Kern Zip-up 2.0

Posted on November 24, 2008 by pilcrow
Kern Arrows Zip-up from Veer

Kern Arrows Zip-up from Veer

As promised: more timely gift ideas. Within its short lifespan, Veer’s Kern Zip-up (not to be confused as a hoodie!) has become an instant classic and a must-have fashion staple for type nerds everywhere. Gifting this item to a typographically savvy designer friend is sure to result in profuse amounts of gratitude. There are only two (2) small problems, however, with this gift suggestion: 1) the Veer merch store doesn’t ship outside of North America, and 2) the snug-fitting numbers only run to size XL (which I had better fit into!).

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Early Holiday Gift Ideas

Posted on November 21, 2008 by pilcrow

 

Fleet Street Lino Print by Stanley Donwood

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.

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The French R

Posted on November 2, 2008 by pilcrow

 

Letter forms from the typeface Cassius by Mathieu Réguer

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 Ladurée, 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.

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A Trove of Lettering Ephemera

Posted on October 21, 2008 by pilcrow

 

Cover from <em>Portfolio of Ornamental Penmanship</em> by A.N. Palmer Co.

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.
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Grandia and Gandhara online in PDF

Posted on October 9, 2008 by pilcrow
Grandia in fine print.

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 typeface, 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!

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