You’ve found a font that you basically like, but you’re still not entirely happy. Some letters just don’t look quite right to you. Somewhere, there’s another, better font but how do you search your entire "fonts" folder without taking the entire day? Or maybe you’re trying to find a font that you’ve seen elsewhere, but can’t name. You found a font on your computer that’s close, but you know you haven’t found the perfect match. For whatever reason, you need to find fonts that look similar to one that you can name. This is where Windows XP’s "Similarity" feature can help. Go to the "Windows" folder it’s typically on your C: drive. Double-click on the "Fonts" folder and then scroll until you find the name of the font that you want. Single-click so that this font’s icon is highlighted. Now click on the "Similarity" icon at the top of the window. This icon is labeled "AB". Windows will take you to a list of fonts that are listed in order from the most similar to the least. The only problem is that Windows still uses the default font for displaying this list. So, you can’t see an example of the actual font in this screen. Double-click on the font’s listing to bring up a new window with sample text in the font that you’ve selected. If the on-screen display isn’t enough for you, you can print the icon’s example layout. Put a few of these pages side-by-side for a detailed look and you’re bound to find the perfect font.

The word font refers to a collection of characters (letters, numerals, symbols and punctuation marks). The fonts that are selected affect the printing of the document. It also influences the ease of reading of the document and the volume of text. All fonts have common characteristics. Font basic properties: Name - Each font has a distinctive name that represents it. E.g. Courier, Arial, Comic. Size - It is the height of a character that is expressed in points. Each point is 1/72 of an inch. Style - This is the further variation of the basic font. The normal style is also referred to as Roman. Others are bold and italic. A group of a font in various styles (bold, italics, roman) is called a font family. Basic categories: Screen Fonts - They are used to display characters on the screen. Screen fonts come in predefined point sizes and print on some printers. Plotter Fonts - They are used for plotting graphics on pen plotters. They display those fonts on the screen. Plotter fonts are scalable to any font size and print on some printers. TrueType Font - These fonts are scalable to any point size and the screen font matches the print font exactly. They are the most convenient to use as they are scalable and their screen version matches the print exactly. Font types for printing: Built-In Fonts - They come with the printer and hence are also called printer fonts. A printer can have one or more fonts. They appear in the Windows application as Font options. Cartridge Fonts - They are available with some printers and come in form of cartridges that plug into the printer. You may be required to install a software to use these fonts. Soft Fonts - Also called disk fonts, they are supplied on media (floppy disc or CD). They can also be downloaded from the net. They usually come with an installation program. These fonts are communicated to the printer while printing. Many of these printer fonts have matching screen fonts to enable the user to see what is being printed. If the font being used does not have a matching screen font, Windows displays a screen font that is closest to the font being used. Fonts give character to the document. In web designing, many a times it is the selection of the correct font that makes or breaks a site.

Choosing the rights fonts is always an important consideration, whether you are designing the perfect web site or just writing an important letter. The right fonts can greatly increase the usability and readability of any document, so it is important to understand a little bit about the technology behind these vital elements. Digital fonts store an image of each character, but they do it in two distinctly different ways. A bitmap font, as the name implies, stores the image of the font as a bitmap. A vector font, on the other hand, stores the font as a mathematical description of the curves and lines that make up the outline font. Digital fonts will also contain data which represents the metrics which are used to compose the font, including component creation data, glyph substitution (used in Arabic typography) and kerning pairs. Many typefaces can be divided into two categories serif and sans serif. Serifs include small features at the end of the strokes within the letters. Sans serifs, on the other hand, do not include these special features at the end of the letters. The term sans serif comes from the French word sans, meaning without. There are of course many different typefaces within both the serif and the san serif categories, and both sets include typefaces which are designed for body text, as well as faces designed for page headings, paragraph headings and other elements. One consideration to use when choosing the right font is that san serif fonts are often easier to read in long documents than serif fonts. It is also important to remember that the font is often chosen by the user of the computer, so the font which actually displays may not be the one designed into the web site. Many web designers choose to allow each computer user the freedom to set his or her own font design.

