Digest

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2008-05-31T14:12:00.001-07:00

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2006-12-01T20:52:00.000-08:00

Hmmm, nearly time to emerge, phoenix-like, from the ashes. David & Yves return with a new Typographer.org, in the next few weeks...

2006-02-12T16:00:00.000-08:00

Life has a way of making your best intentions go pear-shaped. After the last two-month hiatus, I promised myself there would never again be such an excessive interval between posts. But lo and behold, here we are, three months further, scrambling in an effort not to cross the three months mark and become a quarterly publication. And failing miserably by one day. Yup, that�s irony for you.

The reason for this extended holiday recess is simple � some of our personal lives have been pretty much drastically altered and this inevitably has had its repercussions. Things are slowly coming back to normal, but this time I promised myself... never to make any promises again. Let�s just wait and see what the future brings. Actually, the future will bring yet another surprise or two. More about that in a couple of weeks.

The Robothon 2006 Scripting Conference takes place at the end of the week � Thursday 16 and Friday 17 � at the Royal Academy in The Hague, Netherlands. The conference program will focus on RoboFab and Python, useful strategies for common problems in font production and workflows with RoboFab. This event is in conjunction with the 2006 Gerrit Noordzij Award which will take place right after the RoboThon. Robothon is fully booked, but you can still attend the Gerrit Noordzij Award. We'll report on the Award in a future instalment of the Digest.

The old year has turned into the new, and as usual this heralds the season of the obligatory Best of-lists. Linotype looks back at 2005�s top fonts and conveniently splits the list in two � Business Fonts and Casual Fonts. Veer�s hottest faces of 2005, as chosen by their customers features mainly scripts and display fonts by the usual suspects Alejandro Paul and Jason Walcott, with the odd faces by G�bor K�thay, Rian Hughes, Nick Cooke, Christian Robertson et al.

As last year�s Our Favorite Fonts of 2004 on Typographica proved to be an overwhelming success, Stephen decided to bring it up a notch and do a two-parter this year � by the way it looks like this list could become the type equivalent of the Academy Awards. Our Favorite Fonts of 2005 - Part 1 provides a handy overview of the cream of the crop released in the first six months of last year. Again it proves that the most exciting stuff is released by small independent outfits.
Interestingly, instead of just boasting their inclusion in the list, this time around three foundries � Village, Emtype Foundry and Process Type Foundry � display astute business acumen by offering special promotions. I�m convinced this kind of cross-pollination to be beneficial for the type industry, improving the perception of type by the general public.

Somewhat less beneficial is the continuing saga of FutureBrand ripping off FF Dax for the design of their UPS Sans custom typeface. This has been a well-known secret amongst type aficionados, and personal research culminated in the � albeit unnamed � inclusion of this example in my TypeCon2005 and ATypI � Over the Edge presentations on piracy in corporate font design. Just recently FontShop International divulged in a press release �(...) that it had reached a settlement with an internationally recognized strategic brand development firm related to a dispute involving the design, creation and licensing of a typefont developed as part of that firm�s work for one of its clients�, bringing this case to a rather unexpected and dissatisfactory close.

There are a couple of interesting things to be learned from the press release. First, the �internationally recognized strategic brand development firm� indicates that the settlement is bound by confidentiality, which is confirmed in the latter half of the release. This is obviously ignoring the fact that it�s pretty much common knowledge which brand development firm the text is referring to. Duh.

The next part is frankly embarrassing: �The firm has denied and vigorously defended the allegation that the typeface infringed FSI�s copyrights or that the typeface was an otherwise unauthorized derivative version of FSI�s FF DAX and FF META typefonts.� Say what? Fair enough, FutureBrand have always acknowledged that UPS Sans was �inspired� by FF Dax. Still there�s a world of difference between �being inspired by� and reusing digital data, a practice commonly referred to as �ripping off�. All one has to do is extract the characters from a UPS PDF and overlay them on the corresponding FF Dax characters to see what really happened. My parents taught me that when you do something wrong, you apologise and try to make it right. You certainly don�t want to make it any worse by lying about it.

Lastly, the �firm has agreed to pay FSI $17,500.� Which I think barely covers legal costs, let alone compensates adequately for the thousands of licences involved.

So, to conclude, this again proves that type still is undervalued even within the design community. It�s shocking that a branding firm whose main activity is intellectual property resorts to unauthorised use of other�s intellectual property to make big corporate bucks. That�s really bad karma, and I fear that�ll be maggots in the next life cycle.

Before Bald Condensed, a quick word from David...

As Yves mentioned, personal circumstances can dramatically change from one day to the next, and how we react to the changing world can be unpredictable. My priorities over the last couple of months have been to look for a new job and try and keep some level of sanity, and now that both are being addressed, my attentions can start to return to the world of type again. Until then, here is a visual reminder of the importance of neatness, followed by Yves once again...

Bald Condensed
by Yves Peters

I heard something pretty weird a couple of days ago. It appears that when my name pops up in a discussion about type criticism, sometimes my credibility is questioned. In all honesty, it�s quite obvious my credentials are lacking � I have no academic background worth mentioning, I�m not a member of any prestigious association, my work hasn�t been featured in any design book, I don�t teach at any renowned university, I was never published in any trade publication nor did I win any awards. Even worse, I have yet to design and release my first typeface. I think it�s pretty safe to say my credibility is non-existent.

Then again, what is credibility? Is it some kind of diploma? One�s inclusion in an official list of �credible persons�? Do you have to collect a certain number of bonus points of some sort? My take is that it is determined by the people who are exposed to what you do. I trust our readers� judgement to determine for themselves whether they want to lend me any credibility. And for those who doubt my credibility, be comforted by the realisation that this column is just an insignificant blip in a vast universe of digital chitterchatter.

On to the reviews, and I�d like to start with adding a little postscript to last episode.

Although you can tell from my last review that I�ve always been a FontFontFan, I must say I find the FontFont 37 release a bit disappointing. The new OpenType versions of the four classic FontFont designs FF Dax, FF DIN, FF Meta, and FF Scala are great news of course, but the new releases include a redundant kiddie script called FF Eddie (how many more of those do we need?) and FF Headz, a dingbat font which allows the user to compose � you guessed it � cartoon-like heads. I thought FF Type-Face was a neat little free add-on to FF Rian�s Dingbats, but to sell this as a package... Oh well, to each his own. The only design that grabbed me is FF Karo, a digital Fraktur face in three clever variants. Xavier Dupre�s new FF Megano looks fine but fails to excite me, and sports a couple of Triplex-like details that are quite off-putting to me � my take is that the only good thing about Triplex is the italic by John Downer.

As more and more new typefaces are released in the OpenType format, we�ve also seen a fair number of families getting re-released as feature-rich OpenType in the past couple of months. For example Peter Bilak�s Fedra Sans got augmented with Greek and Cyrillic alphabets, Mark Simonson�s completely overhauled Proxima Nova became serious competition for H&FJ�s Gotham, and the conversion to OpenType of the FontFont library proceeds in earnest.

More than just a re-release in the OpenType format is Bryant by Eric Olsen. Not only did he completely re-draw and expand the original series of typefaces, in addition to the new drawings he�s added Compressed, Condensed and a Pro version with italics. Just like the aforementioned Gotham and Proxima Nova, the family�s roots lie in the American vernacular of monumental lettering on buildings. It manages to stay clear of the corniness I usually associate with rounded typefaces. In addition, a couple of strategically chosen stylistic alternates (a, m, n, u, w and y) allow the user to shift the voice of the typefaces from American gothic to Bauhaus geometric sans, thus broadening their scope. After Klavika and Maple, which were included in Typographica�s Best of 2004 and 2005 - Part 1 respectively, this is yet another fine face from the Process Type Foundry.

Likewise, chester�s Apex New is a major improvement on Apex Sans, originally published in 2003, which he designed with Rick Valicenti. All weights of the type have been revised, and everything heavier than Book has been completely redrawn, plus a Heavy weight was added. Adhering too closely to the geometric principles governing the design of Apex Sans proved to give less desirable results in the heavier weights, with counters clogging up at smaller sizes and a rigid overall appearance. This was another example of a design system working against itself. Comparing both versions reveals the flaws in the original design and shows how those were rectified in this new incarnation.

The dedication shown by these two designers is inspiring, and fortunately they are not the only ones. Both prove to not be afraid to reassess their work and if necessary rework or even retire certain typefaces. For example Eric once explained in a Typophile thread that he discontinued Elderkin because �to me Elderkin and Process Grot[esque] come off as micro variations because they are so project specific (they were initially made for a Russian film festival and were never intended [to] be public). After some amount of reflection, I�m not comfortable adding my take on this period of work. Hoefler and Berlow did (do) a fine job with this stuff so why muddle it up?�. Other examples include Stefan Hattenbach and Josh Darden making unavailable all of their early work, with Stefan offering selected single weights of these early designs as free fonts. They could just as well not care and continue to make a few bucks with them. Instead, they refuse to offer work they deem below par and actually do something about it.

