Branding, graphic design, typography and web design

I put the call out on Facebook and Twitter recently to see which typographers and calligraphers were inspiring people at the moment. The results were interesting, because very few of them were “typographers” in the true sense of the word, in that, they don’t “arrange typefaces for print”. What they do, is actually use typographic forms in an artistic, or “illustrative” way. In fact, I was interested to see there are very few recognisable typefaces amongst the works of these artists at all, most of them preferring to hand draw their own letterforms from scratch. I’m sure lots of talented people have been missed out, so feel free to add your inspirations in the comments section down below—I’m sure there will be a part 2 to this list pretty soon. Please be aware that the copyright of all these amazing works belong to the artists who made them. 1. Alex is a widely respected typographer, illustrator and designer from Spain with a very impressive list of clients. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Superheroes and villains recreated with typography | Typography We've seen plenty of design tributes to our favourite superheroes and villains of late. From making stunning use of negative space to postcard portraits, it's clear that comic book icons are providing a ton of inspiration for new design concepts. Here, Moldova-based artist Midu1995 has illustrated various superheroes and villains with typography. Showcasing the likes of Batman, Iron Man and Bane, he uses words that are often attributed to the character, arranging them until it forms the silhouette. His clever picks have allowed him to effortlessly craft the silhouette of his chosen hero or villain to produce some really inventive artworks. [via Design Taxi] Like this? Free tattoo fonts for designers Free Photoshop actions to create stunning effects Create a perfect mood board with these pro tips Have you seen some inspiring new work?

Five simple steps to better typography – April 13th, 2005 – Typography, I find, is still a bit of mystery to a lot of designers. The kind of typography I’m talking about is not your typical “What font should I use” typography but rather your “knowing your hanging punctuation from your em-dash” typography. So, in an attempt to spread the word here’s the first of five simple steps to better typography. Measure the Measure. The Measure is the name given to the width of a body of type. One point = 1/72 of an inchOne pica = 12 pointsOne em = The distance horizontally equal to the type size, in points, you are using. But, with the advent of DTP packages and the website design the following are also now used: MillimetresPixels There is an optimum width for a Measure and that is defined by the amount of characters are in the line. CSS and fluid? What is interesting here is fluid designs on the web. The Measure and leading. A simple rule is your leading should be wider than your word spacing. Reversing out? Tracking Your responsibility

Typography Daily Rare Type Specimens at the Open Library (2012 update) Collecting rare specimen books from type foundries can be a really expensive hobby. Luckily there is a growing number of digitized type specimen books available online. The Open Library project offers a free and enjoyable way to browse in those books. The magnifying glass isn’t working yet, but you can download most of these type specimen as PDFs with a sufficient resolution. Here is a selection of the available type specimen books: William Caslon – A specimen of printing types (1785) Caslon: A specimen of cast ornaments (1798) Franklin type foundry, Cincinnati – Convenient book of specimens (1889) Barnhart bros. & Spindler, Chicago – Book of type specimens (1881) Keystone Type Foundry, Philadelphia – Abridged specimen book (1906) Cleveland Type Foundry – Catalogue and book of specimens of type faces (1895) Palmer & Rey, San Francisco – New specimen book (1884) American Type Founders Company – American specimen book of type styles (1912) Inland Type Foundry, St. Related Links: