Diorama Type Partners Alaa Tameem Bloom Type YMG Type Foundry NaumType Out of the Dark

Extraset Fontef Good Type Foundry Zin Nagao Setup Type PFA Typefaces
F37® Foundry Hey Porter! No Bad Type Gemma Mahoney Shriftovik Plain Form
HAL Typefaces Lana Soufeh Or Type Jazlyn Fung Suva Type Foundry PolyType
Hungarumlaut Rawaz Hammas Playtype Klim Type Foundry Threedotstype BOOM-Promphans
WiseType Universal Thirst Schick Toikka Metis Digital Type Salon Signal Type Foundry
Jung-Lee Vani Jain Store Norske Wei Huang Tüpokompanii Typelab
Kia Tasbihgou Dương Trần The Pyte Foundry Diorama Type Partners Alaa Tameem Bloom Type
Lo-ol Hrftype Ani Dimitrova Extraset Fontef Good Type Foundry
NaN Yellow Type Foundry Displaay F37® Foundry Hey Porter! No Bad Type
Out of the Dark Power Type Foundry Florian Karsten HAL Typefaces Lana Soufeh Or Type
PFA Typefaces Đức Cao Joanna Angulska Hungarumlaut Rawaz Hammas Playtype

GLOBA L
GLOBAL
Plain Form 3type Kateryna Korolevtseva WiseType Universal Thirst Schick Toikka
PolyType Boomi Park Kometa Jung-Lee Vani Jain Store Norske
BOOM-Promphans Dong Hoon Han Kulture Type Kia Tasbihgou Dương Trần The Pyte Foundry
Signal Type Foundry Huoshan Type Kyiv Type Foundry Lo-ol Hrftype Ani Dimitrova
Typelab Moolong Type Mykolas Saulytis NaN Yellow Type Foundry Displaay
Bloom Type YMG Type Foundry NaumType Out of the Dark Power Type Foundry Florian Karsten
Good Type Foundry Zin Nagao Setup Type PFA Typefaces Đức Cao Joanna Angulska
No Bad Type Gemma Mahoney Shriftovik Plain Form 3type Kateryna Korolevtseva
Or Type Jazlyn Fung Suva Type Foundry PolyType Boomi Park Kometa
Playtype Klim Type Foundry Threedotstype BOOM-Promphans Dong Hoon Han Kulture Type
Schick Toikka Metis Digital Signal Type Foundry Huoshan Type

T Y PE
Type Salon Kyiv Type Foundry
Store Norske Wei Huang Tüpokompanii Typelab Moolong Type Mykolas Saulytis
The Pyte Foundry Diorama Type Partners Alaa Tameem Bloom Type YMG Type Foundry NaumType
Ani Dimitrova Extraset Fontef Good Type Foundry Zin Nagao Setup Type
Displaay F37® Foundry Hey Porter! No Bad Type Gemma Mahoney Shriftovik
Florian Karsten HAL Typefaces Lana Soufeh Or Type Jazlyn Fung Suva Type Foundry
Joanna Angulska Hungarumlaut Rawaz Hammas Playtype Klim Type Foundry Threedotstype
Kateryna Korolevtseva WiseType Universal Thirst Schick Toikka Metis Digital Type Salon
Kometa Jung-Lee Vani Jain Store Norske Wei Huang Tüpokompanii
Kulture Type Kia Tasbihgou Dương Trần The Pyte Foundry Diorama Type Partners Alaa Tameem
Kyiv Type Foundry Lo-ol Hrftype Ani Dimitrova Extraset Fontef
Mykolas Saulytis NaN Yellow Type Foundry Displaay F37® Foundry Hey Porter!

A R OU
OUND ND T H E W OR
ORLL D IN
NaumType Out of the Dark Power Type Foundry Florian Karsten HAL Typefaces Lana Soufeh
Setup
MARCH 2023 Type PFA Typefaces Đức Cao PAGE 1 Joanna Angulska Hungarumlaut Rawaz Hammas
Shriftovik Plain Form 3type Kateryna Korolevtseva WiseType Universal Thirst

1 0 0 FOUN
FOUNDRIE
DRIESS
Suva Type Foundry PolyType Boomi Park Kometa Jung-Lee Vani Jain
Threedotstype BOOM-Promphans Dong Hoon Han Kulture Type Kia Tasbihgou Dương Trần
Type Salon Signal Type Foundry Huoshan Type Kyiv Type Foundry Lo-ol Hrftype
Tüpokompanii Typelab Moolong Type Mykolas Saulytis NaN Yellow Type Foundry
GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 00 INTRODUCTION

I NTRODUCTION BY LUCY BOURTON

If the purpose of design is to be communicative, the practice of typographers Today, designers have a seemingly endless library of fonts to choose from.
sits at the centre of this visual ecosystem. A medium that is both expressive Yet, like any industry built by creators, there are a few dominant players.
and practical, the weight of a brand or institution’s personality sits on the With this in mind, we wanted to showcase a bird’s-eye view of independent
shoulders of type design. It’s the wordmark, letterform or script from which type foundries and typographers from a global perspective, subsequently
we recognise or grow an affinity towards, both as individuals engaged with leading to Global Type, a directory of 100 foundries around the world. In
visual culture and people just making their way through life. It’s no wonder, between biographies of typographers from Portland to Mumbai, Tallinn
then, that the industry is on track to be valued at over $1.2 billion by 2028. to Edinburgh, or Melbourne and Seoul, we also head into discussions on
type scenes in South America, Central and Eastern Europe, and South East
At the heart of this industry, there are individuals who are arguably more Asia, as well as a much discussed (but still vital) conversation on the lack
fascinated with their craft than any other visual discipline. In a world where of female representation in type leadership positions.
design and technology are seemingly competing to automate and ease the
process as much as possible, or where culture is digested in bite-sized Across this report, you’ll find familiar names, recent graduates and new
pieces, type design remains an outlier. As Margot Lévêque, one of the most typographers who all share a love for this craft. Each individual is listed
exciting type designers to emerge in recent years, writes in the foreword to within the region they live across 12 locations (for consistency, this is broken
this report, it’s a practice which benefits from intense thought over a lengthy down in relation to geographical descriptions). We hope this report offers an
stretch of time. And while technological advancements have certainly made opportunity to expand your network of typographers to work with, provides
it easier since the process of printing text with movable type emerged in the designers to engage with on a local level, or offers unexpected inspiration
15th Century, its principles of communication, readability and detail remain if you design fonts yourself.
the same.
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GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 00 INTRODUCTION

Section 00: Introduction P 01

Typographic Map P 03
Foreword by Margot Lévêque P 04
Section 01: North America P 06
Section 02: South America P 11
Digging into the typographic scene of South America P 12
Section 03: Africa P 22
Section 04: Southern Europe P 25
Section 05: Western Europe P 28
Section 06: Female representation in type design P 38
The imbalance of female representation in type design P 38
Section 07: The Nordics P 46
Section 08: Central & Eastern Europe P 50
Inclusive typography in Central and Eastern Europe P 51
Section 09: The Middle East P 64
Section 10: South Asia P 67
Section 11: South East Asia P 69

C O NTE
NTENN TS Exploring type design in South East Asia
Section 12: East Asia
Section 13: Oceania
P 70
P 79
P 83
Section 14: Conclusion P 86
Colophon P 87
Typographic Index P 89

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GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 00 INTRODUCTION

THE NORDICS

WESTERN EUROPE
EAST ASIA

CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE

NORTH AMERICA

SOUTH EAST ASIA

SOUTHERN EUROPE

SOUTH ASIA

THE MIDDLE EAST

SOUTH AMERICA

AFRICA

OCEANIA

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GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 00 INTRODUCTION

DES
DE S IG
IGNN I N G CHA
CH A R ACTERS
THAT RESONATE

>
BY MARGOT LÉVEQUE

Robert Janes, Dinamo’s type designer, once told me: “Fonts are like old two and five years to create a cut, a long time by usual standards, but my
cheese.” And he’s right – the more time taken to create a typeface, the better creativity is aligned with this idea. I never at all feel in a rush, I have no deadline
it will be. to respect and I only release a font when it’s ready. That’s it.