Speaking of dedication � I�d like to take a look at an unexpected and fun package that popped up on the Hoefler & Frere-Jones website. H&FJ Numbers is a collection of 15 fonts consisting of numbers from familiar (and some less familiar) sources. As Jonathan explains on the site, �for more than a century, typefounders considered numbers separately from the provision of other printing types. Nineteenth century type specimen books often displayed a separate section containing fonts of numbers alone, many of which contained unique features suited to specific kinds of settings. (...) The practice of creating specialized number fonts began to disappear at the beginning of the twentieth century, vanishing completely by the dawn of the digital age. But recognizing the usefulness of this practice, H&FJ has revived the tradition with its Numbers series of fonts.� Psy/Ops� Crash Numbering being one of my all-time favourite free font families out there, I couldn�t help but be smitten by this new volume.

All the faces comprise the digits, punctuation, and monetary and mathematical symbols, plus a supporting cast of characters appropriate to their origins.

It�s almost embarrassing to admit, but as moderator of Typophile�s Type Identification Board I always get a little excited when typefaces that are requested over and over finally get digitised. The H&FJ Numbers series includes several of those, the first one being Deuce which is modelled after the numbers on playing cards. On top of the pre-existing numbers (with a 0 and 1 added) a set of narrow width digits allow for double digits. Also present are the card denominations and symbols.

Then there�s a couple of fonts which are intimately related to the world of finance. Valuta, which means �currency� in Hungarian (and Dutch), is based on a set of numbers used by Hungarian banknotes between 1947 and 1995 and comes in both outline and solid variants. Another often requested identification is the serial numbers that appear on the U.S. dollar bills, digitised here as Greenback. It is augmented by a range of additional currency symbols and an extended set of fractions.

These handy sets of fractions can also be found in several other fonts � Claimcheck (the numbers on claim stubs used by dry cleaners, parking garages, and checkrooms the world over), Depot (the indigenous lettering of the railroads in the prevalent style of the early Victorian age), Dividend (the perforated numbers made by an antique check-cutting machine), Indicia (the numbers on hand-held rotary rubber stamps), Premium (modeled after vintage gas pump gauges, whose spinning dials tallied both gallons and dollars down to fractional tenths) and Trafalgar (inspired by a style of lettering indigenous to the City of London).

Besides Trafalgar, four other fonts originated (literally) from the streets. The oriental-like Bayside is an adaptation of eccentric house numbers that are native to suburban America, and Delancey is based on the gilded decals made famous by the transom windows of American tenements. Half a world away, the Constructivist stencil numbers of Prospekt remain beautifully fossilised as the house numbers on the streets of modern Saint Petersburg (formerly Leningrad). Strasse, modeled after the glazed ceramic tiles commonly used for house numbers throughout Central Europe, sports a number of tasty extras like arrows and borders.

Also from the streets, but this time from public transport, Redbird is named for the eponymous red subway cars that ran on the New York City subway system from 1948 to 2003. And Revenue was inspired by the most pedestrian of artefacts, a receipt from a local delicatessen.

The brilliant part about this volume is that � even when taken out of context � those numbers are instantly recognisable and carry such a rich history. Applying them to a design means adding subtle layers of meaning, changing the context and manipulating how the graphic piece they are integrated in is perceived. Plus, let�s admit it, they are so beautiful, which makes singling out a personal favourite nigh impossible. Testament to that are the absolutely gorgeous samples as found on the H&FJ website pages. These had me wondering if the samples were truly designed to show off the typefaces, or if it was the other way around...

In an unguarded moment I caught myself wishing H&FJ had added full alphabets to the fonts, but quickly came to my senses and realised that this was the only proper way to do it. Like true historians they restored a number of beloved numbering styles to their former glory, slightly polishing them where needed but leaving their original sheen intact. I applaud their integrity and can only recommend this series of fonts very highly.

Before I sign off, I�d like to quickly point you all to another typeface often requested on the Typophile Type Identification Board that has finally made the transition to digital. Bookman Swash � not the wimpy blandified ITC version, but �the swashy original� � is boasted by Veer to be �the most comprehensive digital revival of the original �70s delicacy�. Although I haven�t had the opportunity to test it, Jason Walcott�s Jukebox Bookman looks like it�s the real deal. It has all the vintage traits of the original Bookman � moderate x-height, higher contrast, obliques instead of italics � and the alternates are simply swashalicious. My only qualm is... why isn�t it feature-rich OpenType!? Oh, how quickly and easily we take things for granted...

The review of H&FJ Numbers reuses fragments of the general descriptions for the different fonts as found on the H&FJ website. Send any complaints to sue.me@get-a-life.org

2005-11-01T07:41:00.000-08:00

Should we expect digital typefaces to last forever, this is the question posed by Adobe�s Thomas Phinney in his recent blog entry. I started to read the article and stopped myself getting beyond the first few paragraphs for two reasons. I wanted to have a stab at the subject without having outside influences affecting it, and more importantly, I think a blog discussing a blog would be just a little bit nerdy even for me, and I don�t trust myself not to react to his opinions rather than forming my own. So thats the last reference I�ll be making.

What is a typeface? Is it software, or is it a creative work, or is it a machine, or a tool? It is all of these things, but of course our choice of label for its defining characteristics, its USPs to give a passing embarrassed nod to the marketeers on which our economics works, is key. What is a typeface most to you? Let us get the first myth out in the open for what it is straight away. If I listen to music on my iPod, the qualia created in my mind as a result of that music is not created by software. Software is, according to the data retrieved and displayed (and this transformed into information) within Mac OS X�s dictionary software, �the programs and other operating information used by a computer.�. Data, on the other hand, is �the quantities, characters, or symbols on which operations are performed by a computer, being stored and transmitted in the form of electrical signals and recorded on magnetic, optical, or mechanical recording media.� It goes on to clarify that slightly nebulous description with a usage note of, �Data is now used as a singular where it means 'information': | this data was prepared for the conference. It is used as a plural in technical contexts and when the collection of bits of information is stressed: | all recent data on hurricanes are being compared.�. That qualia is created by information, by �what is conveyed or represented by a particular arrangement or sequence of things�. Typefaces are a lot like music. Typeface aren�t software either.

I suppose you could argue that in being an integral part of a system that creates the end output, typeface data (and for that matter, music data) could be classed as the �other operating information used by a computer�, but, well, that is like saying that a song is just part of a violin. Typefaces (and, you guessed, music) are a specific form of data, they�re ideas, they are the result of solving creative problems, they are inspiration and beauty, and as such are an expression of life, of humanity. Does that sound like software to you? I remember being lucky enough to visit Jeremy Tankard at his former studio in London when he was kind enough to grant me an interview. I remember feeling about 4 inches high as he told me he had just spent 3 weeks solidly kerning a weight of Bliss, hour after hour, day and night. Was that all just for the sake of software?

Why am I ham-fistedly hammering this point home with clumsy Welsh hands? I think it devalues high quality typography to label it as software, even if the designers themselves who label it so may be only doing so in order to obtain financial or reputation protection under antiquated and ill-fitting intellectual property law. By doing so, and by necessity of that IP law having to reject notions of typographic worth beyond that which can be measured or quantified in order to be tested under law, it strips away and devalues the humanity and beauty contained within a typeface. I�m a dreadful typeface designer, I�ve no style, I�m technically pretty ropey and everything is quite frankly obsessively geometric and pattern based, but so long as I am careful enough in FontLab, I can create a typeface that, in purely neat quantifiable software terms, is as good as the one in this site�s masthead above. Calling typefaces software discounts the gulf of knowledge, skill, creativity and flair between my infantile efforts and JFP�s, for instance. Worse than that, in doing so we teach by example to those that come after us the wrong lessons about what motivates us as creatives to begin with, and how we see the value of our work within a wider societal context.

Of course, what calling a typeface software also does rather neatly is allow those who are not interested in what is not quantifiable (or to put it another way, those who care only about sales not beauty) to mis-apply the rules intended for the purely quantifiable to that which is not. I�ll come back to that later on in Part 2.

I don�t think I need to spell out that I think typefaces are creative works, so lets talk about tools and machines. I am a graphic designer, so within that context I would argue that my computer is a machine that I use to create artworks, and that gives me access to specific tools, such as DTP packages, typefaces, image editors etc. Calling a typeface a tool in this context makes sense to me - I use the tool to shape and give certain properties (often designed to invoke specific qualia) to parts of an overall design created within a machine. This isn�t new - my last sentence would work equally well when describing letterpress after all.

Letterpress, however, wears out. It is one thing to reject the idea of fonts as software, it is another to assume that fonts last forever, but we need to be clear, honest and upfront to begin with. As noted above, there is a Part 2 to this piece, where I want to discuss further the concept of type as a tool, and what it means to those who need to make a living from providing those tools, and those who�s living is made using them. I�m also going to discuss how I think that we should look again at the business models that are currently engaging with, and start instead to build a more sustainable model for our activities based not on the concept of product, but of service.