Experts can determine a great deal of information about a person by studying his or her handwriting. The style of the writing as well as the size and flourish of the letters indicates different personality traits. In similar fashion, visitors to your website will establish certain perceptions about you or your company, based on the way your pages are designed. Color choices indicate certain things, but as important are the font styles you choose. If you use large, bold, eye-catching fonts, it tells visitors that you have a message to get across. The image below shows the difference between using a mild font or one that conveys excitement. Both fonts are the same size, same boldness, and the same color, yet they look very different. The size of the fonts you choose can also send other messages. Does your site contain a great deal of small print? This may lead visitors to believe that you have something to hide, or that your terms are not straightforward. Using attractively styled fonts in sizes that are easy to read, is a much better way to draw in customers as well as repeat visitors. Carefully considering the way your font style and color choices work together is also important. A dark background with light colored lettering can be very dramatic, but it is also more difficult to read. If you decide to use this look, you need to make sure you choose a bold font so visitors can read your copy easily. Otherwise, they will probably choose a competitor’s site. When people surf the web, they want instant information. They don’t want to wade through a lot of copy that is difficult to decipher or time consuming to read. They want to quickly scan the page and move on. Using different font styles is a good way to break up pages and make them scan-able. Use bold fonts for headings and subheadings, and a clear, easy to read style for the main copy. Just don’t go overboard using too many different fonts, as doing so will make your pages look less than professional. Look at your pages with a critical eye as if you were viewing someone else’s site. Ask others to give you an honest appraisal of your pages. It’s also a good idea to look around at other popular pages to see what works. Not because you want your website to look exactly like other sites, but to discover elements that might work for you. You can also look around for unique fonts that you can purchase or download, to give your site an edge. Another wise idea is to look at your pages with different browsers and different resolutions, so you can see how your copy looks to different people. You may learn that a particular font does not present well with low resolution or a particular browser. This way, you can change the font style, perhaps to something simpler that looks great on any computer, before going live.

You’re cruising down Main Street and you start pointing at business signs and logos speaking to no one in particular you say: I have that font, that one and yep, I have that one too! You see a CD-ROM of fonts in the bargain bin for $5.00 and even though you already have 99.9% of them you buy the CD anyways. You show off your font collection to your non-designer friends and they just stare blankly at you. Your home dcor is nothing but your own typography work. No matter how, you obtain a really old software version of Fontographer and you get utterly excited, even though it won’t run on your current computer. Your font collection contains fonts for both the Mac and the PC even though you only have one computer You get into font family wars with your designer friends. You find that your font collection exceeds the capability of the font management software that you just bought. The CDs containing fonts are getting out of control and you decide to put them all on an external 200gig hard drive and they still won’t fit. Every object you see in everyday life is soon turned into a dingbat or a wing ding. Your printing service recognizes you as soon as you drive into the parking lot. You are forced to uninstall a number of fonts because the operating system can’t handle your working collection. Finding out that you are running out of storage space for your fonts, you turn towards that little bit of extra space on your web site server. You can’t receive any e-mail because you took up too much of your web server space for extra fonts. You find out through haggling that your custom neon light manufacturer will give you a huge price break if you throw into the deal your font designs

When was the last time you strolled around and found yourself staring at banners, ads, billboards, pub signs, road signs, graffiti, shop fronts and the like? This could actually be the healthiest form of typography inspiration. You know, endorphins and another bunch of health benefits. However, on top of everything, walking helps you explore the city, filling your head with every typographic element out there, in the streets. It also gives you the temper of a dashing ‘types’ anthropologist, as a walk it’s also a good opportunity to do some research in interaction and context. Typographic signs can really change your mood, stop you from entering a restaurant or encourage you to keep reading the words on a banal blue plaque on a wall. No, this is not cheap psychology, it’s just me going through these stages and realizing the incredible power of a type. Most likely you’ve already been there, done that. If, for whatever reason you can’t enjoy the great outdoors, you can still have access to the amazing world of street typography, because there are more and more online magazines collecting and displaying the ‘streets’ for all those interested. Have you seen NYCtype? It’s a great online project that collects New York City typography. But maybe you prefer Chicago. Or London types in what seems to be a quest to photograph all of the interesting, quirky, old, young, odd, lovely, yummy, gorgeous and beautiful type around the city. Probably a rougher kind of street typography from Eastern Europe is more to your liking. Or you want it all in one massive international cocktail of ‘words on walls’, like those on Pinterest. Technology is so advanced these days that you can even take a virtual stroll wherever you want and take screenshots of types in icy Stockholm while you’re melting away in Perth. So, do not underestimate the power of typography in odd places or in plain sight. It’s free and, literally, all around you. images courtesy of helenography.net

We can all agree that typography is an essential part of web design. We can also agree that we can’t take our eyes off smart typography, especially when it mingles with other design elements. While browsing around, we came across these five homepages where typography takes centre stage and, quite often, jumps off the page. Just Dot  Here’s a classic example: typography and design merge into one clear-cut message. The sketchy fonts take most of the space. They are inviting and create a relaxed, friendly atmosphere. You even feel like doodling along. Ipole Cat Another playful example of typography mixed with design elements. Observe the touch of anthropomorphism that makes any other overpowering design element redundant. Foxie Tiny types in essential places. You just want to take them, snuggle up with a warm cuppa in front of that window and just read. Ego Pop  If you don’t either want to touch these or eat them, then they failed. Bon Appetit! Jesse Willmon  With this one, you just can’t help yourself moving the pointer over all the grey sketches to check up the hidden colours.