My own realisation of just how strenuous typography can be happened by Then, when it comes to setting up your own foundry, my advice is to do it
chance. I was studying art direction in Paris and type design was a compulsory for the right reasons. In some cases this will be logistical; I started mine
class. At first, it was a huge challenge – in fact, the complexity of the discipline because selling typefaces by email was too cumbersome and an automated
really surprised me. When you are tasked with redrawing Caslon by hand, it’s process would help my mental health. Essentially, I launched a foundry
incredibly hard and not very fun. I remember my 29m2 Parisian apartment because I luckily create products I love deeply and for some reason, people
covered with letters drawn on tracing paper. At the time it was terrible, but love them as well. I never set out with the intention to design a typeface
now it’s a fond memory. I learned typography the right way, by hand, thanks to sell it and make a profit. Launching a type foundry to make money can
to the teaching I received from Jean François Porchez and his team, Julien work at the beginning, but I’m not so sure in the long run. When it’s other
Priez, Marc Rouault, Julie Soudanne and Mathieu Réguer, to name a few. designers handling your work, they can feel if the work is created from the
Today, I’m a type designer and I draw letters 100 per cent of the time. heart, or not.

Given the time-consuming aspects of the practice, I am a firm believer that With this in mind, it’s also up to foundries to set coherent and fair prices – and
creating a font you love deeply is the one and only key to type design (after some need to stop undercutting. This approach is firstly unfair for other type
learning the principles of type, obviously). It has always taken me between designers and secondly, it doesn’t value our discipline. I am always irritated
IT’S NICE THAT INSIGHT REPORT N°02 MARCH 2023 PAGE 4
GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 00 INTRODUCTION

by foundries who set prices that drag down the market. If we really love When I’m designing something, I don’t often think about what will happen
our job, if we really love creating typefaces – considering the time it takes next. I just ask myself, “How much do I like what I am doing right now?” It’s
to create one – we should all agree to set prices that mirror the time spent important to always remain true to ourselves. If it makes sense to us, then
on the product. That’s my ultimate dream. There are exceptions, of course the stress will naturally disappear. When creating letters, I don't worry about
– student licences, for instance – but also trial versions with a full glyphset whether or not they will be liked by my audience. What matters to me is that I
allow designers to use the typefaces in their entirety. It’s a balance of trust like them first. Even if the typeface doesn’t work out, it's okay because it was
and a love for this craft we share. true for me at the time I drew it. I think this is the key to all kinds of creations!
Never copy what already works and find a sense of meaning that is unique
This craft also lives in juxtaposition with the fast-paced world the rest of to us.
creativity operates in. Even when I started posting typographic experiments
on Instagram in 2013, the practice wasn’t as “trendy” as it is today, and we We all have something unique to offer, an angle to propose, and we must find
have to be careful of not falling into the trap of creating typefaces too quickly. it… and then design it.
I have a pretty cheesy phrase I love to say: “When something is trending,
it’s already too late.” I do honestly believe that, especially as reproducing
what already works is unsustainable.

If we as type designers create a character set we love and work that makes
sense for us, this work will resonate with others. To do so takes the confidence
and dedication to master your practice and really work with desire and
passion. I’m not saying that I’m happy all the time – I have a lot anxiety and
doubts, and I wonder each day when it will stop – but when these thoughts
“I AM A FIRM BELIEVER
arise, I try to refocus on why I started type design. It started as a passion
that fell into my lap, but it’s now an integral part of my life. A part of my life THAT CREATING A FONT
YOU
YO U LOVE DEEPLY IS
that brings me happiness and joy.

In terms of my peers, I appreciate it when designers bring us into their own

unique world. Charlotte Rohde’s typographic shapes are particularly striking
and charismatic, and Jacob Wise’s painstakingly crafted typefaces have THE ONE AND ONLY KEY
always commanded my respect and admiration. In a different vein, I also
admire the work of Nizar Kazan at Weltkern. Not only do I appreciate him
as a person, but I also admire his corporate approach, and I’m particularly
TO TYPE DESIGN”
drawn to his love for his country – especially as evidenced by his creation
of the Lausanne font – which provides the foundation for all his projects.
I like it even though it’s the opposite for me. I left my home country as
I don’t feel aligned with France, but it’s beautiful that someone else does
feel connected to their country and claims it through typography.
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GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 01 NORTH AMERICA

SECTION 01

NO R T H
NOR
A M ERICA

IT’S NICE THAT INSIGHT REPORT N°02 MARCH 2023 PAGE 6

PEJI TY
GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 01 NORTH AMERICA

Typeji
New York, United States
Typeji is the independent foundry and type design practice of TienMin Liao, a Taiwanese designer living in
New York. With a wide ranging portfolio, TienMin is an expert in creating Latin scripts and designing custom
lettering in CJK scripts. A respected voice within the type design scene, she is additionally a specialist
in localisation for the East Asian market and aids brands with translation “without losing the original
logotype’s personality”. TienMin has collaborated with larger foundries such as Colophon Foundry and
Sharp Type, and collaborated with renowned agencies such as Pentagram, Wolff Olins, Wieden+Kennedy
and Buck. You can find Typeji’s releases via the foundry’s North American neighbours, Future Fonts.

gram Pang
Pangram Pangram
Montreal, Canada
Pangram Pangram is a studio that believes its fonts should be shared as far and wide as possible – and
shared they have been! Since its beginnings in 2018, the studio has provided fonts for Nike, Meta, Apple,
Pepsi and the BBC. There are two factors that have helped its fonts become so popular: one being the
studio’s ability to create trend-conscious designs that are suitable to a wide range of designers, without
becoming unoriginal. The second is that all of the studio’s fonts are free to everyone for personal use (with
licences available for commercial projects). Overall, the studio wants everyone, at any stage in their career,
to be able to play and experiment with words.

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GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 01 NORTH AMERICA

Vocal Type
Washington DC, United States
Driven by the incredible design practice of Tré Seals, Vocal Type was founded in 2016 in response to the lack
of diversity in the graphic design industry. In the years that have followed, Tré’s research-driven practice has
created typefaces which highlight moments in history “from a different underrepresented race, ethnicity
or gender – from the Women’s Suffrage Movement in Argentina to the Civil Rights Movement in America
and beyond”. As a result, Vocal Type’s output has “gone from being inspired by progressive movements
to becoming a part of them”, including Black Lives Matter street murals to political campaigns for Stacey
Abrams. Visit Vocal Type to discover a foundry of deep narratives and historical yet contemporary design.