But for now, here is a photo from my trip away from grimey old London, to somewhere far more agreeable, followed by the words of a chap who is always more agreeable...

Bald Condensed
by Yves Peters

You�ll have to excuse me but I don�t really feel like doing a full review of ATypI 2005 Helsinki - On the edge. One might be tempted to do a little comparison though. You may remember that David and the Typecon people had an almost-altercation a little while ago, both here and on Typophile. Now that I�ve experienced both conferences first-handed, I can attest that Tiff was spot-on in her blog entry. Yes, there�s more meat to the bones at ATypI when it comes to �pure type�, but the three tracks were sometimes too much if you have a broad range of interests � I often felt like I was missing out on something else when I was attending a presentation, similar to what you can experience when you�re at a rock festival with several stages. On the whole it was a successful, interesting and highly enjoyable conference, with loads of social activity, very nice food and some kick-ass partying. And I was humbled by the amount of people that showed up for my presentation, especially since I was competing with the House Inc. superstars on Track 1. And whaddayaknow, now I finally have proof it�s not all partying I do at conferences.

Two minor gripes though. First, Erik Spiekermann�s impromptu fourth track should have been located somewhere near the main hall, not on some lost floor. That really was a missed opportunity. Second, as the T-shirts were already stuffed in the goody bags, you didn�t have any say on what size you were getting. To my regret I can practically swim in mine (hey, there�s a reason I didn�t call my column Bald Extended) which means I�ll probably never wear it. The Typecon system makes so much more sense: pick your size out of the appropriate box when receiving your goody bag.

So much for the conference experience. Before I dive into my reviews, there�s something I�d like to clear up. People might start to think I have a vendetta against some of the majors, a secret agenda of some sort. That is so not true. Then again, I mean, come on, admit it, let�s be honest, when you look at the two recent releases below � they�re asking for it!

First ITC releases ITC Avant Garde Gothic Pro in feature-rich OpenType version. Brilliant news for all you Seventies-fetishists out there (yes you, you know who you are, you just can�t get enough of all those kewl geometric ligatures, can you?). Well, the bad news is they completely botched the oblique. Big time. Read this Typographica report by the ever-great Mark Simonson and weep. I�m not going to spend any more words on this slapdash job.

Then Linotype announces its new Bodebeck family (it was actually developed in 2002) by Swedish type designer Anders Bodebeck. To put it diplomatically � it�s not very good. Bodebeck looks like somebody slammed Trajan into Perpetua, reassembled the debris to piece together new glyphs, arbitrarily adding some Zapf curves (that uc D!) and then blurred the lot with a PMT camera. I find it difficult to understand that a foundry that boasts to be �The Source of The Originals� publishes such a derivative piece of work. As David correctly remarked when I was discussing this design with him:

�It would be unfair to describe this as a train wreck of a font, but it�s certainly one I�d be shunting into the buffers sooner rather than later. It�s all over the fucking shop, there�s no balance. Look at lowercase e, it�s, you know, cute and all, but is it in the same typeface family really?�

My thoughts exactly. If this is representative for Swedish type, I dearly miss Stefan Hattenbach�s refinement or Peter Bruhn�s playfulness.

Frankly, I�m disappointed, and I resent having to have a go at the majors yet again. These are two mainstays, two type foundries with a rich history and � up until recently � an excellent reputation. I really don�t get how they are willing to tarnish that very reputation and squander the goodwill of the type-loving community. And don�t get me wrong � I�m not saying all this to score points with our readers, but out of concern. Concern for the way in which major foundries release and market their fonts. This influences negatively the perception by the audience at large of the whole type industry. So, and I hope they don�t take this personally, I feel it is my sacred duty to point them out whenever they�re releasing crappy fonts. Consider this an attempt to coax them into being more self-critical.

A perfect example of how to do it right is the FontFont Library. Thanks to the Type Board which reviews any submission to the library, the collection is of a consistent quality, with hardly a hick-up. As a result of its success, FontFont has grown into the largest independent type collection, and boasts some undisputed best-sellers.

One of these best-sellers is FF Dax. Every time I see new additions to that face, the words of The Jam�s Going Underground ring through my head: �The public gets what the public wants�. You can�t really blame FontFont for cashing in on this success story, but it�s not for me. It�s all a tad too austere, too clinical. Although, the main problem I have with this family is that it is so insanely popular and so overused that there�s no way on earth I could use it. Don�t get me wrong, I�m certainly not implying this is a bad type family, it�s just that I feel enough is enough.

This time around, the Dax family gets augmented with a text cut: FF Daxline. It�s about time, because the number of times I�ve seen FF Dax used poorly as a text face... don�t get me started. Surprisingly, FF Daxline salvages the family for me. It is more generous in width, with larger capitals and optically equal weights. This makes it into a real grotesque face. It somehow manages to lose that overly stylised, rigid atmosphere without abandoning those typical Dax characteristics. The new cuts are warmer and more inviting. I�m even inclined to say I like it quite a bit.

Another best-seller that gets expanded is FF Meta. The new Headline version comes in regular width, Condensed and Compressed. After ITC Officina, it was to be expected that FF Meta would get the headline treatment as well, as both presented numerous problems when tracked tightly in display settings. All those problems were addressed by tweaking the letter forms, and by introducing some alternate glyphs. Again, admirably well executed by Christian Schwartz, but how much FF Meta can one handle? We get the impression that Erik is going in ever narrowing concentric circles � compare this one to FF Unit, a point I brought up in a Typographica article � closing in on the ideal, perfect typeface. Is that even possible?

Christian Schwartz also releases a family of his own: the all uppercase FF Oxide. I don�t get this guy, and I mean that in a good way. He�s freaky talented, but still manages to alternate his �gourmet faces� (Amplitude, Farnham, ...) with seemingly casual reinventions of archetypes. For example he turned the geometric sans inside out with the high-brow Neutraface series, reinterpreting two related models into one family: Futura (Neutraface Alternate) and its improvement Avenir (Neutraface). Christian says about FF Oxide:

�[The typeface] was really just something I had lying around on my hard drive that I decided to release because I realised there was some demand for it, and because I remembered that I had some fun using it back when I still did graphic design work. It�s a silly stencil face.�

The face explores the strict geometry of Agency, Bank Gothic and the likes. It obviously doesn�t strive to be a ground-breaking design; it�s content with being a relaxed, well-balanced, pleasant little family with just a smidgen of playfulness. And a beautiful A, Q and & by the way. If anything, this release proves that certain designers have stuff �lying around on their hard drive� that�s simply better than what other people release as if it was God�s gift to typography.

Talking about Christian � we were sitting next to each other during the presentation of the new Berling Nova type family by �rjan Nordling at the ATypI conference. The new digitisations looked absolutely brilliant. Everything was peachy until the last slide popped up onto the screen, showing some venues they wanted to explore with the family. Amongst them was � you guessed it � Berling Nova Sans. As if we�d rehearsed it, both Christian and I looked down, muttering: �Oh no...� When �rjan said he imagined Karl-Erik Forsberg looking over his shoulder and wondered what he would say, we � again simultaneously � spoke under our breath, with a wry smile: �Don�t do it�.

This just to say that I generally don�t like people chopping off or adding serifs to existing typefaces. It�s not the same as when it�s planned ahead � the Dutch type designers get away with it more often than not� but when it�s done afterwards it just feels like diluting a perfectly fine design. As with movies, the sequel is rarely as good as the original. Also using co-ordinated type systems is not that exciting at all and often results in safe, corporate-like design. What�s wrong with combining a serif with a sans that are not of the same family? Use your imagination, for crying out loud!

FontFont are known for their co-ordinated families, and this release includes both an example of how it�s done, and one... of the other kind.

The successful one is FF Absara Sans, a sans variation of FF Absara. This face by up-and-coming French type design star Xavier Dupr� is inspired by the renaissance, and displays his pronounced personal style. Xavier clearly knows how to adapt a serif face to a sans variation, as his FF Absara Sans is not at all burdened by the serif forms it�s derived from. His distinctive signature g is present, as are the recurring subtle Dutch influences. I particularly like the calligraphic, slightly angular details in the italics and the tense, open curves. A colourful multi-purpose family with a nice range of weights and all the typographical goodies one might need.

The one I like less is FF Signa Serif. Already I wasn�t too wild about FF Signa for the same reasons I�m not very fond of the aforementioned FF Dax family � it�s all quite cerebral and aseptic, and ultimately a bit boring. If I have to pick a Danish tech sans, give me FF Max any day. When examining FF Signa Serif from up close it becomes clear quite a bit of thought was invested in this serif version. Placement of serifs, stroke modulation and contrast � everything looks well thought out. It�s a shame the end result is so strict, so rigid, it even borders on the aggressive. Seeing the different weights in a list, I couldn�t help but thinking of a military parade, with the characters lined up like soldiers. Also, I don�t understand why the family is marketed with the uprights and the italics in separate volumes. Personally I think this is a somewhat redundant expansion of a family that�s already spread out too thin.

