Another New Quark Logo
Home sick this weekend, surfing back design news instead of enjoying the 70-degree closing evening of Macon’s Cherry Blossom Festival. Had to complain…;)
Missed this, from the 16th:
The new Quark corporate logo, in “preferred colors” and, well, “flat.”
I’ll say this: it’s better than the last one. Designed in-house this time, it more appropriately resembles a “Q.” That’s about it for positives from here.
Oh, one more thing: I prefer the “flat.” Forgive my saying so, but it’s as if someone came up with the flat and then was instructed to “take it to 11” — hence the “preferred” — by someone who doesn’t understand why going to 11 can be funny instead of better or more.
Others are more enthusiastic. Designorati thinks they got it right:
If Quark desires to connote forward motion, expectation, and excitement, they seem to have hit the target here. Even the typography has been seen to […].
QuarkvsInDesign.com feels similarly:
A potent emblem, the 2006 logo both reminisces as a target and communicates action. It’s circular, three-dimensional relief in green is evocative of a button, implying a call to action — click here to go.
Want to click somewhere? Try the comments link — with your take.
Posted by Giles, Saturday, April 1, 2006, at 10:29 PM.
Posted to Business | Computers | Design | Technology | Type and typography
My Fonts: In Your Face
MyFonts.com’s quarterly (virtual) newsletter is out, with news that they’re now selling Bethold, fourteen new foundries, and the usual goodness. My favorite section, though, has always been the new stuff from existing foundries, near the bottom:
These little panels can be real visual treats, and seeing them en masse like this is great. Couple of cool items in this section, too — Petronella especially. Been on the hunt for a font similar to that for a while.…
Posted by Giles, Friday, March 31, 2006, at 2:47 PM.
Posted to Advertising | Design | Type and typography
Bookmarkable: BibioOdyssey
Via BoingBoing comes this fascinating look at books, illustrations, science and history — including lots and lots of historic photos and illustrations, great reading, and tidbits like this:
A History of Color Systems. The above illustration is by Philipp Otto Runge, from 1810, for instance; the text includes ten other historical illustrations and several other reference sources. Very cool.
Check it out.
Posted by Giles, Friday, March 31, 2006, at 2:04 PM.
Posted to Art | Book and design blogs | Books | Books, design, art | Design | Printing | Publishing | Type and typography | Whatever
Graphic Style
The always-interesting (and astonishingly prolific) Steven Heller teams with Seymour Chwast for 2001’s new edition of Graphic Style, a cover that has worn very well:
Currently on sale at Labyrinth for $11. A nice (and long-overdue) addition to the bookcases.
Big thumbs up to my mother for bumping into and getting this. Sweet Mom.
Update: Amazon has the older version listed, but only a puny little illustration of the cover. Would be nice to do a side-by-side — will keep looking.
Posted by Giles, Thursday, March 30, 2006, at 9:40 PM.
Posted to Book design | Book sellers | Books | Type and typography
CS3: 2Q 2007
Rob Galbraith notes a Forbes interview with Adobe CEO Bruce Chizen. The money section:
Acrobat is coming in the fourth quarter of 2006. [Design software package] Creative Suite 3 will be introduced in the second quarter of 2007. Acrobat will take advantage of the Macromedia assets. And you’ll see a lot of activity in the CS3 launch. There will be a lot of integration between [Macromedia] products and [Adobe] products as part of those offerings.
As Rob comments, Universal Binary (read: MacIntel) versions won’t be available until CS3. Kind of a long wait, IMHO — but gives us time to budget for a new machine.…
Posted by Giles, Monday, March 27, 2006, at 7:16 PM.
Posted to Book design | Business | Computers | Design | Technology | Type and typography
Anybody in Vancouver?
Here’s an event if you are:
Glenn Goluska trains three decades of experience on his upcoming lecture Lead, Wood, and Laser: 30 Years of the Book, Design & Typography. Cosponsored by the Alcuin Society and host venue the Vancouver Museum, this 7 p.m. event next Thursday (March 30) should touch on Goluska’s stints at groundbreaking Toronto publisher Coach House Press, at the Canadian Centre for Architecture, where he designed exhibition catalogues and posters, and at Imprimerie Dromadaire, which Goluska has run off and on since 1975. As if that weren’t enough, The Elements of Typographic Style guru Robert Bringhurst introduces. To reserve, call 604-734-7368.
Posted by Giles, Thursday, March 23, 2006, at 4:28 PM.
Posted to Book design | Book people | Books, design, art | Publishing | Type and typography
Posted for Comment
Dan writes:
I’ve attached a couple of covers I’m working on for the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, if you’d like to post one or both for comment. The photos are pretty much set at this point, but I’m still refining the typography. Would love to know what people think. Thanks!
I’ll take both, thank you:
and:
I like the photo choices, and generally agree that it’s down to typography. More in the comments — please join in.
Posted by Giles, Wednesday, March 22, 2006, at 1:53 PM.
Posted to Book cover photography | Book design | Type and typography
Question of the Month
…award definitely belongs to Guy Kelly:
I’m an occasional commenter, and I had a question I wanted to put before some fellow book designers.
I’m fairly new to book design, and the type of books I design use lots of lists in the body copy (numbered and bulleted). I got into the habit of indenting those lists (where the bullet was flush with the left edge of the page, and the text was indented a pica or so), and I am now trying to
correct myself.