NUFORM
Nuform Type
Berkeley, United States
Headed up by the artist and designer Erik Marinovich, Nuform Type is a foundry that values variety. Taking
inspiration from the peculiar and the culturally offbeat, its portfolio of expressive letterforms appears to
have a font for every use, from the reliable Nuform Sans to the angular, blocky OZIK. We can’t get enough
of Nuform’s recent style display typeface BRZO, inspired by Erik’s love of 90s basketball and the sports
corresponding graphics. Slanted to one side, the typeface is bold, retro, energetic and looks as if it's about
the leap for a winning shot.

IT’S NICE THAT INSIGHT REPORT N°02 MARCH 2023 PAGE 8

Contrast Fou
GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 01 NORTH AMERICA

Dum Dum D
Contrast Foundry
Sunnyvale, United States
For Contrast Foundry, the clue is really in the name, as all its letterforms are built around the expansive
idea of ‘contrast’. With its offerings jumping from eccentric display typefaces to neutral classics, it really
is a studio that can do both. Founded by Maria Doreuli in 2014 and initiated by a collaboration with Liza
Rasskazova, the studio has since grown to a team of seven. A key reason the foundry is able to craft such
contrast in its work is because, while all the team members have backgrounds in design, its specialisations
vary greatly from calligraphy to typeface engineering.

Dum Dum
Monterrey, Mexico
Behind every single one of Dum Dum studio’s typefaces is a wealth of research. Taking each project as an
opportunity for conceptual and visual exploration, the studio looks to sources as diverse as rave posters,
cartoons, nature and jazz to inform its eclectic work. With such a varied approach to their fonts – with some
more classic and some erring more towards the bolder side of things – comes an element of fearlessness,
and the ability to take an unconventional approach. Never shying away from taking a risk has benefitted
the team greatly, making it a go-to studio not only in its native Mexico, but all over the world.

JESSICA G
Jessica Gracia
Mexico City, Mexico
If in need of expressive but expertly refined typographic projects which lean more on the lettering process,
head to Jessica Gracia’s studio in Mexico City. Alongside currently working as a full-time lettering artist
at &Walsh, in recent years the designer has grown a following for her experimental approach to type.
This is largely due to how she uses type as the key design element across both personal and professional
projects. A “faithful believer in type as the voice of her ideas”, Jessica’s clients are consequently vast,
ranging from Netflix to Apple to packaging projects. And, when she’s not designing, you’ll find Jessica
roller skating through the city or walking her dog, Marcelo.

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GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 01 NORTH AMERICA

BILIK
Biliktü
Toronto, Canada
Combining both UX design and typography in their design practice, Murathan Biliktü founded their own
namesake foundry in 2020. Originally from Turkey and now living in Canada to complete a master’s degree
in inclusive design, Murathan always dreamt of contributing holistically to each element of the design
process, “and because I use fonts so frequently, I often get the desire to design my own,” they explain.
Murathan’s second typeface, BM Erkin, a contemporary variable typeface influenced by 1960s psychedelic
rock, received wide recognition across the design community. In turn, the designer was encouraged to
develop their own playground “to be independent, playful and experiment without any obligations”.

Future Fonts
Portland, United States
Future Fonts is a foundry all about accessibility. Alongside featuring more well-established typographers,
it prioritises giving a platform to emerging talent. In turn, its growing library not only supports smaller,
independent designers but also breeds some of the most exciting and innovative type styles, reflective of
“forward-thinking” visual culture and technology. Moreover, Future Fonts gives designers access to the
latest font designs at much lower prices, with free updates and complete autonomy for designers who can
control how their fonts are developed and licensed. Future Fonts is a platform that puts community first.
(The font used to display Future Fonts is Zafran, by Boharat, who are also featured in this report.)

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GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 02 SOUTH AMERICA

SECTION 02

SO U T H
SOU
A M E RICA

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GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 02 SOUTH AMERICA

“NOBODY UNDERSTANDS LATINXS

LIKE OTHER LATINXS”: DIGGING INTO
THE TYPOGRAPHIC SCENE OF
SOUTH AMERICA
Our conversation includes some uplifting comments about the strength of
the design scene – at one point, Fer says: “I feel like I have a Latin American
community, rather than a local or global one… Nobody understands Latinxs
As this section of Global Type reveals, there is a thriving type design scene like other Latinxs.” But at the same time, the trio point to some huge
spanning the continent of South America, from Buenos Aires to Bogotá. challenges with being located, as Fer herself puts it, “almost at the end of
So, we wanted to get a more in-depth understanding of what’s going on the world”. For instance, Seb speaks of having to fight to prove yourself
across the region. What are the benefits and disadvantages of being based against people’s ill-informed assumptions, while all three agree that it’s far
in South America? How supportive is the design community? And what are too hard to gain visibility in the design press and through creative awards.
the biggest frustrations when it comes to the global creative industry?
Despite the challenges, however, the overall feeling that stayed with us
To get that deeper insight, we gathered together three brilliant designers after this conversation was one of excitement. There are countless talented
from across South America: Caio Kondo, the head of Inari Type, based designers working in South America, far more than we could ever have
in Campinas, Brazil; Fer Cozzi, an independent type designer based in included in this report, and they’re producing breathtaking work inspired
Buenos Aires; and Seb de la Hoz, co-founder of Bastarda Type in Bogotá. by both local and global influences. As Caio puts it, “I feel that the Brazilian
We conducted an interview with this trio simultaneously over WhatsApp (to typography scene grows every day and new faces are appearing all the
allow for a bit more thinking time), covering a broad range of topics. time.” Undoubtedly, that’s “faces” in every sense of the word.
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GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 02 SOUTH AMERICA

It’s Nice That: Could you each tell us how your fascination with
type design began? Can you trace it back to a particular moment,
a teacher, a project – or even a specific typeface?

Fer Cozzi: I first fell in love with letters through graffiti. I didn’t know that
“ THE BOND THAT
“drawing letters” was a thing, but I loved it. Then I went on to study graphic
design, because a teacher told me that it was the best way to learn about IS CREATED IN THE
REGIONAL COMMUNIT Y
calligraphy, typography, etc. And she was right! I did a lot of workshops and
attended any event related to letters until I enrolled in the specialisation course
and discovered that what I really loved was making typefaces, because it is
something else: thinking about systems and rhythms and textures.
IS MUCH STRONGER,
Caio Kondo: During my graphic design degree, I had an excellent teacher
called Wagner Bandeira, who passed on his passion for type design to me.
He was a very important person as he encouraged me to study deeper into
BECAUSE WE HAVE
the subject. Since then, I have never stopped! SIMILAR REALITIES”
Seb de la Hoz: For me, it started with a teacher and now a friend, back at — F ER C O ZZI
university. She used to teach Tipografía Experimental. A cool class, very
much like what Stefan Sagmeister was doing at that time.

It’s Nice That: How do you each feel that your work has been Caio Kondo: As a Japanese-Brazilian, I have always experienced a cultural
influenced by where you are based or where you grew up – mix in my life. The culture shock happened daily when I was a kid – between
whether that’s your city, country or wider region? For instance, my time at school and the moment I returned home and lived with my family.
Fer, was there a lot of graffiti in your city growing up? I think this shaped my foundations and defined my affinities and interests.
I can’t believe my cultural background doesn’t influence the way I think
Fer Cozzi: Definitely! In my neighbourhood, the park was a common space about type. Maybe I can’t identify all the moments and how it happens in
for many of us. Even though we had differences (musical tastes, family practice, but I know it’s there!
backgrounds, socioeconomic realities, etc.), it was a common space, which
equalised us and gave us a kind of feeling of free community. And letters It’s Nice That: I know what you mean! Sometimes cultural
(type, calligraphy, lettering, graffiti) have that power, of being representations background is behind everything but not necessarily obvious in
of a context, of being worldviews that are as valid as others. the day-to-day.

