Sunday Type: smoking type
A Font a Day Keeps the Doctor Away?
It feels as though someone stole Wednesday and Thursday. Anyway, not much that can be done about that. Let’s get things rolling on a lighter note. Typophile, holds a great themed competition—or battle—each week. This week’s is one that anyone can have a go at:
Garamond and Zebrawood walk into a bar, they have a few drinks and one thing leads to another…. Create from scratch, the typographic love child of: Garamond and Zebrawood.
Just click on over to Typophile to get involved. And still on a lighter note, this rather unfortunate logo for the UK’s Office of Government Commerce. Be sure to rotate your logo designs before submitting to the client!
No comment. Via typographer.org.
Font Game Update
I’m pleased to announce that after a lot of hard work (on Kari’s part), the hugely popular Rather Difficult Font Game is now hosted on iLT.
Kari has some great plans for the game, including expanding the number of typefaces. Oh, and there’s an iPhone version too.
Next is a series of documents that outlines the development of Haas Unica (fundamentally a reworking of Helvetica):
Via SwissMiss.
While you’re waiting for the iLT t-shirts, you might like to try this one on for size:
The descending (weights) Helvetica Neue t-shirt. Thanks to Hamish—who I believe wears one.
Some visual stumulation in the form of these two good Flickr Photo Pools. The first is the Chinese Type Pool. Mostly signage and examples of calligraphy. Would be nice to see some more print examples.
The second, for me, is a little closer to home—the Japanese Type Pool:
Photo courtesy of スロbernat. One of the most interesting challenges in Japanese typography is combining Japanese type with Latin.
I’ve mentioned Michael Doret’s Metroscript before, but I’ll mention it again.
One, because it’s a beautiful script; two, because it’s on special offer (20% off until April 30, 2008). It also comes with one of the best PDF instruction manuals I’ve ever seen for a font (explaining how to use its OpenType features).
I really like the look of the newly-launched Newwork magazine:
I headed off to YouWorkForThem to order a copy, but they’ve sold out. Blast!
We’ve had type furniture, so I guess now it’s time for type rugs:
I might just cut-up my existing rug.
Of Cars and Type
Carlos Segura, founder of T26 type foundry has an interesting web site (especially for those who like cars and type): cartype.com is, in his own words, “A comprehensive study and collection of reviews and typographical applications of emblems, car company logos and car logos….”
Sunday Type Links
Be Humankind—Oxfam’s new ad campaign.
5 principles…of setting type on the Web—SM
Sugar sweet lettering—How blog
David Berlow, type designer—Easily Amused
McCain’s Optimum Look—Steven Heller
Jan Middendorp interviews Jim Parkinson
Elements of Design Applied to the Web—Astheria
Emigre has just released Slab and Sans Narrow additions to the Vista family by Xavier Dupré:
And while on the subject of Emigre, don’t forget the Essays republished on their web site. That reminds me, I received my copy of Slanted #05 the other day (I mentioned it last Sunday). Lovely magazine, some great specimens, a piece on Kris Sowersby, and lots of knocked-out Feijoa display (which I bought back in December). Kind of reminded me of Emigre magazine. I wonder if Slanted will allow us to republish the odd article here on iLT?
Web Typography
The Elements of Typographic Style Applied to the Web is a noble undertaking. There have been three recent entries, of which Add and delete vertical space in measured intervals is my favorite. It’s well worth starting from the beginning and reading through every single entry. The site is an invaluable resource for web typography, and a great example of how good text on screen can be. Richard Rutter deserves a medal.
Today’s Typeface
Dear Sarah Pro by Christian Robertson:
It even comes with ink blots, alternate—and swash—caps, small caps and ornaments. There’s a good PDF specimen too.
I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s Sunday Type. See you soon for more interviews, typeface reviews and lots more. Next week, there will be a competition too. Enjoy your Sunday, and have a great week.
— Hochuli & Kinross
— Jeffrey Zeldman
24 comments * comment * trackback
inspirationbit
hahaha on OGC logo. That’s a good warning though - to rotate the logos, and perhaps even mirror them to make sure that such bloopers don’t happen with our logos ;-)
NEWWORK magazine looks amazing. I bet it looks even better as a hard copy.
Glad to see FontGame on iLT. Thanks and Good luck with extending the game, Kari.
Loved Zebrawood battle on typophile - very clever and entertaining ;-)
Thanks for another inspirational Sunday TypeShower, John.
Apr 27, 2008
johno (iLT)
inspirationbit
I’ll try to get hold of a copy of Newwork (somehow). Sunday TypeShower—that has a nice ring to it. Have a good week, Vivien.
Apr 28, 2008
LaurenMarie - Creative Curio
Thank you for the web typography links! Perfect timing as I charge headlong into the typographic aspect of my blog redesign. Along with Vivien’s wonderful behind the scenes of web typography, I should have plenty of awesome examples of web type. Ah, and sIFR. I’m going to look into that, too.
I really like that Dear Sarah font. The ornaments, alternates and bonus ink blots make this a very well thought out and well rounded font!
