Articles & Essays

• Rhythm in Type Design

  Alejandro Lo Celso

  A thorough investigation of a fundamental principle in type design. Lo Celso begins with the temporal and biological bases of rhythm and moves through its presence in speech, poetry and visual language…

• Problems Relating to the Translation of a Drawn Letterform to a Digital Typeface

  Eduardo Berliner

  A dissertation that looks at the difficulties of translating by means of a tool or machine the human qualities of the hand-drawn letterform. Eduardo Berliner takes the reader through the history of…

• Serial Type Families

  Alejandro Lo Celso

  An in-depth look at serial type families, also known as typeface systems or type superfamilies. Lo Celso provides us with a view of their history and development, both aesthetically and technologically, as…

• The “Revival” of Slab-Serif Typefaces in the Twentieth Century

  Keith Tam

  This essay evaluates the formal characteristics of slab-serif typefaces and focuses on the evolutions of their form and use. It begins with a short historical survey of the early development of slab-serif…

• A Discussion on Type Design Revivalism

  Alejandro Lo Celso

  An extensive look at some of the major type revivals in the early twentieth century, the various approaches to reviving Francesco Griffo’s designs and the controversy surrounding the revival of typefaces in…

• Oldrich Menhart: Calligrapher, Type Designer and Craftsman

  Veronika Burian

  This extensive dissertation presents the versatile work of the great Czech calligrapher and type designer Oldrich Menhart in his most unique and interesting period between 1930 and 1948. (This is a large…

• Basic Character Spacing in Type Design

  Mark Jamra

  The first steps to lining up those letters you’ve worked on for so long.

• Calligraphic Tendencies in the Development of Sanserif Types in the Twentieth Century

  Keith Tam

  This impressive dissertation explores the relationship between calligraphic writing and the formal developments of sanserif typefaces in the twentieth century.

• Jan van Krimpen

  Doyald Young

  The story of a personal encounter with the great Dutch designer Jan van Krimpen and a look at his first major typeface design, Lutetia.

• This Monkey’s Gone to Heaven & If the Devil is Six, then God is Seven. Against Anti-Foundationalism.

  Elliott Earls

  After influencing a decade of typographic experimentation, Elliott Earls offers this personal and informed perspective on foundational visual training and its effect on letterform design.