It’s Nice That: Caio and Seb, what about you? How do you feel Fer Cozzi: We are a unique mixture of things, and that mixture is different
that your work has been influenced by where you are based or from others and there is no way that it does not creep into what we do.
where you grew up? (I think I’m the cheesy one in this chat!)
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GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 02 SOUTH AMERICA

Seb de la Hoz: Wow, nice Caio! Well, in Bogotá, we have a lot of vernacular and
no academic structure of graphic design. So we take a lot of inspiration from this.

It’s Nice That: When you say “no academic structure of graphic
design”, what do you mean exactly?

Seb de la Hoz: I’m sure this is the same for all of us in the developing Global
South. There is a lot of graphic design – for commerce, shops, restaurants –
“SIMPLE THINGS LIKE and also a Caribbean style that is more intuitive for the artisans that develop
those displays. And those letters have a lot of imagination behind them,
CHOOSING WHO TO sometimes without rules, so you can develop ideas from that.

WORK WITH CAN REALLY

It’s Nice That: How about you, Caio and Fer? Do you also take
inspiration from vernacular typography you see in your cities?
Are you always snapping photos of signage on your phones?
CHANGE SOMEONE’S Fer Cozzi: I don’t. There is a lot, as Seb says, but they are not my main source

PROFESSIONAL LIFE of inspiration. Although it could be graffiti, because there are new structures
constantly appearing. I look at what new forms appear in tags or graffiti, but I
rarely capture them. I like to think that I will remember later, but obviously not.
AND GIVE A VOICE Seb de la Hoz: The tagging culture and spirit is beautiful! We also met a guy
TO SOMEONE WHO HAS in Corona, who opened that universe up for us, and it’s amazing how they
construct a throw-up from scratch.

SOMETHING DIFFERENT Fer Cozzi: I confess not. In my region, I don’t see much vernacular typography
around. I think I see more on Instagram haha!
TO CONTRIBUTE” It’s Nice That: This leads me onto something else: Where do you
— FER COZZI get most of your inspiration from? Is it online or from designers
in your local community? Is it from a particular other region?

Seb de la Hoz: I would say from other eras! We (Yei and I) love to dig into
old archives.

Fer Cozzi: For me, it’s from other times and spaces, but also other disciplines.
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GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 02 SOUTH AMERICA

It's Nice That: Interesting! So, for you both, inspiration

comes from other historical eras? Which eras do you find
most inspiring?

Seb de la Hoz: Iranian posters from the pre-digital era!

Fer Cozzi: It works for me in both ways. It is to look at things from other
times and other places. I’m very interested in the plastic explorations of
letters, not digital, not market-oriented.

Caio Kondo: My biggest inspirations come from other places. Definitely

online. I really like to follow type designers on Twitter to update myself,

“I FEEL THAT
usually Japanese type designers, like Toshi Omagari!

It's Nice That: I’d like to move on to talk about your communities.
What are the type design communities or scenes like in your
countries and your cities? Do you have a community you THE BRAZILIAN
can speak to about work, or is your community more online
and global? TYPOGRAPHY
Fer Cozzi: I feel like I have a Latin American community, rather than a local
or global one. I have friends and people who make type here in Buenos
SCENE GROWS
Aires, but there’s a lot of support across our countries (at least what I
know from South America). It’s not that I don’t know or like people in EVERY DAY ”
Europe or the US, but the bond that is created in the regional community is — CAIO KONDO
much stronger, because we have similar realities, we face the same
challenges or obstacles, and there is great generosity when it comes to
helping each other.

Seb de la Hoz: We may have the smallest type community of the three,
but we are somehow connected and sharing information. We used to do
events, but after Covid, we as a studio have focused more on projects and
not events, which are really demanding.

Caio Kondo: I feel that the Brazilian typography scene grows every day
and new faces are appearing all the time. I think this is due to the efforts
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GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 02 SOUTH AMERICA

of some people who keep it active! There is an event called DiaTipo that
is organised annually (Fer even participated, haha). It’s a great place to
exchange knowledge and make new friends.

Fer Cozzi: THE BRAZILIAN COMMUNITY IS THE BEST! Haha my fav.

Seb de la Hoz: X2.

Caio Kondo: Haha! I feel the same.

Fer Cozzi: Nobody understands Latinxs like other Latinxs. That’s why we get

“LOCAL AND together and help as much as we can. It’s not all laughter and fun, obviously,
but it’s very easy to find a way to feel comfortable around people with similar
social context and history.
REGIONAL It's Nice That: When you say that there is lots of generosity, what

COMMUNITIES does that support look like? Are you asking for business advice,
advice on how to tackle a brief?

HAVE ALL MY Fer Cozzi: Exactly! There is advice on business, budgeting, how to improve
sales, talking about the possibilities of growing, or doing or not doing certain
LOVE TOO!” things. They are not only type crits, it is much more professional support.
For me at least, there is a lot of being happy about the success of peers and
— FER COZZI asking each other, “How did you do it?” without shame or bad intentions,
instead of thinking from a place of envy. Obviously, there are troubles, fights,
people who don’t get along, a bit of envy and everything... We are people and
we like drama, but it isn’t common.

It's Nice That: How easy or difficult is it to run a type design

studio or to be an independent type designer in your country?
What are the most difficult aspects of it, and which parts are
surprisingly easy?

Seb de la Hoz: It has not been easy, but everything has been happening
naturally. Perhaps the biggest problem is that there are still bad consumer
practices. So you have to first tackle “pirateness”. There is a lot of free
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downloading, even for brands, so a good thing to start with is explaining all Caio Kondo: Yep.
the work, the intention, spirit and technology that sits behind a typeface, and
this has worked for us. Fer Cozzi: And they don’t see that it is not only about the price. For example,
in Argentina we have very high restrictions regarding the dollar (how much
Caio Kondo: For me, the easiest thing about running a type studio is designing to spend, how much it equates to, etc.). So you have to choose very carefully
typefaces haha. I spend a lot of time dealing with bureaucratic things in my where to participate.
day-to-day life – I’m practically the financial, marketing, accountancy and
creative departments all in one. Seb de la Hoz: €300 for a one-page ad in a European-based magazine, it’s
like five times our Colombian Peso, so it’s almost impossible to apply.
Fer Cozzi: Same! I do everything, from the fonts to the communication, the
administration, the emails, accounts, taxes, meetings, the budgets. It is Fer Cozzi: TDC [The Type Directors Club] has been making differential rates
exhausting as well as satisfying, because I do it my way. Having to live in for years. It is one of the best models.
the Argentine economy with its inflationary difficulties – a lot is DIY because
there is no other way. I don’t always get it right, and along the way I’ve had Caio Kondo: On the opposite side, TiposLatinos is a totally free awards!
to learn a lot of things that are not about drawing letters. But it’s made me
more aware of how I have to think and order myself so as not to sink before It's Nice That: That’s encouraging to hear at least!
even opening Glyphs. The thing that I’ve had to fight or work the hardest for
is making sure people know that I exist, from here, drawing letters. And it was
a lot of work, because we don’t have the same visibility as people from other
continents or, in my case, who studied in the most recognised academies of

“ THE THING I'VE

the discipline.