The odd thing is that most people where I work don’t hang their bullets, and I’m finding that the lists look kinda weird (maybe just because I’m not used to it). When I’ve asked people on message boards, I’ve mostly had responses from advertising people, and that’s really a very different way of handling
type.
So, the question is, do you always hang bullets in body text, even when there are multiple columns? If so, what is a good way to treat them? I currently have a 1p0 gutter between 2 columns, and I just set things up so bullets/numbers hang 5 points into that gutter. If there is any better practice or resources that I could find to help me improve my work, I’d appreciate the help.
Thanks for the great blog!
Thank you for the great question! Have at it in the comments.
Posted by Giles, Wednesday, March 22, 2006, at 1:29 PM.
Posted to Book design | Type and typography
56 Steves
Kuo Design has put together an online collection of every magazine and periodicial cover (that they’re aware of, that is) starring Steve Jobs:
Interestingly, there’s an index page where you can see all of the covers in thumbnail — and most of them stand out for being unremarkable.
When you have a few minutes to go down Mac memory lane, check it out. Many of the articles are online, and the graphic design of all those covers together is worth a moment’s stare by itself. Enjoy.
Posted by Giles, Tuesday, March 21, 2006, at 10:13 AM.
Posted to Computers | Design | Technology | Type and typography | Whatever
Font Explorer X, again
The Mac Observer notes:
Linotype updated its font management application, FontExplorer X, to version 1.0.1 on Friday. The updated version includes new InDesign CS and CS2 plug-ins, improved smart sets, fixes some display issues, and more.
Nice to see fixes so quickly. (Hope they keep it up.) Get your copy here.
Posted by Giles, Sunday, March 19, 2006, at 10:04 PM.
Posted to Computers | Type and typography
Covers I Like Today
The Dead Beat:
9.1 x 5.3 inches — interesting. Like the type and treatments, although I wish the dingbat were the lighter color (it stands out too much for me). Sounds like a delightful light read, too.
Posted by Giles, Thursday, March 16, 2006, at 4:10 PM.
Posted to Book design | Type and typography | Writing
Font Explorer X
FontExplorer X sets a new standard for font management software. Linotype is pleased to announce the missing link to your font collection. With the new FontExplorer X, font management, font sorting, font shopping and font discovery are simple and fun!
Linotype wants you to think iTunes for fonts, I believe — and catch this: it’s free.
Get more info and download here. I’ve downloaded but not installed — no time to mess with. Perhaps over the weekend. Soon, in any case, as Suitcase is getting … old. Others’ experiences appreciated.
Posted by Giles, Wednesday, March 15, 2006, at 1:24 PM.
Posted to Business | Computers | Technology | Type and typography
The Vagina Monologues
Poster for two performances of this amazing play:
I’m glad to have been able to use a model (it’s an original photo) that isn’t a supermodel, because it just feels more appropriate for the material. The jeans and black shirt are the “costume” for the play; the purple is from the folders the actors will be holding. I’ll be up front and say that I would have gone for something a little more racy (unbuttoned jeans, for instance), but erred on the side of conservative — Mercer is a Baptist school.
Major kudos to the director, student Calvin McCullar, for making it happen on campus in the first place. (For the second year in a row.) Happy to donate a few hours to this one, even at the last minute.
Heads off to press in the morning. Any suggestions before it does?
Apologies, once again, for the lag in posting. Been mired in what’s become an all-consuming project. Realized I had to break that into pieces and will keep working on; the above was a “break.” More posts tomorrow and over the weekend, however, in celebreation of Foreword’s third birthday.
Posted by Giles, Wednesday, March 15, 2006, at 12:05 PM.
Posted to Art | Design | Flickr | Freedoms and rights | Personal | Photography | Type and typography | Whatever
Software Conflict 2.0
Closed out Software Conflict 2.0 for new publisher developer.* Books — that’s pronounced “developer-dot-star,” by the way — and wanted to thank owners Dan and Gayle for selecting this title. It’s rare that I enjoy the text being formatted into book form as much as I did here; Robert Glass is a talented and insightful essayist.
As I mentioned when the cover was posted, it’s an interesting size, too: 7.5 x 9.25. Chosen as a nod to the myriad of software “how-to” titles out there, it makes for a comfortable interior page:
Software Conflict 2.0. Available soon.
Posted by Giles, Wednesday, March 8, 2006, at 10:33 AM.
Posted to Book design | Book people | Computers | Personal | Publishing | Technology | Type and typography | Whatever
Artist I Love Tonight
Local painter Eric Wakefield:
Nice graphic design, too.
Thank you, Eric, for the tour of Macon Arts, the great conversation, and for the introductions. Not to mention the paintings I want everywhere…;)
Macon’s community of artists, photographers, and genuinely interesting people continues to impress.
Posted by Giles, Friday, March 3, 2006, at 10:30 PM.
Posted to Art | Design | Personal | Type and typography
Covers You Love Today
Raimonds writes:
I enjoy reading your book design blog, and this is the book cover I love today:
Vintage look is well made with this font.
No arguments here — No Starch’s computer how-to series are the best out there that I’ve seen. (Less sure about Just Say No to Microsoft.)
Been using that font myself a bit recently. Pop quiz: what is it?
Thanks, RK!
Posted by Giles, Friday, February 24, 2006, at 1:22 AM.
