2526 January 2020
Los Angeles

Designer Jaimey Shapey will be holding a workshop about reviving type in Los Angeles. Participants receive an extended trial license and can purchase their own full license at a discount.

Revival type has named itself in the cultural zeitgeist of today. Clifton, Founders Grotesk, Maelstrom, GT Eesti, are just a few examples of popular faces, all a form of revival, remix,or anthology. Just because a typeface was designed in the 18th century doesn't mean it doesn't have a workable place in the 21st century. It can, but it is up to the designer to justify its place as no longer a historical artifact, and as a living piece of design. A work that has a rich historical ancestry, but with the ability to stand up to new formats and technology, is a whole and developed idea.

‘Then, This’: Revival Type in the Contemporary Era

Saturday, January 25, and Sunday, January 26,
1-4 pm

The objective of the workshop is to explore the concept of typographic revivals as they exist in a digital and contemporary context. Using old specimens/books (provided), attendees will be walked through the decision making process when doing a revival. Picking a typeface sample from an old text, they will be required to draw/revive an 8+ letter word containing an n or an o, as these are the control characters type designers start with.

Questions to be examined include:

  • How does a designer translate printed material to a digital format?
  • What defines a revival, who has proposed definitions for revivals?
  • Why is a revival different from a facsimile?
  • Who owns a revival?

Additionally, the workshop will cover beginning technical aspects of the Glyphs software, including:

  • Setting up documents and file organization.
  • Drawing paths (with basic interpolation in mind).
  • Compositing (diacritics or ligatures).
  • Global spacing.
  • OpenType features.

By the end of the workshop, attendees will have a basic understanding of:

  • Typographic drawing principles.
  • What it means to ‘revive’ a typeface.
  • The differing features between type made in the digital era vs. a pre-digital era.
  • Glyphs user knowledge.
  • Where to start when beginning a type design based project, whether that be a wordmark, logotype, or full typeface.

Where?

t.b.a.

Who?

Jaimey Shapey

How Much?

sliding scale $40-$100

Language

English

Prerequisites

Workshop attendees will need to bring their own Apple computer with a Glyphs license, as most type design softwares don't support a PC interface. Specimens/various texts will be provided and attendees will be able to choose one, or are allowed to bring their own if they already have one in mind.