It's Nice That: I wonder if you’ve felt the same, Caio and Seb,
about finding it difficult to get visibility?
HAD TO FIGHT OR WORK
Seb de la Hoz: Uff yes, visibility normally is for European and US studios.
And prices for most publications, given our currencies, are a lot higher to try
to enter.
THE HARDEST FOR
It's Nice That: This is really important, isn’t it? Publications and
IS MAKING SURE PEOPLE
“creative awards” often have price tags attached and they’re
sometimes really expensive, right? KNOW I EXIST ”
— FER COZZI
Fer Cozzi: YES!

Seb de la Hoz: Yes.

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GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 02 SOUTH AMERICA

Fer Cozzi: It’s the same thing regarding education. Something that has
been worrying me in particular is the idea that the way to make things more
accessible is only through scholarships. It’s like asking those who are less
privileged to compete for a position that “must be earned”, while those who
are from other countries just have to show up and pay. It doesn’t work for me
(I went from cheesy to angry in two minutes… 100 per cent Latina). I know
the intentions are good, but they are very patronising and condescending.
It’s not really seeing the problem.

It's Nice That: What kind of support do you need from the global
or local creative community? What would make your lives and

“ PEOPLE SOMETIMES creative work easier and more fulfilling?

THINK THAT IF YOU'RE

Fer Cozzi: Being able to retire at 40 and do it just for fun haha.

Caio Kondo: Haha goals.

A LATIN AMERICAN Seb de la Hoz: Dream jaja. Maybe to have more trust in this side of the globe.

STUDIO, YOU ARE NOT People sometimes think that if you’re a Latin American studio, you are not
good enough and you have to prove it.

GOOD ENOUGH AND YOU Fer Cozzi: I think what I would expect from the global community is a true
understanding of the differences. Simple things like choosing who to work with

HAVE TO PROVE IT ” can really change someone’s professional life and give a voice to someone
who has something different to contribute. If not, it is like a club of friends to
— SEB DE LA HOZ which access is only a matter of credentials and not of vision or creativity or
talent. I’m tired of hearing that it’s luck and hard work. Sometimes “luck” just
comes down to where you were born or where you live.

Caio Kondo: I just have to thank the creative local community! More and more
Brazilians came to me to support my work. I think this helped me hold down
the fort in the first year of Covid.

Fer Cozzi: Local and regional communities have all my love too! They have
accompanied me, pushed me and supported me in recent years and I am
only grateful.
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Inari Type
Curitiba, Brazil
Founded by Caio Kondo, Inari Type – a Brazilian foundry with Japanese roots – is an outfit that has Caio’s
personal history at its core, by “bringing his family's cultural heritage into the typography he creates”.
His striking Nikkei Maru font, for example, is a “tribute to Japanese immigration” and is as rich in context as
it is in visuals. The font is based on a collection of photographs of ships that brought Japanese immigrants
to the American continent. Other elements of the immigration process also inspired aspects of the type,
like the newspapers from Nikkei communities, which influenced the classic feel of the lower case letters.

Fer Cozzi
Buenos Aires, Argentina
You’ll likely find the independent type designer Fer Cozzi spending as much time talking about letters as she
does designing them. After graduating from the University of Buenos Aires, she went on to a postgraduate
degree and now works as an assistant professor in typeface design at the same institution. In her typefaces,
she likes to explore “rhythms, shapes and strokes”, with her works often inspired by the eclectic world of music.
A particularly expressive and musical typeface is Sincopa – its organic edges taking cues from
unexpected, offbeat rhythms. Its three interactions are fittingly named Billie, Nina and Ella after
some of the greatest soul singers to have lived.

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Bastarda B
GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 02 SOUTH AMERICA

Bastarda
Bogotá, Colombia
It’s rare to come across a type studio as varied as that of the independent Bogotá-based Bastarda, and
it’s so exciting when you do. Focusing on typography treatments for brand identities, custom figures,
wayfinding systems and custom logotypes, its fonts vary from the elegantly ornate Orca BT, to the spiky,
lightning bolt-like PenitenteBT and the 70s-infused Gregor. Recently, Bastarda has opened a digital studio
in New York, with the hopes of “permeating our typographic vision from the Global South”.

SUPERC
Supercontinente
San José, Costa Rica
In Costa Rica you’ll find the typography-focused practice of designer Fabiola Mejía. A research space
and archival platform anchored in fieldwork and experimentation, Supercontinente offers collaborative
explorations built from its belief that typography offers “an opportunity to engage with what surrounds
us”. A font of Fabiola’s encapsulating this explorative approach is Rym which explores the relationship

ESET RESE
between stitches and pixels via a distinctive set of capital letters. Alongside specimens, Fabiola also
includes visual data which has inspired her designs, which in Rym’s case includes pixelated tomatoes and
a book of embroidery.

Reset
Montevideo, Uruguay
Founded by the designer Fernando Díaz, Reset is a type studio operating independently in Montevideo,
Uruguay. With 15 years of experience as a type designer and teacher of the medium under his belt,
Fernando released ten typefaces in his position as the co-director of TipoType Foundry – working with the
likes of Pentagram, Google and Mother before setting up his own foundry, Reset. This newer foundry will
continue Fernando’s attention to detail while expanding his type catalogue and offering new, custom type
services too.

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Blackletra
São Paulo, Brazil
Over the past ten years, Brazilian type designer Daniel Sabino has run Blackletra, a digital type foundry
based in São Paulo. Offering both custom and retail typefaces, as well as lettering and logotypes, Blackletra
combines a “historical interest with calligraphic influences and sometimes unusual ideas”. It’s a lens
through which Daniel has created typefaces since his very first, Karol, was awarded the certificate of
excellence from the New York Type Directors Club in 2013 – an accolade he has been awarded again since.
A personal favourite of ours is Blackletra’s Gothiks Family, which expands and contracts in personality with
every weight.

Nodo
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Taking its name from the Spanish and Italian word for “node” – a point used in any vector-based shape – Nodo
Type Foundry represents typography in the digital age as opposed to a specific location. After all, its founders
Ariel Di Lisio and Aldo Arillo are from both Argentina and Mexico respectively, so working remotely has always
worked for the independent foundry. .
Operating for the last five years, Nodo’s glyphs can be seen on a variety of brands around the
world, from museums in their home cities, a local artisan beer or coffee shop, to the likes of
Timberland and Zara. Across this variety and all of its releases, Nodo additionally looks to create
typography that mirrors and contributes to urban design.

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GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 03 AFRICA

SECTION 03

AFRICA

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GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 03 AFRICA

Rana Wassef
Cairo, Egypt and Barcelona, Spain
Even though she’s currently completing her masters in editorial design at ELISAVA in Barcelona, it’s
typography that remains Rana’s primary tool. The ideal medium to explore and embrace her roots, the
designer’s portfolio to date displays a passion for type design, especially Arabic script.
It’s a journey that actually began many years ago when Rana was a wide-eyed ten-year-old admiring
Arabic signage on her bus rides to school. However, it wasn’t until 2020 that she began learning
the skill herself, rediscovering her love for typography while wandering the streets of Cairo and
documenting those which spoke to her. Her largest project to date is Remix, a variable Arabic
typeface based on the science of sound and the cymatics concept – and soon to be released.