There are articles you always save for later, send to your Kindle or read during an extended lunch break. These are the texts that break the daily online routine. We’ve put some of the most exciting encounters of the last 7+ days in this post. Let’s take a look and see what we’ll talk about over the weekend: A Critical Approach To Typefaces Smashing Magazine goes again beyond the noise and wonders "What is it that makes a typeface or any other design good?". Simplistic, but legitimate question. Of course, there is no established set of features, but the author believes in a body of knowledge that can provide answers and inform a personal view. He came up with a "condensed recipe on how to approach typefaces critically" which should help you select your sources and study materials from these sources. Quite enlightening. Creative Review February: Ken Garland and more Among many other cool things, the current issue of Creative Review features a major interview with one of the great figures of British design, Ken Garland. The interview was taken on the eve of the publication of a major retrospective book on his life and work. Check out the cover designed by Justin Thomas Kay and featuring a typeface Kay created based on the cover of Garland’s Graphics Handbook. Breaking The Rules of Typography The guys at Creative Pro got their hands on an excerpt from the January issue of InDesign Magazin, where graphic designer Nigel French takes a look at when (and why) it’s sometimes a good thing to break the most fundamental rules of good typography. There are 10 rules. Now, go ruffle some feathers… Awesome experiment in responsive typography uses face detection to adjust font size Everybody’s talking about responsive web design, but how often do you hear something about responsive typography? Well, this situation is about to change, as various new techniques encourage type legibility across devices. However, a certain Marko Dugonjić has taken the concept of responsive typography to a new level: using face detection. He calculated the proximity a user is from his or her screen, and then adjusts font size accordingly. It’s looking at you, kid! Celebrating Cassandre: Gorgeous Vintage Posters by One of History’s Greatest Graphic Designers The thrill of browsing through this post can only be equaled by a stroll through a Marcel Duchamp exhibition. On second thoughts, maybe not, but you have to admit this is exciting material, and a great opportunity to remember A. M. Cassandre, one of the most influential graphic designers in history. His graphically groundbreaking work and breathtakingly original aesthetic shouldn’t go unnoticed. You’ll even get to see the iconic 1932 Dubonnet wine posters. Lettering vs Calligraphy This is beautiful: a project seeking to bring together both the craft of drawing letters and the art of writing, but at the same time emphasizing and celebrating their differences. Lettering vs Calligraphy, from Berliners Martina Flor and Giuseppe Salerno. Enjoy! Over: A Photo App For Typography Lovers We end this roundup with… Over. A simple, easy to use app for adding custom typography to photographs. It comes with 28 unique fonts, although you can add a collection of 200+ additional fonts. Have a playful weekend!

If you’re into typography, you know there’s more to life than just staring at types in the street, on walls and websites. You also subscribe to typography magazines that feed your addiction, right? On which you spend a certain amount of money or time, or both. We’re talking about those publications that focus on typography before anything else. Today we give a helping hand to those beginners who are still looking for typography magazines out there to keep them updated with the most important news in the business, new exciting designers and not to be missed events. We picked a few of them today, but we’ll be back with more next week. There is no particular order. How could it be, de gustibus non disputandum est, right? Limited Editions Some of the best print magazines on typography are limited edition, resembling a luxurious extension to an online shop or publication. Codex, the ‘journal of letterforms’, is a limited edition print magazine, or a hybrid of magazine and journal, as they say. It’s one of the best-selling print magazine out there for graphic designers, teachers, students, and everyone who has any interest in fonts, graphic design, lettering, and typography. Scholarly at times, but not dry in tone. Serious, but not stuffy. We also agree that this is a beautiful product, like in ‘pleasing to the eye’. Recently they added a new option: you can now subscribe, thus saving money and ensuring you’ll never miss out on an issue. You can also read past issues for less, in PDF. Font is FontShop’s acclaimed annual print publication of typography and design. Being annual, it might actually be quite good to know that this San Francisco based magazine has a very popular newsletter too. The subscribers are treated to new and free fonts, typographic tips and trends, and important FontShop developments. Issue 007 was published in 2008 and is entitled ‘Rule Makers/Rule Breakers’. It features a selection of art and design projects generated within arbitrary sets of parameters, plus a showcase for the FontShop type library. You can see this particular 40-page issue online too. Back to Uni Since the universities are providers of fresh new original material, you should definitely consider some of their publications. Here you have two of them: Typography papers is an irregular collection of good things edited and produced at the Department of Typography, University of Reading. This book-length work publishes extended articles on its subject, exploring topics to the length to which they want to go. Being an academic publication, its scope is broad and international, its treatment - serious, but also lively. You can find details about contents and browse through its pages before buying it. The Typographic Hub is part of the Birmingham Institute of Art & Design at Birmingham City University. The Hub works to promote the history, theory and practice of typographic design. It is a busy centre for the study of printing and typographic history, theory and practice.  You’ll come across articles on all aspects of the history, theory and practice of typography, printing and the allied trades. The Hub is more like a magic door to a lot of resources: articles, books, podcasts and much more. It might even talk you into studying typography.