Posted to Book design | Computers | Publishing | Technology | Type and typography
Yummy
Dare I say, delicious?
Like the balance of “worn” and “modern” especially, and it’s a beautiful photograph. John Granen took that photo; Kate Basart designed and art directed it. Nicely done.
Don’t forget the Spring is Near thread below to add more…! Thanks.
Posted by Giles, Thursday, February 16, 2006, at 1:26 PM.
Posted to Book cover photography | Book design | Books, design, art | Type and typography
MSC Arts Festival Poster, Final
They went with this version, with one major change: maintain the margins!
Also, Dystopos’s suggestion to justify the “Lectures…” and “Macon State…” lines has been rattling around my head, and works well with the type off the bottom — reinforcing the margin box. Thanks.
So, now that it’s off to press, let’s bleed on it. What should I do better next time? (The previous versions of this poster are linked through Flickr if you’d like to refer back.)
Posted by Giles, Friday, February 3, 2006, at 10:39 PM.
Posted to Art | Design | Flickr | Photography | Type and typography
Poster, V2
Okay, here you go:
Past even my usual four-something posts; I’ll try to be brief. But I thought you’d appreciate some details.
Ironically, the same day I was on a soapbox about culture, the poster was rejected — for a lack of cultural understanding.
The three artists talking about their work are from India and the Caribbean, areas of the world culturally sensitive to being grouped (generally) with the African culture the mask represented.
Monica and I discussed it a little, and her take — she chose the mask photo, by the way — was that the mask was a “diverse take on comedy/tragedy.” Worked for me at the time, but both Dr. Young-Zook and the “esteemed designer” learned a lesson. I said in one of the comment threads that I’m glad it’s not easy, because it’s more interesting. You also learn more. Case in point.
So, Monica wanted to go back to the panel of fellow doctors, to coin a phrase, with some photo options. I sent her to iStock, where she found a few good potential photos — but I really didn’t want to see something that I’d liked that much go to an iStock photo. I wanted one of my photographs. Thankfully, I knew I had this. I’d just taken it (December 26th, as part of the Ringling Museum photo series that My Life is from) and knew as soon as I’d seen it that I wanted to use it for something.
Non-offensive, it fits both India and the Caribbean — the palm shadow works especially well, I think — but needed, well, work. Five hours later, here we are.
Am I going out on a limb, taking this time for something that could — might very likely be — rejected again? Maybe. But the “panel” will get this developed poster and the two iStock photos undeveloped. Hoping it’s enough to nudge them to using a design based on my photograph, and I enjoyed the exercise. It was worth the time.
And damned if I don’t like it just as much as the first one, for a ton of very different reasons. What do you think? Leave a comment.
Note: In the interests of full disclosure, I wanted everyone to know that I posted a (very) slightly tweaked version Saturday evening.
Posted by Giles, Saturday, January 21, 2006, at 5:21 AM.
Posted to Art | Book people | Books | Books, design, art | Design | Flickr | Personal | Photography | Type and typography
Software Conflict 2.0
On the subject of why we’re all here, here’s a book cover design:
Worked on the interior this afternoon and evening; it’s, finally, almost there — precariously balanced between white space and line height. Need to sleep on it before showing it to the client. The cover, though, was tweaked for the final time a few days ago (hopefully…;) and both the client and I am happy with.
It’s 7.5 x 9.25, by the way — a cool size and an interesting creative challenge. Good call on the publisher’s part.
No where near sleep yet tonight, though. Instead of “creatively lighting” the above, I have other plans for Photoshop: this — and another swipe at the poster.
Posted by Giles, Saturday, January 21, 2006, at 12:06 AM.
Posted to Book design | Books, design, art | Business | Computers | Design | Flickr | Jobs | Technology | Type and typography
Thanks, Monica
For the second time this week, I’m posting at four-something in the morning — without client approval. Heh. Feeling naughty:
See a larger version here. Done at the request of Dr. Monica Young-Zook as a follow-up to last year’s well-received effort.
Very happy to be using a photograph I took instead of iStock, too. Cart that camera with me everywhere for a reason — this photo’s a hand-held snapshot taken during a holiday party.
Monica and her husband, Dan, are near the top of the list of reasons I settled in Maon. Glad she’s making sure that, now that I’m here, I don’t get complacent…;)
Bonus: discovered Be a Design Group through their group on Flickr. Sweet.
Posted by Giles, Saturday, January 14, 2006, at 4:16 AM.
Posted to Art | Book and design blogs | Design | Flickr | Photography | Type and typography
Typography I Like Tonight
From the always-interesting Dave Gorman:
It only took three trips over two nights to get a complete alphabet of these. They’re by a graffiti artist called Eine apparently.
Hats off to Dave, the commenters who helped him score the whole set, and especially Eine. Nicely done.
Posted by Giles, Wednesday, January 11, 2006, at 9:14 PM.
Posted to Art | Ethics | Flickr | Freedoms and rights | Photography | Public domain | Type and typography | Whatever
Overall, a Good Day
Okay, so I’m just now checking Macworld news and am, of course, disappointed Apple didn’t bow to Sandwich Man and introduce plasma sets. I mean, what is Steve Jobs thinking?
Heh. Love the morning-after (literally, in this case) quarterbacking.
Good reason for ignoring that ’til now, though. Finally — finally — this kids’ how-to-draw project fell into place. An interior sample:
We flopped this book from 8.5×11 portrait to landscape today, and the change in orientation brought about one of those “well, that’s a good idea, what if I put that with it…?” moments. For several hours. There’s a phrase rattling around my brain somewhere: I love it when a plan comes together. Can’t remember what it’s from.
Usually, I show stuff to clients before posting it online. Apologies. Probably shouldn’t, but I know they’ll like it, and I’m just so happy to put a big ink line through this design on the to do list.
Either way, time for a cigar bed.
Update: Client’s response: Eureka! This is it! … Super. Sweet.
Posted by Giles, Wednesday, January 11, 2006, at 4:18 AM.
Posted to Book design | Design | Flickr | Personal | Type and typography | Whatever
Two From Flickr
First up, a reminder, from Behind-Eyes:
January 10-24. Interesting graphic, too. (Some of Foreword’s readers are in Japan. If any of you goes, please send along a report!)
Second is for your visual pleasure — Lunaryuna’s most creative self-portrait:
Check it out at the larger sizes. Very cool.
Posted by Giles, Wednesday, January 4, 2006, at 9:47 AM.
Posted to Art | Book cover photography | Book design | Books | Books, design, art | Design | Flickr | Photography | Type and typography
Fontographer for OS X!?
Q. What have you been waiting longer for than decent, daily book design posts on Foreword?
A. The original vaporware, Fontographer — in OS X.
Well, no longer:
This is the release that the Fontographer user community has been waiting for nearly a decade!
* native support for Mac OS X,
* support for the Euro character,
* updated encodings,
* copy-paste compatibility with new Illustrator and Freehand versions,
* numerous bug fixes.
Posted by Giles, Monday, December 12, 2005, at 8:14 AM.
Posted to Type and typography
Matthew Carter in The New Yorker
For all you type junkies, there is a great profile of Matthew Carter in the Dec 5 issue of the New Yorker. It doesn’t seem to be online at their site, however :-( If I find it reproduced anywhere I’ll post a link; it’s a great article not only about him but about the process and art of typography in general.
Posted by joseph, Wednesday, December 7, 2005, at 8:34 AM.
Posted to Type and typography
fourninezero design
Paul Airy writes:
I thought you might like to know about book design from the other side of the ‘pond’. I’m a freelance book artist and designer, based in the North of England, UK.
Always wonderful to meet fellow book designers and share what we love. Some nice items in the portfolio, too, like this one:
Part of a series, there’s lots of stuff on and rules to follow for this cover, yet especially with the strong image, it works well.
Thanks, Paul!
Posted by Giles, Friday, November 11, 2005, at 11:04 AM.
Posted to Book and design blogs | Book design | Type and typography
In Search of the Characters of New York
From today’s NYTimes:
[Y]ou were probably not aware that Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg declared this week Type Week in New York City.
You also might have assumed that a group of a dozen people wandering around the Upper East Side on Thursday morning, snapping pictures of the unremarkable words “Public School 6” inscribed into stone above an unremarkable red door on East 81st Street were tourists in possession of a badly translated guidebook.
Interesting — although making choices from the examples available in New York City doesn’t seem like an easy task.
Love this gem:
At times on Thursday, passers-by would stop and stare, too, trying to figure out what all these serious-looking people were looking at. In front of Public School 6, a man paused, squinted at the red door and its seemingly prosaic inscription and then shook his head.
“Is there supposed to be something special here?” he asked.
Ah, New York.
Posted by Giles, Saturday, July 23, 2005, at 7:14 PM.
Posted to Type and typography
FontHunt: Snap Type. Snag Cash.
In celebration of Type Week in New York City, FontShop presents FontHunt, a typographic scavenger hunt. Document the signs and letters of the city and win cash prizes.
More info available here. Oh, to be in the City that week…!
P.S. FontShop’s link to Type Week results in a 404 error. Anyone know a working link? Post in the comments. Thanks.
Update: 400 miles away from one another and still very much of the same mind. —A.
Posted by Giles, Monday, July 18, 2005, at 5:05 PM.
Posted to Type and typography
Blogging from TypeCon
It’s Type Week in New York with lots of super-cool events planned.
Mayor Bloomberg has declared July 18-24 to be “Type Week” in Manhattan! This is, in our opinion, quite a coup for the design community—we don’t recall ever seeing “Grammar & Spelling Week” for copy editors or “Lede & Nut Graf Week” for reporters or “Optimized Workflow Week” for the IT department.
Remember to check with Typographica throughout the week for updates or try Typeradio for podcasts and streaming audio.
Posted by , Monday, July 18, 2005, at 5:04 PM.
Posted to Type and typography
If You're a Penguin in the Sahara...
Congratulations Cheshire Dave! Cheshire Dave’s latest creation Etched in Stone can be found on Veer’s Web site.
When is the next one due out?
Posted by , Sunday, July 17, 2005, at 11:32 AM.
Posted to Type and typography
Underground Typography
The signage typefaces vary, but quite a lot of the signs are in a face designed for the purpose by Adrian Frutiger (creator of Univers and the eponymous type family Frutiger), which serves admirably. More recently, Jean-François Porchez developed a new typeface for Metro signage—one that also works well. Finding the correct train is generally easy, even in a complicated station—even, in fact, where construction has made it necessary to direct riders who are changing lines outside the station itself, across a square, and through parts of a large train station in order to reach the connecting subway line. But it’s not always easy to spot the name of the station as you’re pulling in.
For the remainder of John Berry’s older (but notable) article, go here. Also, go here for type-hottie Jean-François Porchez’s blog.
via Jason Kottke
Posted by , Thursday, July 14, 2005, at 7:49 AM.
Posted to Type and typography
Loving Lexicon
I’ve just completed a catalog project that’s not only a complete change of pace for me — and responsible for the light posting, sorry — but given me a new favorite font: Lexicon.
As seen here, combined with Baker Script, another favorite, it’s just beautiful. While I’m not sure I’d set a book with it, I’m in love with the letterforms and how they look on the page. Nice.
Update: It’s been pointed out in the comments that the font I love is actually called Lexon — my link is to a different font. Apologies; too much work and not enough sleep. Does anyone have this font? What’s your version called?
P.S. If I may gush about InDesign for a moment, note how the optical margin feature has set the left edge of the head, author subhead, and entry text in the example above. One click, great results. Love it!
Posted by Giles, Tuesday, April 12, 2005, at 12:43 AM.
Posted to Type and typography
Justin Howes
The Times Online has a lovely, in-depth look at the life of the late designer Justin Howes.
Howess latest projects included curating an exhibition for the British Library and research towards a Reading University doctorate about the development of letter forms and concepts of lettering, 1680-1830. He had also been involved in the development of two new typefaces, just released, for the centenary this year of Sheffield University to which Stephenson Blake had been a major benefactor.
The new edition of Matrix No 24 includes Howess documentation of giant sizes of Caslon and how he discovered a craftsman in Chatham who could cast them in sand the first time the process had been used for letters in 200 years.
Howes, who died at his desk, was just about to embark on a six-month visit to the Museum Plantin-Moretus in Amsterdam. It had been a dream for him to spend time there casting letters and working with the 16th and 17th-century materials.
He was not married. He is survived by his parents.
Justin Howes, typographer and historian, was born on April 4, 1963. He died of a heart attack on February 21, 2005, aged 41.
Posted by , Wednesday, March 2, 2005, at 9:30 AM.
Posted to Type and typography
Music Band Fonts
…courtesy of RockRage. Download away!
(Thanks, Gerald!)
Posted by Giles, Friday, February 18, 2005, at 10:40 AM.
Posted to Type and typography
NYT using Matrix?
Matrix, the font used throughout the graphics on Foreword and the whole ospreydesign site, has started to appear on the NYTimes pages:
Sheesh. I liked it better when we were the only ones using it. (We were ahead of the curve with Carpenter, too, but changed away from that before it got popular.) Matrix is going to be here for a while yet, though, so hopefully people won’t confuse us with the NYT…;)
Posted by Giles, Saturday, February 12, 2005, at 10:53 AM.
Posted to Type and typography
Kerning at Parsons School
As seen on the men’s bathroom wall at Parsons School of Design.
via Jason Kottke
Posted by , Wednesday, December 22, 2004, at 7:40 AM.
Posted to Type and typography
Typographer Wanted
This is exciting! Must have a “Maniacal obsession with letterforms.”
Hoefler & Frere-Jones has a rare opening for a full-time typeface designer.
This designer will contribute to a design program that specializes in the invention of original typefaces, and develops designs for some of the world’s leading publications, corporations, and institutions.
Continue reading "Typographer Wanted"Duties will include font prototype development, adaptation and extension of existing designs, and all aspects of technical production from drawing to kerning to final manufacture. Applicants should be intimately familiar with typography and its history, and have direct experience drawing letterforms digitally, preferably in a type development program such as FontLab or Fontographer. Applicants will be expected to exhibit strong analytical skills, good problem-solving abilities and a predilection for technological solutions, and excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Posted by , Tuesday, November 30, 2004, at 6:42 PM.
Posted to Type and typography
Temporary Type
St. Bride Printing Library has issued a call for papers for next year’s conference.
Temporary type is work that has knowingly been created without longevity, which simply serves the moment. It includes all ephemera, newspapers, street literature and fly-posting. Temporary type may also be that which is seen only fleetingly such as on television, in the cinema, on computer screens or used in video games; it might be found on the electronic departure signs at railway stations or the score boards at sports events. Temporary type could include lettering on the move such as the graphics found on the side of transit vans, on the tail-wings of aircraft, or the advertising on the side of buses. It might also encompass graffiti or body painting. Perhaps temporary type is a fount that has found short-term acclaim but then descended into obscurity.
For more information go to Typographica.
Posted by , Monday, November 15, 2004, at 6:45 AM.
Posted to Type and typography
Typographic Research
Finally, designers are actually doing research on readability.
In the preliminary research plan, it was assumed that the comparison typeface(s) would be from an existing sans serif typeface based on most probably a European example. Though many typefaces were reviewed Syntax, Avenir, Thesis, Frutiger, British Transport, Normschrift, Univers, etc. none provided an effective comparison to the standard highway fonts based on stroke, letter width, open shape of counters, and neutrality in character. We desired a simple looking typeface, but one with character and a subtle differentiation between letters to improve word recognition.
via Typographica
Posted by , Monday, November 8, 2004, at 9:06 AM.
Posted to Type and typography
Old Film Fonts + Legos = Brilliant
via Mark Simonson
Posted by , Thursday, October 21, 2004, at 8:29 AM.
Posted to Type and typography
Free Dingbat until October 29th
The new dingbat system Psychophante will be available at
www.kennmunk.com from November 1st, costing 15 $, but mailing-list subscribers will be able to download it for free from October 23rd through to October 29th. Psychophante is a sequel to the bitmapped-crest dingbat ‘Wappenbee’.
via Typophile Forums
Posted by , Wednesday, October 13, 2004, at 4:08 PM.
Posted to Type and typography
Drer Caps from P22
Posted by , Thursday, September 30, 2004, at 3:16 PM.
Posted to Type and typography
Those Swedes and Their Type
MRF (MAC Rhino Fonts) was established in 2003, but founder
Stefan Hattenbach has been producing fonts since 1997.
The foundry operates as an independent studio, collaborating
with its partners in various disciplines whenever necessary.
MRF has accelerated its type design efforts in recent months.
This will continue, along with our advertising and graphic design
work. In most cases, our typefaces are available from a variety
of quality vendors: Fountain Type Foundry, PsyOps Type Foundry,
and Veer. In the future, a unique collection of typefaces will be
available exclusively through MRF.
What’s available now and some future projects are on their web site, which is nicely set up but slooow. Some good stuff — and four free font downloads, one of which, Hattrick, I already have a project in mind for.…
Back to work!
Posted by Giles, Wednesday, September 22, 2004, at 9:57 AM.
Posted to Type and typography
Faking Documents?
Based on Powerline’s suspicions of forgery over the documents put forth regarding George W. Bushs National Guard service, I decided to do some legwork and track down the opinions of forensic document examiners that may have an expertise in old typefaces.
After contacting several experts, a rather notable Forensic Document Examiner named Dr. Philip Bouffard took the time to examine a pdf of the documents and perform an initial visual analysis of their authenticity. Dr. Bouffard has a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Michigan, but got involved in forensic examination of typefaces after working in graphics with NCR until 1973 and taking a two-year Certification Program in Document Examination at Georgetown University. After completing the program, he became specifically interested in typewriter classification and went to work for a prosecutors crime lab in Lake County, Ohio.
More here. Via Jason Kottke.
Posted by , Thursday, September 9, 2004, at 6:03 PM.
Posted to Type and typography
Heller on Digital Type
Steven Heller has a short piece in yesterday’s NYTimes (no, I don’t read it much — why do you ask?) on digital typography coming of age, complete with slide show.
While the experimentation of the 90’s has evolved into a serious applied art form and business, digital type design retains much of its early creativity. Here are seven of the most popular fonts issued over the last 10 years by whiz kids turned pros.
Frankly, I’m surprised House isn’t better represented; they’re probably my favorite well, house right now. (Sorry.) Any others our distinguished readers feel should have been mentioned?
Posted by Giles, Monday, August 30, 2004, at 7:16 PM.
Posted to Type and typography
Tabletop Press for Sale in Philadelphia
This is a Kelsey 5×8 tabletop press. I purchased this press early this summer and have enjoyed using it, but must sell for some extra cash. The press is complete with new rollers and all the accessories a beginning printer needs to get started. I’m looking for $450/obo for the entire package. I also have some paper I can sell for an additional, negotiable price. Local pick-up preferred, but I can look into shipping. Please e-mail me for all the details. Thanks!
More information is available over at Briar Press.
Posted by , Thursday, August 26, 2004, at 6:00 AM.
Posted to Type and typography
Dead Type & Lettering from Our Readers
A super touchy-feely gravestone poem from Karl Dubost is good for a mid-day laugh.
And from conservation architect Peter Marquis-Kyle in Australia, comes this gem. Read the inscription on this wooden marker.
Thanks guys!
Posted by , Monday, August 9, 2004, at 12:13 PM.
Posted to Type and typography
Book Arts
Cuts and Caps from Briar Press.
Posted by , Monday, August 9, 2004, at 12:05 PM.
Posted to Type and typography
Etched in Stone Trailer
Veer has just posted the Etched in Stone trailer. Many thanks to Mark Simonson for the little T below. The trailer and movie debuted at TypeCon 2004 a couple of weeks ago, thanks to the support and generosity of Jared Benson and Joe Pemberton of Typophile. And none of it would be possible without Veer. Thanks, Grant!
Posted by Cheshire Dave, Friday, August 6, 2004, at 6:08 PM.
Posted to Type and typography
More Fun at St. Bride
In celebration of the Bad Type Conference, the Friends of St Bride Printing Library invite all typo-voyeurs to submit photographs of very bad type they have discovered.
Bad type may be been found in any environment shop fascias, on the side of buses, in the rear windows of cars, on TV, or in magazines, newspapers or books; and produced by any process printed, engraved, painted or airbrushed.
All submissions will be exhibited at the Bad Type Conference and judged by a specially chosen panel of experts who will assess the entries on grounds of content and composition, and not the quality of the photography. The winners will be awarded one of a number of glittering prizes.
Photographs of bad type can be sent as medium resolution digital
images* to: conference@stbride.org
*maximum file size should be about 1.5MB
Please mark your email ‘Bad Type Competition’ and include your name, address and the place where the photograph was taken.
Closing date: 1 October 2004
Posted by , Thursday, August 5, 2004, at 7:37 AM.
Posted to Type and typography
Dead Type & Lettering 7
From Fogartyville Cemetery in Bradenton, FL.
Anyone have any cemetery type to add? E-mail me at amanda(AT)ospreydesign.com.
Posted by , Wednesday, August 4, 2004, at 5:35 PM.
Posted to Type and typography
Jon Coltz Redesigns
A redesign of the seventh most popular blog on typography has the font world abuzz this morning, but reaction to the addition of a third text column is mixed.
Fans of Jon Coltzs daidala site such as Paula Nordquist of Missoula, MT hailed the change. That third column makes my life soooo much easier. Jon is a visionary. Hes like what could happen if like, Fred Durst and Nicole Richie did it and made a baby. And Ben Smith of Columbus, OH added: Fuckin A, I logged on and just about dumped a load in my Carhartts.
But critics among them, computer usability expert Julie Emmett of Vancouver urged caution in navigating the updated daidala: [Its] an important achievement, but now I have to go to the other side of the page just to read his copyright statement. It was negligent of him not to study the potential effects of this change on users before doing something so extreme.
More information here. Congrats, Jon!
Posted by , Tuesday, August 3, 2004, at 9:37 AM.
Posted to Type and typography
Old Signs & Typography
I saw a post about an old sign. I have quite a few shots of old signs and some typography shots in the abstracts gallery.
Posted by cbrock, Thursday, July 29, 2004, at 11:13 AM.
Posted to Type and typography
There's Still Time
to register for ATypI in Prague. Jean Franois Porchez, Erik van Blokland, and Rick Poyner will be there.
Any Foreword readers going?
Posted by , Thursday, July 29, 2004, at 10:39 AM.
Posted to Type and typography
More TypeCon 2004
over at Typographica.
I love this:
Does its possible to improve a bit the spacing/kern between the T and y? :-o
POSTED BY: Jean F Porchez | Jul 26, 2004 03:36 AM
Oh Jean. So picky! No, that is not possible. The original PSD is long gone, and what youre looking at is a picture of a picture of a picture. Besides, altering the image would remove the whole spirit of the piece - created, as it was, while battling a serious case of drunken imbalance.
POSTED BY: J. Lurie-Terrell | Jul 26, 2004 09:15 AM
Cheshire Dave, when can we see your movie??
Posted by , Wednesday, July 28, 2004, at 10:22 AM.
Posted to Type and typography
Dead Type & Lettering 5
“Francis” at Fogartyville Cemetery.
Posted by , Friday, July 23, 2004, at 7:22 AM.
Posted to Type and typography
Dead Type and Lettering 4
This image was taken in the ‘indigent’ section of the cemetery. The section is covered with litter, weeds, and long forgotten plastic flower arrangements. This same hand-lettering is found throughout this section of Fogartyville.
Posted by , Thursday, July 22, 2004, at 8:27 AM.
Posted to Type and typography
Dead Type & Lettering 3
Again, from Fogartyville Cemetery in Bradenton, Florida.
Posted by , Monday, July 19, 2004, at 5:46 PM.
Posted to Type and typography
Anyone?
going to TypeCon2004 this week? Does anyone want to blog about the conference for Foreword?
Posted by , Monday, July 19, 2004, at 5:57 AM.
Posted to Type and typography
Antique Typesetter's Desk For Sale
REDUCED!! Now asking $500; Antique typesetter’s desk from Germany; perfect for a home-based letterpress studio. Bought from dealer in Fredericksburg, Texas. Angled desk top opens for more work space or storage. 14 partitioned type drawers, 14 small flat drawers. 22” deep, 44” wide, 48” tall at the highest point. Solid wood - heavy. Buyer responsible for pick-up and transit.
Posted by , Sunday, July 18, 2004, at 6:37 PM.
Posted to Type and typography
Dead Type & Lettering 2
Another photograph from Fogartyville Cemetery.
Posted by , Thursday, July 15, 2004, at 8:17 AM.
Posted to Type and typography
Dead Type & Lettering
From Fogartyville Cemetery, Bradenton, Florida.
Posted by , Wednesday, July 14, 2004, at 10:17 AM.
Posted to Type and typography
Pretty
The Terminal: A Journal of Typography and Lettering Arts.
Plus, P22’s @ sampling.
Posted by , Tuesday, July 13, 2004, at 2:19 PM.
Posted to Type and typography
Romantique!
An 1835 Stanhope Press is for sale in France at 2000 . More info here.
Posted by , Saturday, July 10, 2004, at 7:16 PM.
Posted to Type and typography
There's that Dalliance again
Pretty blog but I really have no idea what it’s about. If you know then please clue me in.
via Mark Simonson
Posted by , Saturday, July 10, 2004, at 7:00 PM.
Posted to Type and typography
Son of Typecasting
In case you’ve missed it, Mark Simonson’s Son of Typecasting category is fantastic. Mark looks at the clever or pitiful use of typography in big budget films. Mark has an extensive article on the subject here.
Have any ideas for future entries? Markmark(AT)ms-studio.comwants to hear from you.
Posted by , Friday, July 9, 2004, at 4:57 PM.
Posted to Type and typography
Freedom Cornerstone: Gotham
Today’s New York Times has a typography article! Blocks: A 9/11 Cornerstone, Chiseled With a New York Accent, discusses Gotham, the typeface chosen for Freedom Tower’s cornerstone:
The choice of Gotham is more than a matter of typographical arcana (though as typographical arcana go, it’s not bad). As the first tangible element of the Freedom Tower - and, by extension, the trade center redevelopment - and as an image seen nationwide on Independence Day, the cornerstone sent an aesthetic signal of intent.