ALENTINO
Valentino Vergan
Nairobi, Kenya
Both a type design studio and a wider graphic design company, Valentino Vergan, based in Nairobi, prides
itself on a “high attention to detail and creativity”. Mainly producing display fonts with unique characteristics,
the studio’s work is ideal for headline fonts across poster projects or print publications. Take Floora for
instance, a modern font duo by Martin Katibi which combines a polished uppercase sans serif and a Neue
Nouveau style lowercase, or alternatively the Art Nouveau-inspired Kestia font.

Tondi ty
Tondi Type Studio
Johannesburg, South Africa
Founded by Fhumulani “Fumz” Nemulodi in 2016, Tondi Type Studio firmly believes that a specific font
offers a true visual extension of an individual or brand’s voice. Able to evoke tone and personality in subtle
– or at times bold – detail, the studio is dedicated to “influencing iconic and aesthetically pleasing visual
narratives” all through the medium of type. Variation is also key to the foundry, with typefaces edging
towards both futuristic and classic styles. However, its golden thread will always be producing “a modern
aesthetic that stems out of our love affair with the grid”.

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‫تاراهب تا‬
GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 03 AFRICA

Boharat
Cairo, Egypt
Founded by Abdo Mohamed, Boharat began as a one-man foundry and now operates as a collaborative
space to explore new typefaces. Its name translates to “spices” and, in turn, each typeface takes its name
from a spice, such as Zaatar, Qoronfull or Felfel, a Ruqʿah-inspired font.
As a result, Abdo’s aim with the foundry is to introduce “new flavour” to the Arabic design scene,
he says. “For a long time the Arabic type market produced almost the same product – a sans
typeface with a low contrast,” the founder continues. “My purpose is to explore the heritage of
Arabic calligraphy in modern ways.”

ISSAM TY
Issam Type
Ain Taoujdate, Morocco
A former graphic designer, Issam Boufelja’s journey towards launching his own foundry began while
searching for fonts. Learning about typography in the process, this inspired him to set off and design his
own. Issam Type was then born in 2020.
Over the past couple of years, Issam’s independent foundry has grown to include a wide range
of serif fonts. These releases are ideal for impactful, display font needs with a focus on flair,
including Basgem, Diastema, Bomiro and his most recent release, Komrile in 2023. Issam Type’s
independent fonts are available via the designer directly from his site, Fontsera, MyFonts and
Creative Market.

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GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 04 SOUTHERN EUROPE

SECTION 04

S O U T HE
HERRN
EUROP
EURO PE

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GOOD EGGS T
GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 04 SOUTHERN EUROPE

Good Eggs Type Foundry

Milan, Italy and Geneva, Switzerland
Seeking a space to explore concepts through letters, co-founders Apolline de Luca and Alessandro Prepi
Sot established Good Eggs Type Foundry while studying at Glasgow School of Art; it is now based between
Italy and Switzerland. One particular typeface, Diaspora, offers a good example of the kind of work Good
Eggs does – namely, telling stories through shapes that are deeply rooted in history and research.
In Diaspora, the narrative is inspired by “the Italian immigration to Scotland”, using the addition
of seven alternates to reflect the “mix of identities one can experience as an immigrant”.
The foundry was recently featured in Shoplifters, Issue 10 by Actual Source.

MILIEU
Milieu Grotesque
Lisbon, Portugal
Milieu Grotesque was formed when graphic and type designers Timo Gaessner and Alexander Colby
decided to make their fonts available for retail use. Today, the foundry is concerned with versatility and
flexibility. The result is a small but refined library which has steadily expanded over the past decade.

ATYPICAL
Beloved by the design community for its system-oriented typefaces, fonts created by the Milieu
Grotesque team (which is now co-run with Maiko Gubler) have been adopted by the likes of
Pentagram, &Walsh, HelloMe and Mother Design. Head to the foundry’s site to exclusively licence
its library and spot popular fonts like Maison Neue and Chapeau.

Atypical
Thessaloniki, Greece
The goal of Atypical is to offer, well, atypical letterforms and typography. Its focus on unusual design traits
feeds into a diverse library of type families, aiming to offer original text and display typefaces that are in
line with designers’ needs and current challenges.
The founding motive for designer George Triantafyllakos was to design more Greek typefaces,
at a time when the variety of original and contemporary designs that harnessed Greek script
were more limited. Now in its eighth year, Atypical provides Greek and non-Greek designers
with memorable, well-balanced fonts.

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KILO
60 Kilos
Jaén, Spain
It was at around eight or nine years old that Guillermo García Díaz first became fascinated with type design,
writing out the name of his school friends in notebooks. This was followed by graffiti where most of the
designer’s creative time was spent, before Carlos Campos “made me discover the similarities between
drawing letters on the walls and drawing letters in Glyphs. Since then… this is what I do!”
Based in Jaén, a small town in the south of Spain, Guillermo can be found designing all
sorts from identities to a variety of fonts. This includes I&M, a typeface expanded from his
final degree project with a complete variable family and opentype features, such as a full
LGBTQIA+ icons set.

COLLL
Collletttivo
Milan, Italy
A type incubator, design practice, open source foundry and educator, Collletttivo creates exciting and
eccentric fonts. But more important is its use of typography to help individuals and brands to express their
potential. Whether that’s through collaborations on open source projects or workshops, the foundry seeks
to use type to foster mutual exchange amongst a network of young designers.
Collletttivo has been featured in book fairs and museums globally, such as the Museum of
Contemporary Art in Busan, Korea; its typefaces have been downloaded over 75,000 times.

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SECTION 05

WESTERN
EUROPE

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APFEL
GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 05 WESTERN EUROPE

APFEL Type Foundry

London, England
An offshoot of Kirsty Carter and Emma Thomas’ studio A Practice for Everyday Life, APFEL Type Foundry
is a growing library of retail typefaces and bespoke type designs for culture and commerce clients. Driven
by historical references – whether a past moment of Modernist typography or old Serbian book cover – the
result is typefaces inspired by variety. This includes a light sans serif inspired by stone-carved letterforms
to a family of characters influenced by rubber stamps. Its clients include the Victoria and Albert Museum
in London, The Hepworth Wakefield, Camper and Elle magazine.

DARK
Out of the Dark
Zurich, Switzerland
Established in 2013 by Philipp Herrmann and loved by designers ever since, Out of the Dark is a Swiss
foundry offering retail and bespoke typefaces. Outside of collaborations for bespoke type with The Science
Museum, Ramazzotti and Campari Group, Out of the Dark’s retail typefaces are those you’re likely to have
spotted across a variety of wider design projects. Perhaps you’ve seen its popular typeface Gaya, which
pushes the limits towards an italic font with its flowing shapes. Or maybe Blitz, by Massimiliano Audretsch,
an impressively kerned script font created during its four to six month internship programme.

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WISE TYPE
GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 05 WESTERN EUROPE

WiseType
Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Jacob Wise first established WiseType in 2019 as a rudimentary web-shop to offer font licences to his
designs. It has grown into an independent foundry that prioritises character and exuberance. Today,
WiseType delivers bespoke typefaces while working with other designers to expand its catalogue.
Previous releases from WiseType can be identified through its strong, thematic concepts. The
more sculptural, geometric typefaces, like the weighty Zaft and its evolved counterpart, Zaft²
– which draws heavily from the rise of the “Wild West genre” in 50s and 60s America – could
elevate any editorial covers seeking to make a statement. As demonstrated by A24’s 2022 book

Bold Decisio
Florida!, which used Zaft² for its title.