There’s no big secret behind the popularity of textured types. They are fun, but they can also be realistic, and quite often they can be realistically funny. It’s about that extra touch that helps your mental circuit imagine and recreate the message carried by the words themselves. However, grungy types can be the result of the meticulous tinkering of designers, but also the accidental works of nature on mural typography, street engravings or advertising banners with a twist. Quite often the results are impressive and they can be a great source of inspiration if you’re working on new types. Here we are, rummaging through the piles of material out there. From urban to chintzy, from obvious to surprising, we put together a varied range of examples. Click on the images to find out more about the designers behind them.

Time to hit the exhibitions, people! Not the virtual ones, the real ones, with displays on walls, mingling and all. At least that’s what the articles we came across this week brought to our attention. There is a significant amount of awesome typography exhibitions out there and you should try them. It’s a bit like typography sans frontières. But fear not, there’s more to this week’s roundup. Let’s start! Celebrating Typography In Chicago March 1 is a good day to be in Chicago because that’s when Typeforce, the 4th annual event celebrating typography and lettering, starts. The exhibition features some of today’s youngest, strongest, and most contemporarily relevant design, type, and lettering talent. You’re in for quite a treat. Handmade Type Experiment by Tien-Min Liao This is the work of Tien-Min, a New York based communication designer. His new project, "Handmade Type", is a self-initiated typographic experiment exploring the relationships between upper-case letters and lower-case letters. It also records the transformation between them. Inspiring stuff, take a look! In Berlin, A Museum Of Letters For Typography Lovers Typeface geeks who happen to be in Berlin, gather around!  Don’t miss Buchstaben Museum - also known as the Museum of Letters, because it celebrates our beloved typefaces. This is the home to hundreds of letters that have been "rescued" from public spaces and folded businesses. Huge letters, gotta see that! Nokia Pure / Typography Exhibition This is no breaking news, but the ‘Nokia pure’ topic stirred new conversations online these days, and we enjoyed revisiting it. The exhibition that took place some while ago promoted the new font ‘Nokia Pure’ designed by Dalton Maag. The story goes that London design agencies were asked to produce artwork using the new font. Many magazines, such as Creative Review wrote about it, and the whole experience is a good example of celebrating the birth of a new type. Find out more about it here.  Adobe Proposes New Standard for Better Web Typography In its effort to bring better typography to the web, Adobe came up with a new proposal for the so-called ‘Automatic Text Balancing’.  What does this mean? It means that if browsers adopt text balancing it’s the end of typographic unsightliness like widows, orphans and ragged lines, and would go a long way to creating more readable text on the web. Learn more! How to Tell Your Client That Some Typefaces are Better than Others   This article deals with the agony of choice. Nothing too philosophical though, more like practical advice for designers faced with the grueling task of choosing between fonts and types for a design. It mainly works like a puzzle, where you have to find the right pieces. The author goes one step further and brings "dealing with what the client wants" into the equation. So, how do you tell your client that the font you chose is better choice than the one he wants? Tricky indeed. Swirls of Liberated Words Become Dancing Sculptures Meet Ebon Heath, a master of words, whose work should conclude our roundup beautifully. His typography sculptures transform the written word into what he describes as a "new language of physical type." The printed letters get a three-dimensional existence. Magic! Read on. And don’t forget to have an inspiring weekend!

Last week we talked about typography magazines and we focused on the print, limited editions and university publications. This week we continue our discussion with a couple of veteran online publications and more print magazines. Baseline is an international first rate periodical for typography and graphic design matters published three to four times a year. This serious venture provides a rich mixture of articles and reference materials on our dear typography, of course. The contents are deliberately eclectic and the editorial stance is open, valuing especially originality of thought, while giving due weight to academic research. Typographic ‘scoops’ have helped to retain a high level of reader loyalty, some inspired by board members, such as the discovery of McKnight Kauffer’s ‘missing’ designs, initiated by Alan Fletcher. Distinguished designers, educators, authors and design critics such as Ken Garland, Steven Heller, Arnold Schwartzman, Helmut Schmid and Prof. Ian McLaren publish in Baseline. So, yes, it’s one of those renowned publications with high editorial, design and production standards. In their own words, Eye is a collectable graphic design journal, published quarterly for professional designers, students and anyone interested in critical, informed writing about design and visual culture. Needless to say, typography holds a special place in their heart and you’ll always come across great articles in this area. For instance, in the latest issue you can read about The Anatomy of Type: A Graphic Guide to 100 Typefaces and Typographic Fundamentals among many other great reviews and features. The FontFeed was launched in 2008 and is a daily dispatch of recommended fonts, typography techniques, and inspirational examples of digital type at work in the real world. You’ll also read about the latest in typography, lettering, and type design. Not to mention those basic tips and advanced tutorials. The blog combines the insightful voices of prominent design writer Jürgen Siebert and typography expert Yves Peters, with occasional contributions from Erik Spiekermann. I love typography (ILT) is turning 6 years this year and it’s the blog of John Boardley, the graphic designer and writer who also publishes Codex. Remember? This is a true declaration of love to typography and you’ll fall for it too. In John’s own words, this site aims to make the subject more accessible, to bring the study of typography to the masses, if you will. Where do our letters originate? Why do they look the way they do? And what makes for good type and typography? Well, read on and you’ll find out. We can only hope these publications opened up your appetite for typography. If you have read other print or online cool typography magazines you’re excited about, do let us know. By the way, which are your favorites? And why?