I was always told to keep the best for last. In this instance that would be Veronika Burian�s FF Maiola. This typeface, well... how can I put it? It�s ridiculous. It�s frustrating. And it�s discouraging.

It�s ridiculous how much talent is on display here. This is a gorgeous face, showing a strong sense of nationality, referencing historical models but undeniably of the now. A peculiar trait is that I think this must be the first typeface where I somehow �feel� it was designed by a woman. There�s feminine touches in some stroke endings and curves that are really refreshing. As Tiffany Wardle commented: �Most men couldn�t design with that much nuance. Or finesse�. What�s odd is that it so obviously contradicts some of my preferences in type. I don�t like sharp typefaces. Check. FF Maiola passionately cuts through the paper with its subdued angularity, the sharp serifs hook themselves in your subconscious, and those italics � oh man what splendid italics they are � bring it up a notch with their calligraphic quality. I�m not fond of Zapf typefaces. Check. Veronika ever so subtly references � knowingly, or is it just my imagination? � several Zapfisms, but that doesn�t irk me. There�s also some Veljovic and some Trump in there, all in the right doses.

It�s frustrating to see a first typeface that�s so accomplished, so complete and so incredibly well executed. Hey, we�re talking fully featured, multi-language, multi-script OpenType here! Sometimes, I secretly dream of having a go at type design myself, only to be dissuaded by the knowledge of what an incredible amount of work it actually is, and by seeing mind-blowing typefaces like this one. And lastly, it�s discouraging to have to critique it, as it makes me feel inadequate and in way over my head, at loss for words and lacking the academic knowledge needed to properly analyse it.

2005-08-28T11:37:00.000-07:00

TypeCon has come and gone (plenty on that in a bit from the Belgian below), and next on the list is the 49th ATypI conference, aptly entitled �On the edge� given its location up there in the slightly nippy Helsinki, Finland. If the heat of New York was too much for you, then get your wooly jumper packed as it is less than three weeks away now, running from 15th till the 18th of September.

At ATypI, Matthew Carter (the designer of the typeface you�re almost certainly reading now) will be the subject of a retrospective lecture at ATypI presented by Margeret Re, the author of Typographically Speaking — The Art of Matthew Carter.

ATypI also wrote in to remind you all of an exhibition running in partnership with the National Library of Finland. Entitled simply �Treasures�, the exhibition will include national and international rarities from east and west, covering a period of over 2000 years, drawn from the library�s archives of Finish literary culture and book printing arts right up to the early part of the last century. What�s classed as a rarity these days? How does a miniature Koran, a 19th century children�s book and a specimen of the first printed cut-out paper doll sound? A book arts fetish!

No indication on how much of that collection of ephemera will be in big print for the visually-impaired however. Which painfully contrived segue brings me onto the Royal Mail�s decision here in the UK to scrap postage charges for sending books, papers and even letters set in 16pt or higher. The scheme isn�t new — previously free postage was provided for such items as white sticks, guide dog equipment — but this is a welcome and somewhat large extension. The scheme has been expanded with the help of the RNIB, who many of you will remember were responsible for the development of the Tiresias typeface family. I feel proud (and a touch smug) to be British today.

I was muttering on about Adobe�s merger with Macromedia a little while back, and more news has come out in the last couple of days. The stockholders of the two companies have voted to go ahead with the merger, to a fairly unanimous 99% in favour from the Adobe camp and 99.8% in favour from Macromedia. I think the guys with the cash want this to go ahead — and why wouldn�t they? By removing that pesky element of competition, the multitude of owners (mostly pension funds and investment banks such as Barclays — just the sort of people who know what is best for graphic designers) stand to benefit from all that near-monopoly business.

There will be those who spout out the usual trite comments about this state of affairs. It will be better for the consumer, better for the companies, better for everyone. Will it fuck. Public companies have a legal duty to their shareholders to maximize profit where ever possible (don�t believe me? It goes way back to Ford vs Dodge), and in the context of this merger, you don�t have to be an MBA graduate to take a guess at what that might mean for Macromedia and Adobe�s product lines.

What it inevitably means is that there is no particular reason why Adobe would want to maintain anything other than flagship products from the Macromedia range. If you�re going to keep the same product ranges, what�s the point in merging, after all? Flash, I suspect, is the key, not only as its the defacto package for, er, Flash animations, but also in it�s development of Flash Paper, a direct competitor to Adobe�s PDF and no doubt soon to follow Adobe�s LiveMotion into the software bins of time. The only benefit I can see on the horizon for Adobe Flash is the possibility that the HCI and UI chaps in the After Effects team might lend out a hand on Flash�s trashy interface.

But the people to suffer are those who use Macromedia�s Adobe analogs. I can�t see why Adobe would find �synergy� in keeping Freehand going as a direct competitor to Illustrator, especially as Freehand has traditionally cannibalised sales not only from Illustrator but also DTP packages (rumour has it Adobe sell a few of those) as it has multi-page capability — just the ticket for freelancers needing to keep their costs down. Multi-page is something Adobe has resisted within Illustrator itself for just this very reason. I believe its called market segmentation. I call it cynical abuse of power.

What of GoLive and Dreamweaver? Again, there is little market differentiation between these products — either one will go, or will be taken to task and remodelled as a completely different solution. Given Adobe�s interface consolidation attempts, will they think its worthwhile to invest huge wads of cash in that, or are we to see another element of diversity and competition leave for pastures new?

Speaking of pastures new, Adobe and Macromedia have a current combined staff just shy of 5,500 worldwide. Well, you don�t need two CEOs, that�s for certain, but not to worry about that. Macromedia�s CEO Stephen Elop is safe in his new job at Adobe as president of worldwide field operations. So is the former Macromedia CEO, Rob Burges, who also happily joins the Adobe board. I wonder how safe others in the organisation are. How many lives will be torn apart by redundancy over the coming months, all in the name of cost efficiencies? Just so we�re not confused here — making huge redundancies from huge corporate mergers is nothing short of redistributing money upwards to the rich. It really is that simple.

Just in case you�re thinking me a little cynical, pop along to Adobe.com and check out their investor relations section where you can fill your head with figures galore that show you just what sort of organisation we�re all supporting when we buy our Photoshop licenses. In it, you�ll see that for 2005, the board of Adobe unanimously recommended every proposal that increased their access to stock options etc, and unanimously recommended against any proposal that suggested cutting back on director remuneration or benefits.

Why? Because, one assumes, that Bruce Chizen�s salary in 2004 of just under a million dollars isn�t in any way an affront to common decency or morality. Neither was his bonus. Of $1,304,687. Did I mention the $125,312 he also received under the profit sharing scheme? To be fair though, the USA is a very expensive place to live, and an income (just from Adobe, not including his income from moonlighting on the board of Synopsis) of two and a half million dollars is hardly excessive, right? Neither are the 450,000 stock options he received?

Is this greed talking? Am I just bitter that I don�t live in the lap of luxury? Am I just lamenting that I can�t snort cocaine off a rugby player�s thighs on a sun-soaked Pacific island? No. I am genuinely upset that on this very day 11,000 people will starve to death, while there is someone out there earning $2.5m a year. That isn�t right, no matter how great the healing tool is. No matter how marvellous we find OpenType handling in InDesign. No matter how many fonts reside in the Adobe library.

There is a huge cost to us all from this merger, a cost that in typical 21st century style, has been neatly externalised away from the companies involved, and onto us all. It is not just a matter of how it affects us in the creative industry in terms of software diversity, but also how we want our world to be. It is in the lives of those who will lose their jobs (not just in Macromedia and Adobe but also all the auxiliary companies that supply both) through no fault of their own, but through management decisions based only on the acquisition of wealth for a few. It is in a society that is damaged by the excesses of those who care only for themselves and their cronies. It is in the messages that such actions send to our children, to our poor, to our ill, to each and every one of us, not just sat at our computers in Europe and North America, but to all of humanity.

I don�t want to leave this on a negative point. There are alternatives to all the corporate entities that, by law and by their nature, have to operate like this. A large part of the problem, as we have seen from Bernie Ebbers and Worldcom, is the separation between ownership of the company and leadership. When CEOs, CFOs and other board members aren�t spending their own money, but will benefit directly, there is always the chance of abuse, and the commercial pressures of a free market do nothing to dampen the likelihood and everything to increase it. This is why laws such as those that stemmed from Dodge vs Ford came about in the first place, but still there is little in the form of accountability. Corporate responsibility is limited in the most part to neatly written words on company websites alone, unfortunately.

Again, there are alternatives. Cooperative movements offer a successful business model that can often be built up to a large scale, as we have seen in the UK from the department store chain John Lewis, and the Cooperative Bank, but which also offer an accessible business model for far smaller entities. That is just one example, of course. All that is required is the desire on the part of us as a community to do what we can to think of innovative alternatives, and these alternatives need not be giants — FontLab springs to mind. So does the new Village, from what I�ve read. Of course, community concepts are often counter to the increasingly atomised (and increasingly egocentric and selfish � and yes I am aware that I�m no stranger to ego) world in which we live in, but we need to ask ourselves if that is a product of recent times or something inherent in all of us. I for one do not believe it is. Typography has been a political tool since its inception, and there is nothing to say that its commercialisation cannot be reversed, or that its purpose cannot be shifted away to higher things than mere dollar signs.

