Fleet Street Lino Print by Stanley Donwood

The festive season is fast upon us, and as always, I feel it is my duty to call attention to typographic goodies that make good gifts for lovers of letters and all things related to the printing arts. If you are feeling very generous and want to really treat your loved one to something nice, may I suggest this beautiful linocut artwork from Stanley Donwood, famous for creating much of the iconic imagery associated with the band Radiohead. Of course the £750 price tag for this artwork is just a bit hefty, but as one who as actually seen this print in person, the quality is exceptional and is a beautiful piece for any art collector. However, if this number is out of your budget due to the credit crunch, there are other options if you would like to own a piece of this incredible imagery.

Besides the lino print, there is also a screen printed version for about half the price at £300. Or, if you are like me and completely skint at the moment, you can opt for the London Views Concertina Booklet for a mere £4.99. (I opted for the booklet at this time, thank you).
More gift ideas as they come to my awareness…

Letter forms from the typeface Cassius by Mathieu Réguer

I really should have gone to Paris this weekend. I didn’t have anything terribly exciting to do here in London, two of my elder sisters were there for the weekend. I don’t know why I didn’t realize all of this before Sunday evening. Had I been there, I’m sure I would have tried to drag them to La Durée, try to talk them into taking a boat ride on the Seine, or maybe I could finally make it to the top of the Eiffel Tower. I blame them, in part, for not getting me their itinerary sooner, let this be a lesson to all you Hunts!
However, had I been in Paris this weekend, I can tell you that I would most likely have been taking pictures of lettering more than of architecture. On my previous two trips to the center of the cultural universe, I was struck by the occurrence of what seemed to me to be a very French treatment of the majuscule R. Whereas the typical, Anglo/American treatment of this letter is to give it a nice sturdy leg to lean on, the French R seems to tend more often to a more graceful tail, or swash. Of course you can find this as a feature also applied in type and lettering in other cultures, but it seems (to me at least) that the French have incorporated this feature into every style of lettering imaginable, from Lombardic flavored majuscules, to inscriptional forms and even applied to Egyptienne lettering styles.
After my returning from my first trip to Paris, I decided to test my idea that French R’s tend to favor a swash formation. Without looking at the current state of Mathieu Réguer’s typeface project, Cassius, I asked him to show me his capital letter R. I was not disappointed in the result, and you can see all the beauty of the French R in the illustration above. Thank you for humoring me, Mathieu.
P.S. It has been said (presumably by none other than Eric Spiekermann) that all French design is related to the olive. I’m not quite sure what the connection is in conjunction with this particular R shape, but if you can figure it out, Please tell me.
More specimens of the French R in specimens of Parisian lettering.

Cover from Portfolio of Ornamental Penmanship by A.N. Palmer Co.

Yesterday’s blog post from The Ministry of Type focuses on a singular specimen of lettering ephemera from the last century: a digitized version of W.E. Dennis’ Studies in Pen Art is truly a gem, but once you get hooked on this stuff you will want more and more (at least that is what happens to me). These materials are wonderful ephemera and excellent fodder for inspiration for those who love letters. The publication linked to by the Ministry is just one of several publications from the same period during the last century when business schools taught penmanship as a main staple of their curriculums.

A whole slew of publications dedicated to surface in America as early as the 1860s and were popular into the 1910s and beyond. Of course some of these manuals are better crafted than others. Some showcase impressive skills at ornamental lettering, while others more simply demonstrate how to write with a clear and legible hand. Some of of these are (again, at least for me) objects of desire and others are simply charming objects that may fill one with nostalgia.
One could spend years on end trying to rummage around and track down all of these books, but again we are saved some of the effort thanks to the world wide web. The International Association of Master Penmen, Engrossers and Teachers of Handwriting (IAMPETH) has put together a short listing of some of the most important manuals and has made them available digitally as .pdf files or as .jpeg images.
One day I’ll actually sit down with one or two of these books and a loaded pen and just may try practicing by writing some of you letters in an elegant hand, just don’t hold your breath until then.

Grandia in fine print.

This post marks the first anniversary of my blog and the end of my year at the University of Reading, where I furthered my education in typeface design via their Masters degree program. It has been a good year and I learned much more than I could have anticipated. To view the results of my work and my classmates’, you can visit typefacedesign.org and view PDF specimens of each of the typefaces, including a group specimen that we had printed up. If 1) you are interested in a copy, and 2) I know who you are, I just might see that you get a copy if you ask very nicely.
Have a look at Grandia and Gandhara and please leave any comments you have on the typefaces here. Thanks for having a look!

Gandhara in Sanskrit text.

Grandia/Gandhara language “cloud”

a is for Albertus, originally uploaded by pauldhunt.