Here’s a neat infographic that explains the differences between serif and sans serif fonts. You’ll learn when to use one over the other as well as examples and web usages. Let us know what you think!

We’ve been browsing through virtual bookshelves and picked 15 covers that caught our eye. What’s special about them is the intense use of typography to the detriment of other design elements. Whether you just admire the book, browse through it or end up buying it, the typography on the cover can obviously add extra appeal. Our selection focuses on non-fiction book covers, for the simple reason that these are powerful books which tackle real events, topical issues, and are the materialisation of months or years of research. So, is anybody surprised that many of their covers are overwhelmingly relying on typography? You’ll find some classic titles, a few fresh best sellers, and a couple of variations on the same titles. The question is, would you like to read any of these books if you’re not familiar with the author or the topic, and all you’re left with are the types used? And do you judge a book by its cover?  

The last week of February made us think about the future of responsive typography, but also look back at pictograms and hieroglyphs. Nothing like a good history lesson to understand the present and the future, right? Talking about lessons, we came across a great collection of infographics about typography and hurriedly bookmarked it. Typography apps and walks also caught our eye, so the weekend looks exciting too. Without further ado, let the round up begin! Creating Exciting And Unusual Visual Hierarchies This article takes a closer look at layouts containing large or small amounts of type, and explores how it can be controlled in a way that is enticing and easy for all to access. Visually this can be achieved by relying on several things: texture and tone, seeing the designer as reader, combining typefaces, using color, employing multiple types and, of course, using the grid. If you’re just as fascinated by the complexities that can be expressed through typography you’ll enjoy this insightful article. Font Hinting And The Future of Responsive Typography If you’re one of the type designers who suffers from font hinting headache, this should help you cure it. But hold your horses, because hinting might actually provide the essentials for truly responsive design, and vastly expand the possibilities of digital typography for designers, publishers, and readers. Read on and you’ll figure it out. Is My Type Stressed? A Primer on Stressed Typography First of all, where you aware of the fact that typography can also be… stressed? Because the following article delves into this concept.  They’ll walk you through exactly what types of typographical stress are and how you can ensure it doesn’t affect the readability of your designs. 10 Infographics That Will Teach You About Typography This a great first lesson in typography and design. It will feed you tons of visualized information. A roundup of infographics which will help you discover new and interesting things, as well as reinforce and reiterate stuff you already know about typography. Definitely a good post to bookmark for future reference. Now, ready, steady, visualize data! Prototyping Responsive Typography Pictograms. That’s how it all started. But you’re probably aware of the fact that the history of typography dates back about 5,000 years when a series of pictograms evolved to hieroglyphs in Egypt and later around 1,200 BC to Phoenician alphabets. Believe it or not, many of the basic concepts of typesetting are still the same as 500 years ago. Read this article and you’ll find out more about (yet again) "responsive typography," and universality as a design principle. Probably the core principle behind all the work we do. Exciting read. Top 25 Typography Apps For iPhone And iPad It was a matter of time before using mobile devices to create typefaces and play font-related games. That’s what these 25 typography apps for Apple devices do. Since the weekend is round the corner, browse through this collection of essential typefaces and fonts apps for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Some say they can make your type-oriented life a little easier and in some cases even more fun. Let’s see! Typography Walks And Workshops For Font Fanciers For those passing through or living in London, take a look at this upcoming series of Type Tasting events. Yes, these are workshops and events for people who get excited over fonts, letters and typography. The events start this month, and if you’re interested follow them on Facebook or join the mailing list. Have a great typographic walk and an inspiring weekend!

It’s Monday, but we’re in the mood for film festivals. Sometimes it’s just film festival posters, or logos, but we blame the types genie for this. There are those festival logos we’ve been seeing for decades, and there are rather obscure festivals (and logos) but equally intriguing in typographic terms. That’s how we decided to put together this motley collection and get a taste of several different approaches. Some logos just force us to hit the couch and grab a bag of popcorn every time we see them. Some leave us quite indifferent. So, let’s browse around and see if the promoters made the most of typography to have us hooked on films for days in a row, regardless of long queues and pricey tickets. By the way, when was the last time you ended up staring at a film festival logo?  