And as I go, a little context for you, rehydration salts to stop an African child from dying of diarrhea costs 8 cents.

And now onto Yves, who as TypeCon attendees will no doubt both rue and lament, managed to pick up a gong for his dancing salty chocolate something-or-others...

Bald Condensed | TypeCon2005 Edition
by Yves Peters

As I came back from the roller-coaster ride that was the TypeCon Experience to find an insurmountable mountain of work waiting for me, my whole summer schedule went topsy turvy. I�ll stick to an appreciation of TypeCon2005 for this edition of Bald Condensed, and will resume the reviews next time. Sorry�boutthat.

In a nutshell, TypeCon was a big success. As a social event, you just can�t beat it. Specifically in my case I got to meet for the first time dozens of people I�d known for months and sometimes even years, and hooked up with loads of new great type persons. The thrill of being able to match a face to an online voice was tremendous, and it turned out almost every single one of them were thoroughly enjoyable to boot. The extracurricular activities were almost as important as the conference itself, as they helped cement relationships in this geographically dispersed community. This is one of the few times a year most of us get to meet the rest of us.

As I didn�t have much to do on the first days — I didn�t attend any workshops — I decided to make myself useful as that extra helping hand. This was a great way to get to know the people that make up the organisation, and I can attest that they are a wonderful bunch, some of the hardest working and nicest people I�ve met.

Unfortunately I ended up missing some presentations. I only caught the last minutes of Type in Motion by Jakob Trollb�ck as I was called up at the hotel that morning and arrived way late because of that. Let Them Eat Type by Louise Fili coincided with my interview for TypeRadio.org. A Glimpse at the Life and Work of Eric Gill by John Sherman came just after mine, and I badly needed to unwind. My greatest regret was missing Thinking With/In Type by Ellen Lupton and Alex White.

As a conference, it wasn�t perfect, but I got enough out of it to be satisfied. I found the accent was a bit too much on typography in graphic design, and had hoped to learn more about type itself. This means I was pretty bored by most of the portfolio presentations. I don�t mind �big names� in graphic design, but they should at least have something interesting to say or teach me something new if they�re doing a presentation at a conference. The one I quite liked was Alexander Isley�s as his work is refreshing and original, and his comments were insightful.

The presentations where I felt I really got my money�s worth were the ones focusing on the process and the history of type design. Highlights were Cosas de Espa�a: Interpretations of Eighteenth Century�s Spanish Types by M�rio Feliciano, as he expertly linked historical sources with his reinterpretations/revivals ; the delightful trip into type history which was U & lc: In-Your-Face Typography by John D. Berry and Photo-Lettering: Back to the Future by Ken Barber, the flamboyant Ed Benguiat and the astonishing Ed Rondthaler ; the socio-economical observations throughout Graffiti Exposed by John Downer, Tony de Marco, Carlos "Mare 139" Rodriguez, Wes Wong ; Peter Bruhn�s and Stefan Hattenbach�s laid-back stroll through The Swedish Type Scene ; Experimenting with the Cow, insanity unchecked by Alessio Leonardi ; and Ina Saltz�s fascinating exploration of the world of Typographic Tattoos.

Of course there were some special events too. Erik�s half of FiFFteen: an Evening with Neville Brody and Erik Spiekermann was incredibly entertaining, which didn�t surprise me because he is without a doubt one of the quickest and wittiest minds in the type world. The Premiere of the Second Annual Typophile Film Festival was great, period. I want more of that. I really enjoyed getting to know better Matthew Carter�s career in A Life in Type: In Celebration of Matthew Carter. Mike Parker�s and David Berlow�s anecdotes were the icing on the cake.

Memories of such an event tend to break up in little fragments, so I decided to just write them down like that.

A TypeCon2005 overview

Most surreal moment
Bruno Meinert from Linotype walking up to me after noticing my MacRhino/Fountain �Who needs Helvetica?� T-shirt and trying to convince me during the ensuing conversation why Vialog actually has to look dodgy. Look, if you go through all the trouble of producing a type system and promote it, I really don�t see why you can�t at least design decent fonts for it.

Most surprising moment
Liza Enebeis and Donald Beekman asking me if they could interview me for Typeradio.org. I remember thinking at first: �Why on earth do they want me?�, but it turned into a incredibly exciting and fun experience.

Most embarrassing moment
Dan Reynolds introducing me to Akira Kobayashi and having my synapses short-circuit, not being able to say anything that sounded even remotely intelligible. Also, walking up to Matthew Carter and trying to introduce myself, wondering if the mildly annoyed look on his face had anything to do with the Fleischmann thingie. And a couple of others, but I�m not telling. Me and my big mouth... (sigh)

Missed opportunity
Walking in late at Jakob Trollb�ck�s presentation, hearing him say something pretty lame about Helvetica and Bach, and not feeling entitled to heckle him as I felt I should at least have sat through the entire talk to have the right to get on his case. His work looked great though.

Most entertaining presentation
Alessio Leonardi�s �From the Cow to the Typewriter� with its hilarious cartoon illustrations had the whole auditorium in stitches, even if he had to endure David Berlow heckling him (all in good humour) and had to rush through the end part as he tried to cram a 1:30 hour presentation in a 40 minute time slot.

Most moving presentation
Watching type history unfold as Ed Benguiat and centenarian Ed Rondthaler reminisced stories about the Photolettering Inc. days. I had tears in my eyes for the better part of the presentation. The fact that Rondthaler uncannily resembles my late paternal grand-father didn�t help. At all.

Most confronting moment
Tony De Marco pausing at a slide of derelict buildings full of graffiti, saying: �This is where I live.� How can we judge those youths and say anything about vandalism and defacing buildings when all we have to do is shut off the television.

Most satisfying moment
As I walked out of the auditorium after my presentation, having someone from the audience stop me in the aisle, explaining his design firm was developing a worldwide communication programme for a fashion brand, and asking me what he had to do to ensure that all typefaces used for and by his client were duly licensed and legal.

Most awe-inspiring moment
See J.P. switch computers in the middle of Alex Isley�s slide presentation, without having him skip a beat. That woman worked wonders.

Most shameful moment
Miserably failing at the Type Quiz.

Best hugs
Miss Tiffany (twice), Peter Bruhn (the absolute hugmeister) and Stefan Hattenbach (at last). And Shu too.

Most immediate connection
Stephen Coles, Joshua Lurie-Terrell and Jon Coltz (whadayaguess, they write about type as well). And Shu too.

Warmest welcome
Tamye Riggs

Best mindless entertainment
Christian Schwartz� karaoke night. I usually stay clear of those, but as they had the only song I agree to sing to, I gave in.

Best food
Les Halles

Most surprising food
WD-50

Worst food
TGI Fridays, where we eventually ended up very late at night after finding out Frank Sinatra is a big fat liar (city that never sleeps my arse: all the eateries in our neighbourhood were closing by eleven).

Oh, and regarding the keepsake booklets — I�ve got the impression they went down well. We got some really nice comments on Typographica, so we might do something like that again in the future. Make sure to keep your eyes peeled for that extra special number 200 which should surface in September.

2005-07-22T01:35:00.000-07:00

This week, I was meant to be talking about Adobe's decision to merge/takeover Macromedia being questioned by the US authorities. I was going to talk about how it may be good for maximising shareholder value [vomit] but may not necessarily be good for, you know, us. I was going to pick holes in the corporate system that produces the likes of Bernie Ebbers, and go right back to Dodge vs Ford. Then I was going to talk about alternative systems, like the new cooperative of Village, just freshly announced.

I was going to talk about TypeCon, naturally, and Joe Clark's investigation into what NYC's Type Week actually meant. About Dalton Maag in Switzerland (along with a snippy remark about Helvetica and German car makers), about the TDC, about Typophile's WikiBlast project, and about FontShop's new mag. Not to mention the release of Gill Sans Pro in lovely OpenType format (anyone want to donate a copy to me?) and FogLamp, a utility that lets you convert your old Fontographer files to FontLab ones.

And of course I was going to talk about the certain thing Yves and I have been working on for TypeCon, and how proud I am to have been involved in that project. More on that from Yves himself.

Instead, London is an odd place to be right now, and at the moment, matters type seem a little distant to me. But this is Typographer.org, a website for type, so I'm going to leave this week's post with a visual reminder of just how old the London Underground is, and how it will rebound and continue, and see itself and its passengers through all sorts of bad times, from war to terrorism. London really is no stranger to either, and the events of the last two weeks here are, if we look at our city's history, nothing new, and nothing that will defeat us.

To London, a smelly polluted city, perched on an island on the west coast of Europe...