Bold Decisions
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Bold Decisions is a foundry that lives up to its name. It was created by Mads Wildgaard with the intention of
creating typefaces that they find personally interesting, and ones that have the ability to “mature” with time.
Its Clip typeface is one such design. Built between 2015 and 2017 by Mads and Asger Behncke Jacobsen,
the modular type is a distinct (and dare we say bold) font that has curves, spikes and lines that create a
unique look which is lasting and contemporary. The foundry has seen its fair share of big commissions
from a number of clients in various corners of the commercial world, like Jo Malone and Google, while also
having a host of cultural clients like LCD Soundsystem and de Appel art centre in Amsterdam.

Jung-Lee Type Foundry

Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Like many, Jung-Lee Type Foundry believes that letterforms have sentiments and expressions “that exude
their own personalities and tone of voice”. And Jung-Lee’s typefaces are full of character, informed by
stories, historical research and character writing. J-LTF is also a politically informed foundry and offers a
fundraising membership that raises money for organisations while platforming “collective voices using
the power of the letterform”. Under the umbrella J-LTF Press, the foundry also publishes an experimental
typography and art journal Real Time, that “collaboratively examines the range of human affect as identified
in Robert Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotions”.

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DIORAMA T
GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 05 WESTERN EUROPE

Diorama Type Partners

Paris, France
Only recently founded in 2023 by the designers and editors Marie-Mam Sai Bellier and Guillaume
Sbalchiero, Diorama Type Partners is an independent publisher of typefaces, typographic products
and home of the contemporary art magazine, Revue Diorama. A natural extension of the duo’s work so
far, the pair aim to promote “a catalogue of diverse and heterogeneous typefaces through the medium
of a carefully crafted magazine”.
In its purpose, the Diorama Type Foundry specifically draws inspiration from the 1970s era of

xtraset Extra
type specimen newsprint. In turn, the catalogue is an exploration of display typefaces, ideal for
identities or logotypes and “sometimes aesthetic, historic, horrific and memorable”. Although
new, this partnership is influencing an exciting new era for Parisian type design.

Extraset
Geneva, Switzerland
An independent digital type foundry, Extraset was established and is today jointly led by Alex Dujet, Xavier
Erni, Roger Gaillard and David Mamie. One of the foundry’s flagship typefaces, Klarheit Grotesque, is
a contemporary reinterpretation of Swiss modernist typographic traditions from the mid-20th Century.
But others have more of an expressive quality to them, like Peak, Quarz and Rebond Grotesque. Also,

TASBIHGO
Extraset’s whole philosophy revolves around giving the designer as much choice as possible. Most of
its fonts include a variety of alternative character sets, allowing designers to “customise” their fonts to a
certain degree – hence the name, and the fact there’s always an “extra set” of characters.

Kia Tasbihgou
London, England
Kia Tasbihgou often feels like the graphic designer’s type designer – a point his collaborators list confirms.
From Hassan Rahim to Eric Hu, Frank Ocean to Vanity Fair, Kia’s library of fonts and wider graphic design
work exists “freely between the poles of art, music and fashion”, as he puts it.
Previously an electronic music producer, Kia’s design work “often subconsciously” draws on this
experience. The result is a portfolio which is both organic and striking, offering a “contemporary
interpretation and opinionated melding of historic sources”. Reach out to him directly to see his
wider library of fonts available, “or if you’re simply looking to design something impossible that
should never exist, Kia wants to help”.

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BOOM-PROM
GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 05 WESTERN EUROPE

Boom-Promphans
The Hague, The Netherlands
Founded by Boom Promphan Suksumek, an alumni from the prestigious type and media MA at KABK,
this burgeoning foundry concentrates on designing typefaces combining Thai and Latin writing systems.
Originally from Bangkok, Thailand, Boom initially moved to Basel, Switzerland to study visual communication,
where she found her passion for type design. Boom’s typeface Crushual is a perfect example of her practice
to date, which was designed after an exploration into the possibilities of both Thai and Latin scripts. The
result is a self-described “chubby typeface” purposefully created to be used in large, casual sizes “like its
name, which combines the words crushed and casual”.

HAL TYPE
HAL Typefaces
Berlin, Germany
HAL is the independent vendor of digital fonts and bespoke typographic solutions from Hanzer Liccini,
a studio for graphic design and typography. If those two surnames ring a bell, it’s likely because
of the renowned output of its founders, Elias Hanzer and Lucas Liccini, both respected designers
in their own right.
Together, they develop typefaces alongside wider projects in the studio, offering “a real-time
playground for continuous testing and utilisation”, says its founders. “Graphic design influences
type design and vice versa: the typefaces grow, evolve and mature, informed by a constructive

SIGNALTYP
and tangible practice.” Expect monoline script fonts that exist in multiple states and grotesques
with geometric Bauhaus aesthetics.

Signal Type Foundry

Dublin, Ireland
Signal Type Foundry – a type foundry and design office founded by New York-born Max Phillips – specialises
in typefaces, logotypes and typographic branding. In Ireland, Signal’s library of fonts can be seen in a
variety of formats, from the state-owned postal service An Post to the country-wide cafe chain, Bewley’s.
Outside of these projects, its retail library includes “neo-grot workhorses like Ballinger, Tenon and Field
Gothic to bookish Garaldes like Dashiell to experimental grid-based faces like Kōsetsu”. Prior to starting
Signal, Max trained as a painter, has written five novels and is the co-founder of revival publishing imprint,
Hard Case Crime.

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BTYPE
GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 05 WESTERN EUROPE

Typelab
Paris, France
Founded by brilliant designer in her own right Floriane Rousselot, Typelab is a digital platform offering retail
and custom fonts. Since founding in 2018, it has largely focused on emerging designers and individuals
who display momentum in pushing creativity forward.
As a result, Typelab aims to “celebrate type design not as a tool, but as a real medium for sharing
emotions and stories”, while remaining a space for experimentation. Outside of displaying a
variety of fonts from emerging type designers, particularly female-identifying creatives, Typelab
actively contributes to wider conversations on design, such as its editorial series on mental
health in the creative industry. Head to its site to find typefaces imbued with flair and thoughtful
meaning – all from burgeoning talent.

RUML
Hungarumlaut
Graz, Austria
Minimalism is something hard to master, but so satisfying when done well. Hungarumlaut is a studio that
leads with a minimalist approach, and you can bet they do it exceptionally. Inspired by the effective simplicity
of Hungary’s most famous Bauhaus designer László Moholy-Nagy, the foundry offers high-quality retail
and custom typefaces. We particularly love its Menœ Grotesque font, which has all of the clean Bauhaus
trimmings. The outfit was founded by Adam Katyi who graduated from type and media at the the Royal
Academy of Art in The Hague. Alongside his practice, he now holds workshops, where his classes range
from simple to complicated techniques.

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F37® FOUNDRY F37® FOU
GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 05 WESTERN EUROPE

F37® Foundry
Manchester, England
Hailing from Manchester, F37® Foundry creates well-crafted type families to help brands stand apart, but
in styles that align with their specific sensibilities and identities. Looking through the F37® portfolio, you’ll
find custom fonts for MLS and Foot Locker – unpacking its unique logotype, such as the notable variation
in width and rotation of the letter “E”.
F37®’s fonts are highly versatile but still manage to bring personality. For example, the concept-
driven typeface Lineca, available in 30 styles, pushes straight-edged aesthetics to the limit by
introducing a straight, horizontal line into every single letterform (even traditionally round ones).
There’s also a range of sans serifs that feature similarly intriguing touches.