Do you know those goodie bags they give to all the nominees at the Oscars? Probably not, unless you were nominated. In which case, well done! But we thought we should follow this tradition and come up with our very own kinetic typography goodies bag. When you’ll rummage through you’ll find tutorials, inspiring videos, and inspired reads. Some of you might ask, OK, but what is kinetic typography? Etymology makes it easy, as ‘kinetic’ comes from the Greek kinetokos - relating to, characterized by, or caused by motion. So, kinetic typography is the technical name for "moving text", an animation technique mixing motion and text to convey or express ideas or emotions using video animation. As expected, this technique is very popular in movie title sequences and credits, web page animation and other entertainment media. Talking about film titles, we found a website equally appealing to typography fans AND film buffs: The Art of the Title which is an online compendium and leading web resource of film and television title design from around the world, many of which feature kinetic typography. Recently they put together 50 years of main title design for James Bond films, which perfectly illustrates the strong typography - film titles relation. For those new to the trade, but already excited about kinetic typography, here you have 2 tutorials that should put a spring in your step. One is in 6 steps, the other one in 22 minutes. Good luck! For music fans, kinetic typography has its own special place, as you can also visualize the words you enjoy so much. A bit like a smart, great looking karaoke. Take this Tom Waits, for instance. It makes sure you get the messages, imprint the words in your brain while getting a pretty good idea about what the artist was saying. Also, don’t miss the clip for "Dream," by the French band Husbands. This is a lyric video in the purest sense, making use of a variety of typefaces, and spacing them out in a pleasing way on your screen. But we’ll not spoil the real surprise. Take a look! Other people use kinetic types to express their love for… Minecraft, to advertise the launch of the Turkish edition of The New York Times in 60 seconds of typographic goodness, mastered in 2K. Or just to pass an exam. If you’re really hooked, then you should subscribe to this Vimeo channel dedicated to Motion/Kinetic Typography and learn a bit of German while browsing through this Manifest of the moving scrip. Last, but not least, feast your eyes with this Stephen Fry Kinetic Typography Language. If you haven’t seen it yet, better dig in. A bit of Adobe, a pinch of Flash and Illustrator, and an awesome essay on language = highly enjoyable material. It manages to capture the strong connection between words, typography and their beauty in all shapes, sizes and mediums. You don’t get over 1 million hits just by animating words, so the spoken word is essential here too, and, frankly, quite hard to resist. Enjoy! And don’t forget to let us know what moves you.

This week was… sweet. Yes, that’s the word. With all these articles about chocolate and typography, we just couldn’t keep our hand off the sugary treats. Among other things we took a crash course in anatomy (of web typography!), wallowed in tutorials, fell in love with a typo-classy-workspace, played with word animals and so on. But enough about the joys of typo desserts, let’s just dig in! 80 Top-Class Typography Tutorials Here’s a post you should bookmark right away. It gathers together 80 of the best typography tutorials from around the world. Learn how to design a headline typeface, create isometric 3D lettering, smelt your favorite font and much more. You’ll definitely find something that can help you raise your type skills to the next level. The Anatomy of Web Typography This article takes a closer look at the elements of typography which are important to web designers, focusing on two essential aspects: those which influence your choice of typeface and those which you can manipulate. And it all makes perfect sense when you’ll be able to articulate (to clients, or team members) your typographic opinions and decisions. Important stuff, read on! Infographic Of The Day: Why Should You Care About Typography? Typefaces function in different ways, and typography is a constantly moving discipline under pressure from aesthetics and technology, and this infographic tells this story. It does a pretty good job laying out the basics of typography, such as the common types of faces, ranging from regular to condensed, and the anatomy of letterforms. Surprising and insightful. Should come in handy. Word Animals Typography This delicious intermezzo is a new project called "Word Animals". The images speak for themselves. Good opportunity to practice your French too. Just, you know, enjoy! A Former Factory Redesigned To Become A Typography-Themed Workspace We simply want to move in this former 125-year-old lima bean factory, located in Old Town Irvine, California, because graphic designer Ty Mattson transformed it into an awesome office space. All the typographic and graphic design details make it a visual delight for the people working in it. How we envy them. How about you? Chocolate Meets Typography In These Delicious Typefaces Design Taxi really made us daydream and drool over types this week with their posts on… chocolate and typo-themed workspace. Back to sweet types now, because designer Rosa de Jong has created some delicious typefaces with her ‘Chocography’ letters. She uses hand-cut plastic molds to create edible typefaces in Helvetica, Rockwell and Baskerville. Bon Appétit! Web Apps and People that can Help You Identify Fonts If you can’t instantly identify an attractive font you come across, no worry, the web can help. And this post compiles a list of websites and people that can lend a hand. Good luck! 10 Typography Trends for Web Designers in 2013 This is a rather personal account of typography trends in 2013, but it’s well-structured and it provides a great starting point for a discussion about what this year has in store for us typography wise.  So, what are the new typography trends that you’re especially looking forward to? Have a carefree weekend!