And yes, I shall be ranting about Adobe next week.

Over to Yves, who wrote this little gem before leaving on one of those new fangled jetliner things to the New World's front door of New York, freshly stolen from the indigenous peoples...

TypeCon 2005 updates
From Yves in NYC and David in London.
Last updated: July 24th, 2005

Make sure to check out Typeradio.org. Yves was interviewed on Friday July 22nd by Liza Enebeis and Donald Beekman. The interview has appeared on the Podcast today, in 5 easy to handle segments.

Typeradio has also covered: Mike Parker, Matthew Carter, John Downer, Christian Schwartz, Chester from Village/Vllg, Lucas de Groot, Gerry Lionidas, Mario Feliciano, Peter Bruhn, Jurgen Siebert, Tamye Riggs, Ed Rondthaler, Ken Barber, Ina Saltz, Carol Wahler and the chaps at Typophile. If you miss any, you can catch up on the Podcasts, which seem to appear about a day or so after they're broadcast live. Or about a year, in the case of Stephen's pretzel munching while talking about Typographica.

Can't make it to TypeCon? Too poor by half? Me too! But if living vicariously via audio isn't enough, check out the Flickr TypeCon pool images and marvel at how handsome type people are. No, really...

Bald Condensed
by Yves Peters

I must say I'm a little bemused by some of the reactions my comparative review of the Fleischmann revivals generated.

Tina Parker for example said that "you need a lot of courage to say that the work by Matthew Carter is great, but not so so great" and continued in her next post with "in my opinion there was a need to talk to Matthew Carter (...) then — when you have the point of view by Matthew Carter — you can say: I need to look at it separately. or not. and why." Paul D. Hunt disagreed on the courage issue, saying "not really, you just need to have your own opinion and not be afraid to voice it." but added "you should have some good reasons to make such a statement, however."
John Hudson also makes an interesting statement: "Judged as a Fleischman revival, I think Fenway is inevitably going to compare less favourably with most of the other designs that Yves reviews. But I�m not sure that it makes sense to judge Fenway in these terms." At the risk of offending anyone (and please bear in mind I've got my tongue firmly planted in cheek here):

What a total and utter load of bollocks.

First I want to make something clear. If I were a historian or a librarian or some academic whatever, it'd indeed make perfect sense to conduct interviews with all the type designers involved and on top of that do extensive research on the historical models and various references. But I'm not. I'm just your average graphic designer who happens to know a fair bit about type and decided to start reviewing new typefaces. This means I give my very personal opinion on them and try to not to be too air-headed at it. I just look at the typefaces and test drive them if I was so fortunate to receive a review license. Then I draw on my sufficient knowledge of contemporary type and limited knowledge of type history to put certain elements into their proper context and make comparisons where appropriate.

What I try to do is approach the typefaces I review as an informed end user. Frankly, I don't think type designers would have much time left to actually design faces if everyone started calling and interviewing them prior to licensing their fonts. As far as I know, there is no need to talk to the designer if you're going to review a typeface. It would feel like I was asking them what I'm allowed to write about their fonts and what not. I don't want their point of view, I'd rather form my own. Because that's just what it is, nothing more.

Then, regarding the courage issue. So far, judging from the reactions, people think I'm fair in my reviews, judging the typefaces, never the designers involved. If I happen to review a typeface less favourably, I'm confident its designer will see that I'm only voicing my opinion. Some people will agree with my review, others won't, but it's not like I'm some career maker or breaker. So no harm done.

Lastly, in response to the comment that my approach of the review maybe didn't make that much sense, I beg to differ. There is no �proper� way to conduct a comparative review, or any other review for that matter. As it's my review I'm the one who decides how to do it. I was specifically asked to compare the typefaces in light of them being revivals of Fleischmann types — or at least �inspired by�. If any of the designers didn't want to have their designs compared to the Fleischmann models, they were free to not reveal the source of inspiration. But they all did. So if I decide to look at Fleischmann's types and start from there, that's my prerogative. It makes as much sense as I decide it does.

OK, now that that's over with, I have an announcement to make about the reviews for this edition — you won't find them online. David and I have put together a keepsake booklet for TypeCon2005, featuring exclusive pre-release reviews of 11 typefaces or families. These are signed and numbered collector's items, produced in a limited edition of 200 copies, with a cover designed and silk-screened by hand by David. I'll be lugging 8,5 kilos worth of them in my suitcase and distribute them at the conference. Try to grab a hold of me and request your copy.

We've produced this keepsake to give something back to the community. It is to say thank you for all the help that people have given us and the community in the past, for the support we have now, and for those who will follow the site into the future. So, after you've read the thingie, drop us a line and let us know what you think of this initiative.

That's it for this installment of Bald Condensed. I have to pack my suitcase now, as I have a plane to catch in 16 hours. See you all in NYC!

2005-06-22T07:58:00.000-07:00

Summer is here and as the fans start whirring I�m reminded of the old farmer�s saying, �Red sky at night � Shepherd�s delight. Drowned sheep in morning � Global warming�. As the early bird pricing for TypeCon 2005 draws to a close, and the weather continues hotting up for a blistering New York summer (no doubt Yves will be cracking open fire hydrants and dancing naked through the water come conference week), the TypeCon site went live earlier this month. Michael Bloomberg, mayor of NYC, has decided to declare 18-24th June as Type Week in its honour according to the TypeCon website. I searched the mayor�s website, but I�ve not been able to find any other information about what this may actually mean, but I think you�re allowed to drunkenly remove road signs.

Hot on the heels of TypeCon, but in the considerably cooler Helsinki, ATypI�s conference (subtitled �On the edge�) organisers have released preliminary details of their programs. The names of those speaking, as one would expect, are not to be sniffed at, and include Jean Fran�ois Porchez, Peter Bilak, Sue Walker, Thomas Phinney, Sumner Stone, Gerry Leonidas, Adam Twardoch and Yuri Yarmola to name just a few. ATypI has a distinctive international theme to its conference this year, and as ever is the more intellectually rigorous of the two. And, as ever, entrance costs an awful lot more than TypeCon, but hey, you pay for quality and that�s certainly what you�ll get. No word yet, however, on if Helsinki�s local governance has declared it �Anal Kerning and Fastidious OpenType Coding Week� in its honour.

Typographica�s Stephen Coles disagrees with my assessment, and is happy to share:

ATypI�s speaker list is no more impressive than TypeCon�s. It�s horrendously overpriced. If one could afford both, I'd recommend attending both. But if you can only attend one, TypeCon is a much better value - even if you live in Europe!

Stephen�s perspectives are always welcome and respected, but in this case I would have to disagree. I firmly believe Europeans and North Americans have different values, and I think that this is reflected in the differences between the two conferences. Stephen does make a valid point about the quality of speakers, however - this has certainly improved leaps and bounds as TypeCon has matured. Indeed this year has seen such great names as Matthew Carter, Neville Brody, Ed Benguiat, Erik Spiekermann, John D. Berry, Simon Daniels, John Downer, Akira Kobayashi, Gerry Leonidas, Thomas Phinney, Adam Twardoch and even our very own Yves appear. While there will certainly be much of genuine worth at TypeCon, and while I accept that I may have been unlucky in my choices of slots to attend in the past, my overall impression is that ATypI provides more intellectual exploration of our field and less rockstar showcasing. The more European-slanted ATypI conference inevitably more accurately reflects the diversity inherent in its less homogenised cultural basis. Combined with Europe�s historically less commerical outlook, this produces a fundamentally different event where the balance between showcasing and intellectual exploration is shifted towards the latter. While ATypI may be more expensive, I believe it provides visitors with more in terms of rigour, and therefore a more European vision of what value means. Of course Helsinki won't have freedom fries on the menu, which is just a crying shame, huh?

Fellow Londoners, have you spotted Adobe�s rash of advertising on the London Underground recently? It seems that after its Macromedia takeover, it would like to expand its �customer base� further, but interestingly not wider. Adobe are directly targeting� designers� in mainstream advertising environments, with adverts depicting various creatives lay around on beds all day trying to come up with ideas. Er, Bruce, you�ve just bought Macromedia. Who else are we meant to be buying software off?

Some of you�ll have notice the addition of Typographer.org�s very first advert in the top right of the homepage. After 6 years of avoiding any form of advert, the Make Poverty History campaign seemed like an appropriate exception to our own rules. If you like our work here and want to say thanks, consider redistributing some of your wealth to those who need $3 more than you need a skinny decaf latte. Every donation comes with a fluffy warm feeling inside, that can only increase the more often and more generously you give!

