Typophile

Printing onto walls (anamorphic type)

Iain Wall

Hi, this is my first post on typophile. You definitely seem like a knowledgeable bunch, so here goes:

I am in the process of designing a typeface for my final project at college. My course is in Art & Design and at the end of the year there is a show to display all the students completed work.

My tutors don’t really share my interest in typography. For the show I was thinking of trying a few words in anamorphic type to showcase my finished font, mainly because it is more interesting than a font specimen, which I had originally planned to do.

I’m wondering what the best way to go about this would be? I found a interesting little program (see video) to help do this, but it’s not available to buy or download. Also what medium would suit it best? I’m thinking vinyl, but without exact plans for printing I don’t think it would be much use.

Thanks very much in advance.

Iain

Tell

What are your brush skills like? I'd be projecting and painting.

Craig Eliason

This strikes me as a cool thing to do with type (I love that first link), but likely a poor way to show off a type design.

Tell

Good point eliason, especially in a crowded environment like a exhibition.

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My tutors don’t really share my interest in typography.

Fück your tutors. They probably want students to do trendy conceptual thesis projects that will show well in the show at the end of the semester, get written about in design blogs, and boost enrollment. But that’s not your problem. It’s your project so if you want to design type and a specimen then design type and a specimen.

My thesis adviser didn’t want me doing type design and a specimen. So I planned a big show display about typography with wall hangings and posters to pull out during meetings about my thesis. Then I spent all my time on type design, had 1,000 eight-page specimens printed offset, never produced the rest of my project, and took a B for the class. I still graduated with honors and don’t think about that project any more.

Iain Wall

Thanks for your responses guys!

I think you are probably right – the best way to showcase the design would be in a proper specimen. There really is no point in shoe-horning my project to please everyone.

Besides, getting the anamorphic images perfect could easily become as time consuming as the actual type design itself… Although it does look very cool.

I suppose for the exhibition I could print vinyl letters onto the wall to attract attention, and place a bunch of specimens right next to it.

Iain

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Depending on how complex your typeface is you could also make some huge specimen posters like they do at the KABK shows. It’s not as easy to make them interesting with just one weight, but hardly impossible, either.

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