Typography
Learn more about the book "Marcel's Letters" and the font P22 Marcel Script, which is based on the handwriting of conscripted WWII laborer Marcel Heuzé
Carolyn Porter, Marcel Heuzé, Marcel's Letters, Handwritten Letters, World War II, P22 Marcel, Typography, Love Story, Reunion, Daimler, Berlin, Marienfelde, STO, Forced Labor, Service du Travail Obligatoire, WWII
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April 25, 2025 In Gratitude, Personal Updates, Typography

My Summer of Demolition and Renovation: Remodeling Our Bathroom and Learning I Had Cancer in My Face

An Essay

Twenty-four years ago Aaron and I purchased the home where we still live. It’s a classic mid-century rambler with three small bedrooms and a full basement. Sometime in the 1980s, a previous owner converted the one-car attached garage into a large kitchen, and the oversize lot had big, magnificent trees. As the saying goes, it had good bones.  

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February 14, 2024 In Gratitude, P22 Marcel Script

Ten years of Marcel Script

graphic showing "10 years" and the words "P22 Marcel Script" set in the font and with calligraphic swirls along the edge for decoration.

Today, Valentine’s Day, marks the 10th anniversary of the release of P22 Marcel Script, the font based on Marcel Heuzé’s beautiful handwritten letters. Calling the anniversary ‘monumental’ would, perhaps, be an overstatement. ‘Meaningful’ is a probably a better word. The release was, for me, a meaningful personal and professional milestone. Over the years the font has been used on book covers, wedding invitations, greeting cards, in magazine articles, and more. The delight I feel when I see it in use does not subside. If you’ve used the font, I send a sincere thank you. 

Want to see some samples of the font in use? See samples here.

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January 11, 2024 In Love, Typography

Love, Hugs & Kisses XO

If you’ve ever been to my house, you might have noticed a type-centric collection decorating our space: 4″ and 5″ vintage wooden letterpress X’s and O’x. Hugs and kisses! Over the last decade I have collected more than 150 letters; they can be found perched atop picture frames in the living room, stacked next to books in the book case, and displayed atop an oversize photo in our dining room. The collection includes chunky slab serif letters, graceful curved serif letters, spare sans serif letters, inline letters, narrow letters, wide letters, and anything in between.

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May 31, 2023 In Books, Handwriting, Minnesota, P22 Marcel Script

“Please Write”: What a Delight

I recently had the pleasure of attending the launch party for Lynne Kolze’s new book, “Please Write: Finding Joy and Meaning in the Soulful Art of Handwritten Letters” (Beaver’s Pond Press, 2023). The book is a gem — and I’m not saying that because the book uses the font P22 Marcel Script (more on that later) or that Lynn had the best launch party swag (more on that later, too). 

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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.

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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.

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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.
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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

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  • Carolyn Porter's 2012 TypeCon Type Crit, Milwaukee, WI
  • Carolyn Porter's 2012 TypeCon Type Crit, Milwaukee, WI, focus on John Downer
  • Carolyn Porter's 2012 TypeCon Type Crit, Milwaukee, WI, focus on Akira Kobayashi
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.

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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

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