… and not a drop of ink! This week in the department, the finishing touches were being painted on the walls at the building that houses the Department of Typography & Graphic Communication. The pièces de résistance came in the form of ginormous brightly painted letters, yum! Perhaps they chose this week to give us struggling MA students a perk as we are in the last hours of writing and finishing our dissertation work. In any case, the cheery new department building will be all ready to welcome a new crop of budding designers the first of next month. I wish I could do it all over again.

What’s up with the type foundry/music connection? Recent years have brought us P22’s release of the William Caslon Experience compilation and the Amerikanische Badneß album, which accompanies the Blaktur typeface, from the House Industries guys themselves.
Now let’s add another of my own personal favorites to the lineup. František Štorm has quietly added a link to his own musical project, Airbrusher, to his website where he describes the musical output as “cheap, unpretentious, kitsch melodies [and] a heap of malicious lyrics, with no purpose whatsoever.” There is a sample download of songs available from the site, which I grabbed and listened to immediately. When loaded into iTunes, the tracks show up with the genre listed as “DiscoMetal.” I’m no hardcore metalhead myself, so I was able to find the juxtaposition of sonic styles refreshing. My fellow-student, Dan Reynolds, found the same mix to be “an abomination.” As with everything, taste is subjective and Mr. Štorm states that, “Vulgarity and bad taste against the established underground! That’s what Airbrusher is.”
If you can appreciate the bald-faced honesty and tongue-in-cheek humor of it all, the full album is available boxed together with four original, signed woodcuts, also by Mr. Štorm. Only 200 copies are available so order soon.

While you’re at it, you might to pick up one of the best font compilations there is, the Storm Open Library, which has been newly updated and is currently on sale through the end of this month. You can’t beat prices like this for impeccably crafted type.

• ¡Toro! 492 Elmwood Ave. • 716.886.9457 The calamari garnished with olives and parmesean is an interesting take on this popular appetizer, most everything on the menu is impeccable, but the Barbecue pulled pork on corn crepes and the chicken spring rolls are especially nice. website
• La Tee Da 206 Allen St • 716.881.4500? If you’re not in a rush and want a nice place to relax, the patio is just the place. As this place is very popular, you’d do well to make a reservation. The lasagna and the Poached Pear Salad are absolutely lovely as is the salmon.
• Quaker Bonnet Eatery 175 Allen St. • 800.283.2447 You can get a hot sandwich and tasty baked goods here. The Cuban is worth popping in for. website
• Panaro’s 571 Delaware Ave. • 716.884.1033 Looking for a quaint, Italian cafe and bakery? This is just the spot. A cup of pasta fagioli makes a very tasty lunch. website
• Just Pizza 295 Main St. 716.856.4444 also 300 Elmwood Ave. • 716.883.5650 Actually this place serves more than just pizza. They have tasty, toasted subs here and very decent chicken wings, but the pizzas really are the main attraction. Try the chicken in the grass pizza or the three cheese Philly steak pizza. mmmmMMM! website
• Towne Restaurant 186 Allen St. • 716.884.5128 If for some reason you’re out late and everything else seems to have closed, Towne is actually not bad. The chicken souvlaki is decent and the chicken fingers are often just what is need in the middle of the night.
• Mythos 510 Elmwood Ave. • 716.886.9175 If you happen to be out and about for breakfast, they do a tasty “greasy spoon” variety here. However, the eggs Benedict are some of the best I’ve sampled. The dinner menu is only passable.
• Delish 802 Ave. • 716.881.2022 Try the Whoopee Pie, the peanut butter is my personal favorite. website
• Perry’s Ice cream various vendors If you see the name Perry’s, stop. You simply have to try the Piece of Cake ice cream. If you’re cruising Elmwood, you can stop in Fowler’s Fine Chocolates for a scoop…or two. website
• Russ’ Pastry Shop 294 W Ferry St. • 716.881.7080 Located in a rougher spot in Buffalo, but totally worth dipping into the neighborhood for a giant hoho.
• Pano’s 1081 Elmwood Ave. • 716.886.9081 If you’re concerned about sustainability, you may want to skip this controversial-yet-popular eating establishment. If, on the other hand, you’re care about getting a decent meal for a good price, this is just the place. The best souvlaki in town is served here, and that’s saying something for a city with so many Greek restaurants about.

P.S. I hope you like the new houndstooth background, I made the tile with (what else?) FontStruct!

Paul´s Crit Session, originally uploaded by ysch.

We were blessed with a surprise visit today from Jonathan Hoefler of Hoefler & Frere-Jones type foundry. Pictured here (from left to right) are Fiona Ross, Jonathan, and myself. It’s always an inspiring experience to have such talented folk look at your work, and give feedback and encouragement. Thanks, Yvonne, for publishing these pictures!