Speaking of fluffy warm feelings inside, here�s Yves�

Updated on June 26, 2005 - Stephen Coles� comment and paragraph 3 added

Bald Condensed
by Yves Peters

This week�s review is going to be weird for me, as this is the first time I�ve specifically been asked to review a certain typeface. Not only that, but people requested I�d compare Hoefler & Frere-Jones� long awaited Mercury to two previous Fleischmann revivals: Christian Schwartz�s also quite recent Farnham, released through The Font Bureau, Inc. and Matthew Carter�s Fenway which he designed as a replacement for Times Roman in Sports Illustrated and which is distributed by The Font Bureau, Inc. as well. I decided to throw in two more contenders. Erhard Kaiser�s DTL Fleischmann appears to be the odd one out as it is the most faithful (and quirky) digitisation. As I was gearing up to write this review, M�rio Feliciano sent me a PDF of his as of yet unreleased Eudald. This family is based on the work of Eudald Pradell, a Spanish imitator of Fleischmann, and is the only one that sports the wonky capitals which can also be found in DTL�s version. So five typefaces in total will contend for the coveted title of Most Totally Awesome Fleischmann Digitisation�.

Before starting this review, I stressed in both my e-mail communication with the concerned designers and on my Typophile Blog that I have no academic background whatsoever, and people needn�t expect any roaring theories nor historical contexts. Somehow this must�ve had the same effect as waving a red flag in front of a bull, because it prompted both Hrant H. Papazian and Christian Schwartz to send me scans from original type specimens by Johann Michael Fleischmann and by Jean-Fran�ois Rosart, his rival at Ensched�. Here�s what Hrant has to say about the level of authenticity of these revivals.

Since you wrote �I review type from a gut feeling and using common sense� (to which I say, thank you!) I won�t get into too much historical stuff... except to address the nature of making a revival to begin with, and how that might be relevant to the various Fleischmanns out there.

To me they all seem like great fonts. But they miss the genius element that makes Fleischmann more than just another style to pillage from the past. Even the DTL version — which is indeed the most funky — ignores the really juicy stuff. One can understand, since I think considerations of sales make it a bad idea to include what most people would think is �just a mistake�.

On the other hand, it�s hard to ignore the huge missing piece: the incredible amount of divergence that Fleischmann included in his fonts, especially later in his career, and especially when he wasn�t designing for a specific commission. Nobody talks about this, probably because they think it was... �just a mistake�. But how can such a good designer make such a mistake, so far into his career? To me it had to be intentional, and the only explanation I can think of is that he was shooting for a higher level of readability.

The font of his most worthy of study is the #65 in the Ensched� collection. I have their glorious 1908 specimen book, and it can also be found in the 1978. If you look at the bottom line in the attached file, try to explain the stroke stress of the �o�, the too-small bowls of the �b�, �p�, etc., and the greatly varying serif structures (which admittedly have been revived). Besides the question of what the hell Fleischmann was thinking, more relevant to your review might be the question of why such funkiness has been ironed out, and what such a �neutering� implies, both in terms of fidelity, and for the user.

Then Christian Schwartz raises another interesting issue by pointing out that:

(...) while these families all have roots in Fleischmann�s types, Mercury and Fenway have quite a bit of Rosart influence as well, especially in the italics. (...) the underlying history is interesting. Rosart had a bitter one-sided rivalry with Fleischmann, so it�s bizarre (from a historical, if not aesthetic standpoint) to see revivals that fuse their work together.

Both these e-mails got me intrigued, which means that I eventually did end up studying historical reference material. Which also is the reason why this review is way late. Sorry�boutthat.

Let�s start with Edhard Kaiser�s digitisation DTL Fleischmann. According to the DTL website this revival has been dubbed �Kaisers k�nigliche Fleischmann� in Germany. For those who don�t understand the German play of words (�Kaiser� means Emperor and �k�nigliche� royal) this is a way of saying his version is considered to be, like, really really really good. No review copies of the fonts for this one, but the extensive 80-page downloadable PDF proved to be very helpful.

The Germans are spot on. DTL Fleischmann does the source material justice, capturing nicely the tics and quirks of the original. Most importantly it features the peculiar �ornate� serifs on the caps and retains the specific flavour of some key characters, like the lc y and g, S and s, italic cap A, V and Y, cap Q, that funky section sign... Me being a total ligature junkie, you can imagine how pleased I was to discover a truckload of those are included. I do feel though that the small caps are too small. And could somebody please explain me why we still need a quaint s?

As much as I appreciate the idiosyncrasies of the DTL digitisation, I�m not so fond of the very soft and rounded outline treatment. Of course, you can discuss ad nauseam if the specific line quality of the contours were intended or merely a restriction imposed by the then available technology. To overly simplify, would Fleischmann for example have designed angular or round corners if he had access to today�s tools? After all, we mustn�t overlook the fact that these revivals are going to be output digitally, which is an entirely different beast than metal. Beautiful as the DTL Fleischmann family may be (hey, I�m being very nit-picky here) it gives the impression of a rather slavish and conventional interpretation. The basic shapes are spunky in spades, but I still would�ve preferred some more chutzpah, some more bite to the outlines.

Let�s now move over to the American interpretations.

Matthew Carter�s Fenway appears to be incorporating the most Rosart influences. Though I prefer his roman cap Q from Farnham�s and Mercury�s, generally speaking the capitals are so �contaminated� by the Rosart model that at times they look a bit out of place. Especially the leg on the cap K and R, as well as on the lc k oddly remind me of Goudy�s work and look a bit tame. I�m not so enthusiastic about the subdued italics neither, as they lack the calligraphic quality of the originals. The very best thing about Fenway are the small capitals. Making them slightly bigger than your average small caps is a brilliant move and makes perfect sense when you keep in mind that this family was designed specifically for editorial use in Sports Illustrated.

Please don�t get me wrong. Fenway is a great family, expertly designed and of the highest quality, with the extra Banner optical size on top of the Display as a nice added bonus. But possibly because it is a commissioned type family, designed within certain editorial constraints, it has become the most mainstream and �slick� adaptation. Certain creative decisions must�ve steered it away from the Fleischmann model, insofar that it makes me wonder if I�m doing Fenway a disservice by including it in this comparative review instead of looking at it separately.

At least Christian Schwartz doesn�t pussyfoot around with Farnham. Now that�s a revival with attitude. When an ink trap or an optical correction is called for, he takes no quarter and really goes for it. It becomes an integral part of the design, thus playing a key role in defining the identity of the typefaces. This creates an obvious tension in the character shapes, which causes the type to sparkle.

Furthermore he succeeds in incorporating some defining Fleischmann characteristics without resorting to overly literal interpretations. It really is all in minute details. To name a single example: Christian is the one who gets the cap A right, as the cross-bar is too low in both Fenway and Mercury. Also the fact that his italic is the most accurate plays in his favour. As far as the numerals go, I understand the rationale behind Fenway and Mercury to provide only lining figures (in Fenway�s case hybrid numerals more accurately) but I still think it�s handy that Farnham provides old style numerals as well. My only gripe, as with the two other American Fleischmann revivals, is that those peculiar cap serifs didn�t make this version neither.

H&FJ�s Mercury is a glorious achievement. I won�t go into details, just go over to their website and read the Special Features section, especially about the Grades. This is an approach to type design that is guaranteed to give me a woody. The whole family of faces is so well thought out and yet seems so obvious. It might well be that Hoefler & Frere-Jones have set a new standard for type systems for editorial use.

It goes without saying that these are gorgeous faces, but unfortunately there�s quite a bit of that specific Fleischmann flavour missing. The most obvious is the nifty ear on the lc g that�s lacking in the romans and some quirks that were ironed out here and there. As in Fenway, the italics bear the Rosart mark. Though this makes them less true to the Fleischmann model, some novel interpretations keep them interesting. For example the italic a and y — which were among my benchmark characters for comparison — are quite beautiful.

The skill and dedication displayed in Mercury are tremendous and the faces look incredibly good. Still, one gets the impression it came with a cost. This is a perfect example of what I call �sand-papered to death�. It seems as if the typefaces lost some of their soul in the process. The root of the problem might lie in the fact that Mercury was in development over such a long period of time. When composing a song you go through a similar phase. You have to compose the music and write the lyrics, learn how to play the song well, then get familiar with it so you can perform it on stage or commit it to a recording. But when you�re living with your song for too long, constantly developing and refining it, you risk losing some of the freshness. The cost of being able to play it flawlessly is the loss of its initial spontaneity.

Same goes for Mercury. But - boy - does - it - set - smoothly, like a baby�s bum. I realised that when I was reading the beautifully designed License Agreement, all set in tiny Mercury. Yup, I read it all. No, really! See, usually I�ve got a problem with overly slick typefaces. I recently tried to set a brochure with Minion Pro but in the end I gave up and chucked it. I thought I had every reason not to like test-driving Mercury, but to my surprise I had absolutely no problem. The overall impression on the page is very refined, very elegant, in contrast with the more energetic and lively Farnham. It�s very pleasant to use and read.

