July 30, 2019
In
Books, Design, Handwriting, History, Typography
December 12, 2018
In
France, History, Paris, Typography, World War II
A Return to Paris and Promises Kept
W A R N I N G : B O O K S P O I L E R S A H E A D
Last year at the Association Typographique Internationale (ATypI) conference in Montreal (watch my talk here), I learned ATypI’s 2018 conference would be held in Antwerp, Belgium. After realizing Antwerp was an easy two-hour train ride from Paris, I realized I had found the perfect excuse to return to the City of Lights.
June 3, 2018
In
Art, Love, Typography
Trying my Hand at Letter Carving
Perhaps it was because he was the only other living person in the graveyard. But the old white-haired man, sitting with a straight back on a stack of wooden stools caught my attention. Or, perhaps it was the sound of his work that piqued my curiosity; the graveyard was silent other than the tapping of his mallet.
April 4, 2018
In
France, Typography, Writing
In Praise of Colophons
In Praise of Colophons
Just when I think I’m finished reading my book,
I turn the last page and find that the lettering
of this softened paperback was first cut
by a monk in 1739, just off the Northern coast
of France. How delightful, this production
by the sea——no talking, only the small splashes
of wave against rock, a plover’s squawk,
the metal plink of each letter into the carriage.
March 2, 2018
In
Art, Books, Typography
Honored to be included in “Freehand: New Typography Sketchbooks”
Two years ago, Steve Heller invited me to submit images of my type sketchbook. I loved how he didn’t ask whether I had a type sketchbook, rather he assumed I did. It was an honor to share images, but also a bit scary as I’ve never shown my sketchbook to anyone before. After submitting the images and answering a few questions about materials and process, I didn’t hear a word. To be honest, I wasn’t sure if anything ever came of the project.
READ MORE
December 20, 2017
In
P22 Marcel Script
Directions to license and download the font P22 Marcel Script
Recently several people have asked me questions about licensing the font Marcel. Some people had never licensed a font before; others tried but were confused by the font file options or license types. It’s true—the process can be daunting—even for those of us who have licensed fonts before! The goal of this blog is to explain the process, and to make it as easy as possible to license the font based on the handwriting of Marcel Heuzé.READ MORE
October 6, 2017
In
P22 Marcel Script, Typography
2012 TypeCon Type Crit: Photo Evidence!
Photos: 2012 TypeCon Type Crit. Akira Kobayashi reviewing the test print.
Intense stares from John Downer and Roger Black (just looking at this photo brings about a wave of anxiety).
©May Chung
Several weeks ago, at the ATypI conference in Montreal, I met a delightful woman named May Chung; May is design professor at Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. I don’t recall how we happened upon the topic, but we ended up talking about the 2012 TypeCon conference in Milwaukee. I mentioned I had participated in the Type Crit that year. May’s eyes lit up. She said she watched those critiques, though she didn’t remember the specifics of my critique (…why would she?!). May was holding a big SLR camera in her hand, and I asked her if she had, by chance, taken any photos during the 2012 Type Crit. Yes, she told me, she was certain she had photos from the 2012 Type Crit—though she made no promises whether she had taken any photos of me or during my critique.
September 3, 2017
In
Business, Typography
TypeCon 2017
I recently returned from five days in Boston attending TypeCon 2017, presented by the Society for Typographic Aficionados. It was five days jam-packed with lectures on type design, designers, type history, type across languages and cultures, along with time to connect with other type designers.READ MORE
March 2, 2017
In
Books, P22 Marcel Script, Publishing, World War II
Dissecting the book cover
The book cover has been finalized! I’m delighted with the final product and am grateful for the work of the cover designer, Erin. I’ve heard people remark they like it; that it has “shelf-appeal.” What people may or may not understand by quickly glancing at the cover, though, is that it has specific design elements that work hard to tell its story.READ MORE
February 12, 2017
In
Blurb, Typography
Book Blurb: Mark Simonson
I’ve made many fonts but none of them has a story with as many unexpected discoveries and emotional turns as the story of Marcel.
– Mark Simonson, designer of more than thirty fonts, including the iconic Proxima Nova, Mark Simonson Studio
January 23, 2017
In
Business, Craft, Publishing, Typography, Writing
So, which is more difficult: Designing a font or writing a book?
The question was posed as a curiosity, and I speculate the person who asked expected that after hemming and hawing for a polite amount of time, I’d provide some kind of easy, definitive answer.READ MORE
January 9, 2017
In
Design, Love, Typography
Tryst
This week, I am expecting to preview final artwork for the cover of Marcel’s Letters. I generally know what to expect; the final cover artwork will reflect a revised tagline and a few other small artwork and composition revisions.READ MORE
November 11, 2016
In
Minnesota, P22 Marcel Script, World War II
Thanks University of Minnesota Typography I students!
This afternoon I had the pleasure of telling Bill Moran’s University of Minnesota Typography I students about the design of the font P22 Marcel Script, then the story behind the font. READ MORE
September 2, 2016
In
Gratitude, Handwriting, Typography
The Power of a Thank You Note
Four years ago, at TypeCon 2012, I had the privilege of receiving a short critique from a trio of type design luminaries. At the time, I was still refining the font ‘Marcel’ and I appreciated the opportunity to hear feedback that could help me make the font as good as it could be.READ MORE
April 23, 2016
In
Books, P22 Marcel Script, Publishing, Writing
First official “in the wild” sighting of Marcel!
I will begin with an apology. I did not intend to walk into the bookstore and blurt out the words, “Holy shit!”READ MORE
March 16, 2016
In
Design, France, P22 Marcel Script, Typography
The story behind the ampersand
Recently, someone asked a great question about the font ‘Marcel Script.’ They wondered if Marcel’s original handwritten letters included all of the individual letterforms I needed to create a basic character set.READ MORE
March 13, 2016
In
Design, History, Minnesota, P22 Marcel Script
Thank you AIA-MN!
Last weekend, I had the honor of being one of six presenters at the 28th annual Lake Superior Design Retreat sponsored by AIA-Minnesota. READ MORE
February 5, 2016
In
France, History, Typography
J. Giraud Fils Perfume Labels: Beauty for Eyes and the Nose
As a lover of all things related to old typography, I have to ask: How could I not have known about Jean Giraud Fils before now?!
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December 18, 2015
In
Germany, P22 Marcel Script, Typography
Year Book of Type 2
I was thrilled to get a package from Germany today. Inside was a hard-bound copy of “Year Book of Type 2,” edited by Slanted. READ MORE
October 2, 2015
In
Art, Books, France, Germany, Typography, World War II
Hermann Zapf
Yesterday, a small cardboard box arrived, and as I walked up the driveway, I tried to puzzle out who it was from. When I opened it, I was delighted to see a hard-cover book from a Kickstarter campaign I backed months earlier, and had nearly forgotten about.
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