super size my type
Recently I promised some short ‘newsy’ pieces. Meet Subscripts a new and ‘irregular’ feature, where I’ll list some typography resources, web sites and events. First to pop Subscripts’ cherry is:

Smashing Magazine‘s

super-size me feature, The Showcase of Big Typography, which lists a number of sites, that…you guessed it…use big type. I like some of the examples; however, what most of them demonstrate is the power of type. Good type standing alone can make quite an impression. You certainly won’t need to use your screen reader with most of these sites, so even your grandmother will be happy.

However, something that really baffles me with a number of these sites, is their use of Flash and text as image (TAI). Text at large sizes on the web works pretty well, so why not use browser text? For example the yellow Designer Shock web site, could easily be turned into plain old XHMTL and CSS site (or even use sIFR) — and, if they wish to keep the clock, then that too can be achieved with real browser text and a little JavaScript. What do you think?

Type Radio

Hundreds of podcasts of interviews with people in type. Sometimes it crosses the twilight zone into the surreal, but overall it’s pretty entertaining and informative. There are interviews with the incredibly talented type designer and former Type Director of Linotype Akira Kobayashi, (designer of FF Clifford, Conrad and the ITC Woodland typeface, among many others; he also worked with Hermann Zapf, and with Adrian Frutiger on the redesign of Avenir); and also interviews with Gerard Unger and even one with Helvetica (yes, an interview with Helvetica the typeface).

If you’d like to learn more about Letterpress, then take a look at British LetterPress, a new site about getting started with Letterpress — with everything from where to buy equipment to assembling type. Even if you don’t plan on buying a a 2-ton letterpress and 100kg of lead type, then it’s a wonderful educational resource. Many thanks to Manuel Martensen for the link.

There’s also a wonderful Flickr set of photos on Letterpress Composition, Make Up and Proofing that’s an absolute must-see. I’m hoping to interview Michael of Interrobang Letterpress next month, so stay tuned.

I’ll announce the winner of the Kinescope Font Giveaway in the next article. More than 300 of you have already entered. I really need to get some more prizes for you all!

I was recently interviewed for SheUnlimited in what is becoming known as The 10,000 Toilet Rolls Interview (why did I have to go and say that? Well, you live and learn). I hope that’s enough to sate your typographic thirst. Let me know what you think of these links, and feel free to send me your own via the contact page.

web typography