Oh, and you said, “One of the most interesting challenges in Japanese typography is combining Japanese type with Latin.” Why is that? What makes it difficult? I would love to read a post on Japanese typography and the unique challenges of working with it. Are there lots of different Japanese fonts?
Apr 28, 2008
raphael
Thanks for the posts.
They are always welcome in my aggregator.
Apr 28, 2008
johno (iLT)
LaurenMarie
I’m looking forward to your redesign. I did start writing a post about sIFR, but ran into problems getting it to work consistently in IE (surprise, surprise). However, it does degrade nicely. The Japanese + Latin is ‘difficult’ in the same way as finding a good sans and serif combo is ‘difficult’. But it’s made or the more difficult owing to the the general form of Japanese characters, and the fact that Japanese is comprised of three writing systems: kanji (like Chinese characters); Hiragana which is generally quite cursive; and Katakana which is ‘squarer’, straighter, more rigid. Perhaps I will write an introduction to the topic some day.
There are a good number of Japanese typefaces, though not nearly enough. But then that’s a logistical thing. Adobe produce some very good quality Japanese fonts that comprise in excess of 15,000 (!) characters—it’s a mammoth undertaking.
rafael
And I’m pleased you enjoyed reading. Thanks for subscribing.
Apr 28, 2008
LaurenMarie - Creative Curio
Wow… I figured it would be difficult to produce fonts for languages that are similar to Japanese and Chinese, where they are more pictures than individual characters (like English). What do you call those types of writing systems? I forget. I would definitely be interested in reading an intro to Japanese typography!
Haha, yes, IE poses so many problems in web design. Unfortunately there are some antiquated companies (like mine!!) that force everyone to use it. I’m still on IE6, even though I’ve petitioned several times to be upgraded to FireFox.
Apr 28, 2008
Kyle Meyer
That rug is indeed amazing, oh the ideas are running through my head. A welcome mat in DIN perhaps. :)
I’m happy to see the font game moved here as well, I can’t wait for more typefaces to be added. Did you switch hosts yet Johno?
Also, thanks for the link to Astheria; much appreciated.
Apr 28, 2008
Adrian
Love that rug. And LMAO at that OGC logo! How could they miss that? Reminds me of Photoshop Disasters.
Apr 28, 2008
Manuel, Æstheticrew
:)GC
Apr 28, 2008
Cody
Ho ho ho, love the NEWWORK magazine. It remind me of the first generation of International Typographic Style posters.
I have a really good BASIC presentation I can write up on Japanese typography. The explanation between the “serif” and “san serif” of Japanese typefaces, spacing, character anatomy, and combination of latin and Japanese type.
Let me know if you are interested! Send over an e-mail my way.
Apr 28, 2008
Philip
The article on Helvetica to Haas Unica is interesting, but I found it irritating having to read all the images. I’ve made a pdf of all the images available here:
http://www.inference.phy.cam.ac.uk/pjs67/FromHelveticaToHaasUnica.pdf
Regards
-Philip
Apr 28, 2008
Philip
The article on Helvetica to Haas Unica is interesting, but I found it irritating having to read all the images. I’ve made a pdf of all the images available here:
Regards
-Philip
Apr 28, 2008
スロbernat
Hey! Thanks for your using my photo ^_^
But… next time, put my name, right ;)
Apr 28, 2008
Hamish M
Haha, I sent the OGC logo to some other designers in my office, they were all a bit puzzled until I said “Now, turn your head and look at it.”
I’m glad to hear The Font Game has moved, I can’t wait to see more additions.
And yes, I did purchase the Helvetica Neue t-shirt. It hasn’t arrived yet, but when it does, I shall wear it with pride. :)
Ah, Metroscript is beautiful (I love that retro feel), and Cartype is excellent. (I once had a similar idea of collecting a bunch of auto logos in a website, but alas never went anywhere with that.)
Thanks for the writeup, John.
Apr 28, 2008
Billy Simmons
haha it took me a while to work out what the logo looked like :D
Thats rather unfortunate.
Thanks for the post!
Apr 28, 2008
Sal
You don’t even have to rotate it. It’s clearly an illustration of morning wood.
Apr 28, 2008
Katja Bak
hey guys.
currently at AGIDEAS in melbourne. v. big yearly design confrence. it’s amazing. alot of designers and creatives from around the world talking about their craft and what inspires them. alot of nice typography.
check it out.
great set up this week. think you need more! i’m thirrrrrsty, ILT!
Apr 30, 2008
Frank
Hey Guys,
The link to the Typography Shop isn’t working. It should be http://typographyshop.com/
Thanks for the link about web typography, very interesting.
Apr 30, 2008
Robert
good stuff!
May 2, 2008
Felipe Dário
I loved Haas Unica. I’m currently working in a woodblock version of Helvetica Neue, so everything Helvetica is a good resource. Hope I can handle cutting all that wood…
May 2, 2008
DazzleCat
haha Office of Government Commerce logo is brilliant, being in the UK its a typical mistake of the government here to make! :-D
May 8, 2008