This Week From the Desk
Week 41, 2017
Release Radar: Ivar by Letters From Sweden
This week saw the release of Ivar, Letters From Sweden’s latest type family, and the industry’s newest Times-killer. Ivar is a sturdy and modern kit of parts with no shame about it’s roots and place in history. Letters From Sweden started the design as a seriffed companion to their Siri Family, which makes Ivar a great study in the ‘sibling’ relationship between types. (Something that has come up more often lately.) Ivar comes in three optical sizes, with each sub-family consisting of four weights with matching italics, for a total of 24 fonts. We especially love the tribute to where the family got its name.
See, test drive, and buy Ivar at Letters From Sweden.
Granshan Competition Winners Announced
Granshan is a truly global organization for typography, charged with spreading exposure to non-latin scripts, and engaging with the challenges they face in our industry. 2017 marked the completion of its 10th Annual Typography Competition, who’s winners were announced this week. Feel like you don’t get a change to hear more about the ‘little guys’, or what’s the latest in non-latin type design, or who is doing work for underserved languages worldwide? This is your place to start. View the list of Granshan Competition winners here.
You can also learn more about Granshan, their competition, conference, and mission at their website here.
Type For Good: Aid for Mexico
In light of the earthquake in Mexico last week, we all are scrambling for more ways we can help out or get involved. 9 Latin type foundries have come together to offer a special font bundle, with all proceeds going to aid for the earthquake victims and relief efforts. Its actually in incredible deal: 29 fonts containing 75 styles, for only $29. Purchasing this bundle is an outstanding show of support for our global neighbors, and a fabulous statement of unity by the Latin Type community. The 9 foundries coming together here are Just in Type, Dootype, HarborType, Type Senses, Letritas, Rodrigo Type, Peggo Fonts, TipoType, and Latino Type.
Released: Massive YSans Collection from Typofonderie
Watch out Fashion, Typofonderie has your number. Jean François Porchez’s Ysans Collection was released this week, comprised of Ysans — a new sans serif family “influenced by Cassandre lettering pieces and the geometric sanserif style from the inter-war period”— and Ysans Mondrian, an intricate layered font family inspired by the classic Mondrian Dress by Yves Saint Laurent. The collection is extensive, well researched, and well presented with the story of the design’s roots, inspiration, and development process. Discover more about Typofonderie’s Ysans Collection here.
Letterform Archive Puts AIGA Medalists On Display
Here’s one for your calendar: The Letterform Archive has an exhibition of pieces from their extensive archive surrounding AIGA Medalists going on this week and weekend at the AIGA Design Conference in Minneapolis. If you find yourself at this conference, do not miss a chance to see the historical (some incredibly recent!) pieces on display.
Thu–Sat, Oct 12–14, 2017
8:00am–6:30pm
Enviable Print: Type Life
Although this was initially published a few weeks ago, it only floated past the desk this week, and we can't stop thinking about it. Type Life is a new series of printed publications about design, typography and lifestyle by Swiss Typefaces. Issue #1 is focused on ideas surrounding new and future fonts. You can pick up a copy at Draw Down Books.
A Good Read from the Letterform Archive
There were several good reads about Type published this week, but this one from the Letterform Archive on Emory Douglas and his design work for The Black Panther.