Before I finish this review, I�d like to take a quick look at Eudald, as this is the only face that can go head-to-head with the literal interpretation of DTL�s version. Technically speaking it should be disqualified for being a revival of a typeface by an imitator of Fleischmann�s. The reason to include it is that I totally agree with the approach M�rio took in translating the Eudald Pradell designs to digital outlines. Instead of sticking too closely to the source material, he nicely succeeded in distilling the right elements that characterise the Fleischmann model and made them his own. Although he basically used the same approach as Carter, Schwartz and Hoefler & Frere-Jones, credit goes to him for not chickening out and keeping all the idiosyncratic, slightly off kilter elements in the design. He created a face that is unmistakably Fleischmann-esque, but ultimately is its own beast. [Click here for the PDF Specimen]

To conclude, I first want to say that this was a very tough review for me, an experiment I�m not likely to repeat in the near future. All the typefaces are top-quality, and having to single one out is nigh impossible. DTL Fleischmann is a very faithful revival, maybe a bit too literal to my taste. It is the �goody-two-shoes� of the bunch. Fenway is a perfect workhorse face, but ultimately too �mainstream� and lacking the specific Fleischmann flavour I was looking for in this comparison. On a character level I prefer Farnham for its audacity and for staying the most true to the spirit of Fleischmann, and I really wanted it to come out triumphantly. In all fairness, I feel obliged to say that the test settings won me over for Mercury, so it�s an either/or situation. On a conceptual level Eudald is the most successful in converting the Fleischmann model to a contemporary digital design while retaining all the peculiar details.

I'd like to express my thanks to Hrant H. Papazian and Christian Schwartz for providing me with visual reference material and background information; Mr. Matthew Carter for sending me PDFs of Fenway; Robb Ogle and Jonathan Hoefler for sending me further background information and review licenses of respectively the Farnham and Fenway full families, and the Mercury full family; and last but not least M�rio Feliciano for spicing up the mix with some Portuguese flavour.

2005-05-21T06:34:00.000-07:00

It seems that Spring 2005 is a season for bombshells. First Adobe gobbles up Macromedia in an anti-competitive splurge that would make Bill Gates himself proud, now FontLab has bought up Fontographer, the long-shelved dinosaur of a font editor, from Macromedia.

It seems that the guys over there on the other side of Europe think it will fit nicely in their portfolio between FontLab and its young sibling TypeTool. What will be interesting is how FontLab will rationalise, if indeed they do at all, the interface design between their products as a completely new codebase enters their portfolio. More fun surely to follow, and we�ll keep you posted, but for now over at Typographica, all-round FOG expert Stephen Moye gives his thoughts.

Sticking with Eastern Europe a little longer, Filip Blazek emailed in to publicize his diacritics project. In his own words..

Unfortunately many type designers creates horrible accents and such fonts are not usable for type setting Central or Eastern European languages. So I decided to do something with the diacritics topic - and that decision was the beginning of my Diacritics project.

On April 16th 2005 I introduced first results to attendants of a conference Typo.Graphic.Beirut. The aim of this project is to build a free on-line database of knowledge and experience - how to design correct diacritics: what size, shape and position an accent should have. Text concerning the history, use, languages and also some technical information is related to each diacritical mark. The project web site is based on Wikipedia: after a simple registration, anyone can append or correct any published text or upload pictures. There is no need for special knowledge of HTML code, the editing is also similar to Wikipedia.

Elsewhere, Typophile has relaunched for its 5th birthday earlier in the month. The site, still in beta, has been redesigned from the ground up and now features a Typowiki, a news aggregator and a less buggy iteration of the mighty Forums we have all grown so accustomed to.

Microsoft are keen for you to visit their new design site that amongst other things is discussing their ClearType designs. ClearType is starting to show up all over now, not just on those of you unfortunate enough to run XP (such as I). Their Windows Mobile 5 platform that was announced earlier this month appears to also be running ClearType, if the screenshots are to be believed. So now you can enjoy sub-pixel anti-aliased typography on your mobile phone. I think I�ll be sticking to Symbian and Nokia Series 60 thanks all the same, but its good to see that newer more pervasive personal information devices such as smartphones and PDAs are also benefiting from advances in typographic technology.

Now over to Yves, who will never be happy with just 5 good faces...

Sources: The Register, Engadget, Filip Blazek, MSTypo, Typophile, FontLab

Bald Condensed
by Yves Peters

I want to thank everyone who took the time to drop me a line (and in some cases a lengthy e-mail) or react over iChat. It looks like I�m going to be doing what I do for the foreseeable future. One particularly insightful reaction was sent to me by Forrest L Norvell, who runs a great type-related blog himself. He made some valid points which I would like to address here.

I do take issue with one of the points raised in your article. You harp on the notion of �classic typefaces�, and provide a list of stodgy old �classics� and contrast them with modern alternatives. I think classics are classics for a reason. Like any other visual medium (or, really, any creative medium at all), typefaces are used to evoke moods, feelings, and nostalgic associations with the past. In semiotic terms, typefaces themselves signify things having nothing to do with the text they set. Clarendon and Futura, for instance, both have particularly complex webs of association surrounding them. I licensed Monotype�s Van Dijck recently because it reminds me of studying art history in school, as well as its idiosyncratic (and beautiful) italics.

First of all, I must confess I polarised my point of view in order to get it across. It was a deliberate attempt to jolt some people out of their lethargy, so excuse me for being a bit heavy-handed about it. I will stand my ground though.

Indeed there�s a reason certain classics became classics. That doesn�t mean they still have the same relevance today as they did in their heydays. When talking about evoking certain moods or feelings, I see no reason at all why this couldn�t be done with fresh faces. Even in semiotic terms, there always are several solutions, including contemporary ones, for any given typographic problem. There�s almost nothing Clarendon does that Oxtail can�t do. Agreed, in some cases — when a design refers to a specific historical context — a classic face is called for and even may be the sole option. But I believe these occurrences to be very rare and far between.

What I�m aiming at is a reversal of priorities. Instead of instinctively going for the classics, make new type the default and only turn to classics if there really is no other option. Most of the time graphic designers use the �classics� just because they�re familiar with them and know how they will perform in any given situation. This conservative attitude is very uncharacteristic for professionals who work in an artistic field where experimentation and innovation are crucial qualities. This reminds me of the number of graphic designers whose loyalty to QuarkXPress is solely based on their familiarity with the shortcuts, and disregard completely the fact that InDesign outperforms QXP any day of the week. Granted, just like I still listen to Led Zeppelin once every few moths, strictly speaking you can still use Futura. But you�d better have a damn good reason for that. And it�d better not be because some lazy art director mistakes complacency and lack of imagination for �refinement� and �timeless beauty�. I simply won�t accept that.

And then of course there�s the zealots, the ones that foolishly profess that they only need five timeless faces for their complete artistic output. The ones that, blinded by their faith in the Modernist dogma, are oblivious to the fact that typography has a thousand different voices and is ever-evolving, constantly reinventing itself. All I can say to them is to wake up and smell the coffee. I doubt they�re listening. You�ll have to excuse me for occasionally wanting to punch Massimo Vignelli in the nose.

OK, that�s more than enough soap-boxing, on with the review! This time I�m going to cheat a bit and spotlight a type family that isn�t available to the general public — well, at least not before 2011. I know, I know, it�s not exactly fair to let you drool over some beautiful but unobtainable type family, but I just couldn�t help myself. So sue me.

Der�on is the corporate typeface designed by Porchez Typofonderie for R&B superstar Beyonc� and her mother Tina Knowles� fashion line House of Der�on. It is the first type family Jean Fran�ois Porchez developed with Tom Grace.

All the way through the delightful PDFs Jean Fran�ois sent me, I could picture them giggling like kids, showing each other alternate glyphs they designed and nifty details they added. (Well, actually that kind of conduct would be very weird for a seasoned type designer and his new associate, but you know what I mean.)They must have had quite a bit of fun during the development of the fonts, and it shows. The feature-rich OpenType fonts are filled to the brim with typo-goodness, with alternates, ligatures, swash characters and dingbats galore. Some alternate characters are just too good to be true, like the open upright �Q�, the loopy �o�, the script-like �s�. The feature which immediately struck me and which I like the most are the counters, whose clearly defined �corners� — in conjunction with the triangular serifs — add sparkle and spunk to the faces. It�s sharp, it�s lively and reflects perfectly the spirit of R&B and hip-hop music. Der�on is a prime example of a typeface that was designed according to a clearly defined concept that does work.

The type family is like a refined, rich chocolate cake: simply delicious, but to use with restraint if you want to avoid an indigestion. I can easily see people overdoing it with the ligatures, swashes and alternate characters, so all will depend on the House of Der�on designers� ability to handle the faces. Like the French alcohol ads say: �A appr�cier avec mod�ration�.

Der�on rekindles my faith in commissioned type design for advertising. It proves that this particular field still has room for imaginative, daring, personable work, and isn�t restricted to the maiming of classic faces (Monotype�s Metro impersonation for Opel), the mimicking of classic faces (BMW�s Helvetica look-alike) or plain rip-offs (Suomi Type Foundry�s corporate typeface for Elisa looks awfully familiar). Jean Fran�ois once again proves he is one of the great contemporary type designers, now let�s hope others will pick up on it and follow his lead.