[…]
Ann Harakawa, a principal in the Two Twelve Associates design firm, whose office at 90 West Street was destroyed on 9/11, said the typeface was simple, legible and, given its New York provenance, very apt. “The idea of it being slightly ambiguous is interesting,” she said, “because no one has any idea of what’s going to come.”
Posted by Giles, Thursday, July 8, 2004, at 10:39 AM.
Posted to Type and typography
Handsome and Talented
typographer Jean Francois Porchez now has his own blog!
Also, here are Porchez’s photographs from last week’s 2nd International Conference on Typography and Communication in Thessaloniki. More pictures from Greece here.
Posted by , Monday, July 5, 2004, at 6:39 PM.
Posted to Type and typography
Free Letterpress Printing Classes
At the Center for Book Arts at 28 West 27th Street, 3rd Floor.
There’s limited space so sign up now. Write to info(at)centerforbookarts.org or telephone 212.481.0295 for more information.
Posted by , Monday, June 28, 2004, at 5:34 PM.
Posted to Type and typography
Typographica has a new home!
Update your bookmarks!
Posted by , Saturday, June 19, 2004, at 7:57 AM.
Posted to Type and typography
Letterpress for Sale
Oh, this is so romantic.
I need to part with my letterpress. My goal is finding someone who can take it all and put it to good use but I can not afford to give it away.
Go here for more information.
Posted by , Thursday, June 10, 2004, at 6:53 AM.
Posted to Type and typography
Hand Lettering 101
Can anyone point to any cool books covers with hand lettering?
via Typographica
Posted by , Monday, June 7, 2004, at 3:51 PM.
Posted to Type and typography
First edition: Jan Tschichold
Treasury of Alphabets and Lettering, A Source Book of the Best Letter Forms of Past and Present.
From Oak Knoll for $125. Are any Foreword readers familiar with the text? I know that we don’t have it.
Posted by , Thursday, May 13, 2004, at 6:46 AM.
Posted to Type and typography
Is that Dalliance??
I’m beginning to see this everywhere. There’s more Ottawa found type over at Robot Johnny’s.
Flashback: RIP Dalliance designer Frank Heine.
Posted by , Wednesday, May 12, 2004, at 5:04 PM.
Posted to Type and typography
Faster than a rolling O
Stronger than silent E, able to leap capital T in a single bound, it’s a word, it’s a plan, it’s Letterman!
Posted by , Wednesday, April 14, 2004, at 7:30 PM.
Posted to Type and typography
Bookmarkable
typographic illustration
pixietype
Lettering Tours
Posted by , Thursday, March 18, 2004, at 7:05 PM.
Posted to Type and typography
Tonight
The Type Directors Club at 127 West 25 street in New York presents Alexander Isley
designer of this year’s TDC annual, to hear him talk about how he tries to avoid the temptations that befall designers (including himself, he admits) when doing work for design-oriented clients. Alex will show examples from his firm’s award-winning work for the AIGA, Cooper-Hewitt Museum, and the TDC, among others. He’ll talk about his love of type, why he feels he could never be a great type designer, and how sometimes the best way to show off to one’s peers is to take a step back and let their work be the star of the show. And just for fun, he’ll also show some examples of work he thinks is really terrible. (Some if it his own.)
The event is free. Contact TDC for more information.
Posted by , Thursday, March 18, 2004, at 6:45 AM.
Posted to Type and typography
Stephen Coles
Cool Stephen Coles has updated his Web site with new photographs of venacular typography and signage in Malm and Helsinki.
I love this one.
via Typographica
Posted by , Wednesday, February 25, 2004, at 7:07 AM.
Posted to Type and typography
Courier Banned
In a sign that no matter is too small to affect international diplomacy, the US State Department has issued an edict banning its longtime standard typeface from all official correspondence and replacing it with a “more modern” font.
In an internal memorandum distributed on Wednesday, the department declared “Courier New 12” - the font and size decreed for US diplomatic documents for years - to be obsolete and unacceptable after February 1.
Why does this feel like an Onion news item to me??
via Typographica.
Posted by , Tuesday, February 3, 2004, at 8:07 AM.
Posted to Type and typography
Call for Papers
The proposal deadline for St. Bride’s 2004 conference Bad Type is only a few weeks away.
You are invited to submit papers that take a walk on the typographic wild side, which explore not what is lofty, proper and good in the graphic arts, but that which is mad, bad and dangerous to know.
Bad Type may be interpreted as that which does not fit with convention and could include work created by typographic dissidents and revolutionaries, or material used for rebellious or seditious purposes. Bad type might deal with work that purposely disobeys normal typographic customs to achieve wayward ends or it may cover material created to facilitate naughty, mischievous or roguish purposes. It could also include the curious work of amateurs with no particular design talents. The theme of Bad Type may be applied to individuals, their work, the purpose behind their work or the processes used to produce it.
Go here for more information.
Posted by , Tuesday, January 6, 2004, at 4:13 PM.
Posted to Type and typography
Good Typostuff
y’all check this out:
it’s relatively new and it’s getting better each week.
Posted by , Tuesday, November 25, 2003, at 12:00 PM.
Posted to Type and typography