No matter where you turn, the local art gallery, your doctor’s office or your favorite magazine, type and lettering will somehow make an impact on your life each day.
The design of letters, and the way they are put together, is a very special area of design. It can be in your face (i.e., bold signage) or it can be subtle (i.e., any fiction book). Either way, this form of expression personifies the idea that graphic design is the art of communication. Do you ever wonder how just the shape of a letter can determine the feeling you get from reading it, before you’ve even finished reading the entire message…?
This “Fabric Type” above by Tania Alvarez Zaldivar is a beautiful display type that would perfectly represent any subject matter that has to do with whimsy and femininity.
Just like art, lettering can make you stop and stare. This awesome piece from Chris LaBrooy catches my eye every time I see it.
Image from IDN World
Unlike art, type can carry the responsibility of function, such as signage like the stairwell above or the article copy from The New York Times, making the reading seamless.
Lettering can be purely conceptual… This alphabet above by, Tony Ziebetzki, was made purely by scalpel, paper and scanner in order to understand just how many different methods there are to create letters.
Image from Pommel Lane
If a photograph can express a thousand words, what about photography combined with words? These unstructured forms of lettering by Pommel Lane began as a personal project for practice, but turned into a successful, ongoing editorial series.