For procrastinators, choosing an ongoing competition is a great opportunity to start and (mainly!) finish a project, because deadlines keep us moving in the right direction. Or a direction, which is better than no direction. Needless to say, a competition is also a smart way to get your work noticed by professionals who can become your future colleagues, employees, employers, sponsors, groupies, and so on. In today’s post we want to save you some time and give you a few suggestions of relevant typography competitions. We start with three annual competitions, and next Monday we’ll add more to the list. Here they are: Type Directors Club The Type Directors Club (TDC) in New York City has been holding an annual competition for the best use of type in graphic design since the 1950s. So, even if you have missed the deadline this year, there’s always next year. You can take part in two main categories: Communication Design or/and Typeface Design. Participants need to enter original typefaces or professional / student work designed in the previous year. Before you start working on it, make sure that you also check the rules, the fees and the previous winners for some inspiration. Typography Competition There’s plenty of time to enter this juried competition which celebrates the best use of typography as the primary visual element in design and advertising, plus new typeface designs, calligraphy and handlettering. Any typographic project first printed or produced from September 2012 through September 2013 is eligible. Talking about ‘important exposure’, it’s good to know that the selected entries will be distributed worldwide in the Communication Arts Typography Annual and on commarts.com. Winning should place you in the highest ranks of your profession. Give it a try! Typography Day 2013 Poster Contest Typography Day is organized for the sixth time in 2013 at the Department of Design (DoD) at the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati in collaboration with other centers and institutes. The event took place this past weekend and featured a day of workshops on Typography and Calligraphy followed by two days of conference dedicated to display typography. This year’s theme for the poster competition was "Between the Lines". A big plus is that participants can use their native script and language, calligraphic or digitally created letterforms or existing fonts, or a combination of these. Winning entries are published and displayed in an exhibition during the event. Also, there is no entry fee and anyone can take part. Keep an eye on in the coming year! If you still have second thoughts about getting involved, then maybe you should imagine how proud your CV will parade around with that handsome ‘awards and competitions’ shiny section. Talking of which, what do you make of competitions? Have you recently taken part in one? Do you have any recommendations? Looking forward to hearing from you. But don’t forget: Get involved!

There is this blog, Broadway Typography, that brings together the two passions of its creator: typography and musicals. That’s when it hit us. Actually, stage musicals rely on typography quite a lot when it comes to promoting themselves. Those words need to ring tunes in your head the moment you make eye contact with them, right? Many productions keep the same typography for decades and use it in every country the show runs. Some are iconic and almost as famous as the main theme tunes. Whether on London’s West End or New York’s Broadway, ‘Lion King’ will keep its yellow types close, ‘Rock of Ages’ its glam rock look, ‘Chicago’ its red glitter types, and ‘The Book of Mormon’ its grey, black and white austere feel. We put together 15 stage musicals that are still singing around. So, do they make you burst into song? Maybe dance? Or just design? Any favorite types? Or musicals?        

Life’s been pretty good this week, like a long preparation for the weekend. It just happens that in our virtual strolls we’ve come across films, books and vintage cards. No worry, they’re all related to our beloved typography. And all one click away. Here we go: Three Typography Films You need to Watch You’ve probably already noticed that there seems to be a lack of documentary features about typography. So did the authors of this article, who found three great documentaries that feature typography not only as an element of design, but as a passion and source of inspiration for those who practice it or just enjoy it. If you’re looking for creative and typography-focused feature films, look no further. Chair-Themed Typography For Furniture Fetishists A chair, probably the last thing you’d think that has anything to do with typography. I bet you never expected an entire alphabet made out of them. Or, did you? Long story short, designer Tim Fishlock has put together this Typeseat print where each letter is represented by an iconic 20th century chair. He explains everything. Read on. A Guide That Matches Beard Styles With Their Typography Soulmates What’s the normal topic of conversation after chair typography? Well, beard typography, of course. German designer Christian Goldemann expresses his love for both beards and typography with this Typography Beard Guide, which pairs famous fonts with their "best beard brother". We can only ask again: What do you think—should the Handlebar really go with Didot? Typography inspiration | #689 This is today’s intermezzo (From up North!): stunning designs primarily made with words and letters. Enjoy! 15 jQuery Plugins To Improve Typography Here you have a collection of jQuery typography plugins that should help web designers get better control over their websites for web typography. We are assured that these plugins will help you manage your webpage’s typography in a really… nice way. Wait no more, start enhancing the typography and add awesome effects. Check them out and pick the ones that you like the best. 20 Best Typography Books Every Designer Should Read If you’re a designer anxious to improve your craft, a good way to achieve this is to study type too. Step one: buy some typography books. Whether you’re already a font aficionado or can’t tell the difference between Times New Roman and Arial, this collection of typography books will introduce you to the basics of typography and, some say, it should give you a greater appreciation of the typefaces that surround you every day. Sounds promising. Vintage Typography Cards How do two designers congratulate each other on their birthdays? Not really sure, but this set of Vintage Typography Cards from Princeton Architectural Press, designed by Elana Schlenker might do the trick. The type has been lifted from vintage typographic manuals, and ranges from one-of-a-kind hand drawn samples to early twentieth century favorites. Joy! And don’t forget to have a inspiring weekend!

We’re back! We have found more competitions that will help you flex your creative muscles and, hopefully, win some cash or kudos. Or both. A capital city and a sticker need your skills, while design students can win a life-changing professional experience. Here’s what we’re talking about: SPD Student Design Competition Here’s something pretty exciting for enthusiastic greenhorn designers. SPD (The Society of Publication Designer) is an annual professional competition for students. With this one they try to find the best editorial design out there. The great thing is that you can enter as many… well, entries as you like. There are categories, rules, cash prizes, Adobe software and an exciting summer internship at a top NYC magazin summer internship. You can also have your work published in the SPD Annual along with all the professional winners. Get ready for next year now! And don’t forget to check out all the details. The Canberra Centenary Typeface Design Competition This is a one-off international competition that comes from Australia. You need to create a versatile and usable new typeface, to be employed primarily in headlines and sub-heads that reflects the style, spirit, prestige and character of the city of (drum roll) Canberra! Further research is needed, but the whole experience sounds like a great challenge. Your entry will need to comprise a full English alphabet, in upper and lower case, bold, light and regular, (medium) fonts plus a light italic. It should also include common English punctuation marks i.e. question, exclamation, quotation, semi colon, colon, stop, comma; brackets and general typographic marks such as ampersand, asterisk, hash, @ and percentage marks.  You know, the usual. The deadline for receipt of entries is 5.00 p.m. Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) July 14th 2013. So, plenty of time. What happens if you win? You will receive a handsome AUD $10,000. Good luck! ‘Youth Is Wasted On The Young’ Stussy Sticker Design  More from Australia! Stussy are giving bubble artists the opportunity to design a fresh type for their tag line "Youth Is Wasted On The Young". The winning design will be produced into a skateboard sticker that will be distributed exclusively in General Pants Co stores as a gift with every Stussy purchase. You must think "strong, bold and vibrant" typography, sticking to their skate heritage from the ‘80s and ‘90s but with your original twist. A word of advice: think outside the comic sans square! What’s up for grabs? An exclusive skateboard sticker, 500 stickers of the ‘Youth Is Wasted On The Young’ design, plus the opportunity to print 1000 stickers of another design produced by Stussy. AND $500 Stussy wardrobe. But check here for details. Fingers crossed!

Who doesn’t like the playful types introducing a Disney classic, a wacky South Park musical, the latest Tim Burton extravaganza or the Pixar array of cuddly characters? As you sit there, filled with expectation, what do the types tell you, besides conveying a piece of information, of course? Are they as important to the production as the types in the titles of stages musicals, for instance, or just an extension of other design elements? As we reminisce about the past and… the present, we slalom through animated features which made/make history. But did they make an impact in typography too? Or they simply do their job without stealing the thunder? That’s for you to decide. We can only hope these examples will inspire you in your future animated projects. Here we go:  

It’s our Friday round-up, that time of the week when we look back at the articles and types that caught our eye, stirred our imagination, taught us something new, made us smile or laugh out loud. Here’s what we stumbled upon: Coming Soon: A Monotype Exhibit Tracing The Roots Of Modern Typography Meet the Monotype Corporation! It was founded back in 1887 when typesetting actually involved setting type. They are behind some of the most important 20th-century fonts and this May the company is giving it the next best thing: a sweeping exhibit called Pencil to Pixel. The show will include artifacts from more than a hundred years of designing type, ranging from original hand drawings of molten metal faces to their first bitmap designs. And other similar treats. Pencil to Pixel will be free but will require a reservation. A must for type fans who happen to be in town. ‘Font Nerd’ App Challenges Typography Geeks To Identify The Type All those who love typography, raise your hands! Denmark-based graphic designer Andreas M Hansen made an app just for you. ‘Font Nerd’ puts users aptitude for spotting typefaces to the test. It just presents the typeface that’s up for guessing in witty questions— of which users can opt to see the whole alphabet, and have to guess or choose among options for the right answer. Typophiles, check out for details and let the games begin! Typography Project Reimagines Rock Bands As Fonts Jim Billy Wheeler  is from Bristol. He just wanted to combine his love of music and design into one crowd-pleasing project. Since this is an ongoing project, Jim will continue to post up the rest of the music-related alphabet over on his Facebook page. Cute creatures, great soundtrack, inspired types. Enjoy! Our Favorite Typefaces of 2012 In this one, smart and articulate font users and makers select their favorite release of last year. The general conclusion: 2012 was a strong year. Browse around! Improving Readability With Proper Typography What would content be without readable typography? Pretty pointless. Some of the rules and principles that became standard in achieving readability and typographical beauty are discussed in this article. Most of them are based on T. Kaikkonen’s Interactive Guide to Blog Typography. Useful read. Take a break and enjoy it. Entertaining Typography of Famous Scientists’ Names Inspiring series of typography graphics honoring some of the most famous scientists that have lived. They were created by Mumbai-based graphic designer Kapil Bhagat in light of National Science Day in India. Don’t miss Newton’s apple and Galileo’s telescope. Mixing Typefaces: Tips and Techniques If you think that mixing typefaces can be on of the most rewarding, but also trickiest parts of the design process, this article is for you. Good luck with creating the perfect pairing of typography! Have a great weekend and don’t forget to tell us what other great reads you came across this week.