Lo-ol Lo-ol L
Lo-ol
Geneva, Switzerland and Seoul, South Korea
Although Lo-ol’s founders Noheul Lee and Loris Oliver both graduated from KABK, the pair have very
different approaches to type design. Noheul, for instance, has an eye for fine-tuned text typefaces, combining
her education in The Netherlands with her previous studies in graphic design in her home of Seoul. Loris,
on the other hand, prefers the room for expression designing display typefaces affords, enabling him to
showcase his passion for calligraphy and lettering. Together, this combines in a daily practice focusing on
both Latin and Hangul scripts, driven by the bicultural aspect of their partnership.

POLYTYP
PolyType
Glasgow, Scotland
Polytype’s work feels genuinely characterful. The one-man type foundry established in Scotland in 2016,
centres its practice on combining high-tech quality with a sense of humour. Typefaces are approachable
too, particularly the warm Hellenic Typewriter, which sees founder Lewis MacDonald use rounded strokes
and some unorthodox slab details, creating an elegant take on the typewriter aesthetic.
Polytype’s offering isn’t sprawling. Instead, you can find a direct number of typefaces that are
clear in its perspective and identity. Readers can find both fully bespoke custom type services
and original typefaces for retail.

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‫مهبنمهب‬
NaN
Berlin, Germany
Founded by Luke Prowse and now expanded into a five-person team (plus studio dog, NaNNy), NaN is an
exploratory and service-driven type design practice. At a time in type design where emerging technology’s
impact is a consistent conversation, this foundry showcases how working at the forefront of the field can
be an absolute joy. Developing a practice which balances “weirdness and wisdom” NaN – alongside its
“wonderful rag-tag team of collaborators, crew and clients” – share typographic stories alongside fonts to
purchase. From a new masthead for Frieze magazine to a typeface made from machine learning, find NaN
“at the intersection of serious and slap happy”.

Bahman Eslami
The Hague, The Netherlands
It was while studying graphic design at the University of Tehran that Bahman Eslami became interested
in type design – and the effect was immediate. Subsequently creating a typeface as his thesis, his first
foray into font design was awarded one of the best typefaces of the past decade in 2011. Subsequently

LTIPLANO
deciding to study the medium further, Bahman enrolled in KABK’s type and media masters where he also
developed a keen interest in programming. As a result the designer has made multiple programs which
aid him in producing Arabic fonts with an overall aim to alter tools to become more adjusted to Arabic type
design which are currently not possible with typical tools. Two of Bahman’s tools, RoboFont Mark Tool
and RoboFont Simple Kerning, are currently available for open source usage.
The typeface displayed here is Fedric Sans Arabic, available via Typotheque.

Altiplano
Lausanne, Switzerland
The Swiss are known for their classic and elegant typefaces – and for good reason. Altiplano is a
foundry established by the designer Raphaël Verona, who was drawn to type after wanting to create his
own lettering for poster and editorial projects. It’s also strongly influenced by the Swiss design legacy.
The foundry uses technical innovation and historical research to create truly dynamic designs – like
the type DarkMatter. Simultaneously angular and rounded, classic and abstract, the type combines
two “historically antagonistic” models, as inspired by Jan Tschichold’s The New Typography. To
summarise, “Altiplano sees the letter not only as a vector of meaning, but also as an image”.

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PFA Typefaces
Berlin, Germany
Born from PFA Studios – a design studio working across graphics, motion, space and scenography – PFA
Typefaces was established in 2020, but its team of designers have been designing fonts over the past 20 years.
Initially developed from the studio’s wish to enhance musician’s artworks through individual
typographic applications, the foundry naturally grew by sharing the results with other designers,
soon growing wider variations. Within its expanding family are fonts with a huge variety of
personalities; a personal favourite of ours being Pardon, a handwriting font designed “to give
the impression that someone was holding the pen with their toes while writing”. We also love
Laminat, a font of swirling strokes in which “characters are drawn with one single line”.

LAIN FORM Plain Form

Paris, France
Despite only starting last year, Lucas Descroix’s Plain Form is one of the most exciting independent
typographic practices currently operating in France. Focusing on “expressive letterforms, meant to be
seen as much as to be read”, Plain Form pulls on the founder’s experience as a graphic designer, as well
as a love of drawing shapes and building systems. The result is a growing collection of self-described
“atypical” type families, “relying on contrast and sensibility rather than cold logic”. Take Nostra for instance,
a typeface which purposefully plays with the feeling of satisfaction and “how a few thin strokes can create
the shape of a letter”.

BOULEVAR
Boulevard Lab
Edinburgh, Scotland
Originally an explorative type project by Sam Hughes, today Boulevard Lab is a growing catalogue of retail
and bespoke typefaces – always created with a hint of playfulness. An example of this ethos is the foundry’s
platform of beta fonts, displaying Sam’s commitment to experimental type, often releasing fonts-in-progress
for the design community to test for themselves. As a result, Boulevard’s final releases incorporate feedback
from these tests, an element which will remain a focus moving forward. Take BL Arctic as an example, a
typeface inspired by the vulnerable effects climate change has on the natural environment, and consequently
a font which spreads awareness of the damage global warming is causing the arctic.

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Bouk Ra
Paris, France
Originally from Daegu, South Korea, Bouk Ra is a typeface and graphic designer now based in Paris.
After graduating from a visual communication-focused school in his new home city, Bouk fell in love with
typeface design, particularly fonts which lean on more experimental forms. This interest in specific detail,
and the narrative such detail can provide, has resulted in many typefaces inspired by literature. Faust, for
instance, is an experimental typeface which expresses agony and corruption of the character from the
German legend. Bouk additionally designs typefaces in collaboration with a global range of foundries.

CHAR
Charlotte Rohde
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Charlotte Rohde is a designer who likes to get beneath the meaning of typefaces. Currently acting as guest
professor for typography and type design at Bauhaus Universität Weimar, she’s interested in hyperfemininity,
pop and internet culture, and the economy of trust and control. She can often be found researching visual
literacy in digital spaces, memetic warfare and fan fiction. Alongside her design practice, Charlotte runs
the project SoliType with fellow designer Vivien Hoffman. Through offering a selection of independent type
designs, “they generate donations for organisations that support people seeking refuge in the EU”. Since
the project began in 2020 it has raised €30,000.

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“IT IS NOT ENOUGH THAT WE J UST EXIST.

WE NEED TO EXIST ON EV
E V E RY LEVEL.
LEVEL .”:
D ISCUSSING THE CONTINUED I M BALANCE OF
FEMALE REPRESENTATION IN TYPE DESIGN
In recent years, when conversation turns to female designers’ contribution to For a discussion on this very point, we sat down with three individuals from
the heavily male-dominated industry that is type design, attention has focused alternate areas of type design: Aasawari Kulkarni, an India-born, Washington
on recognising specific and often historical figures. Subsequently, heralded DC-based educator and designer with an independent practice centred around
individuals who paved the way for women in type – from Elizabeth Friedlander, type; Nadine Chahine, Lebanese type designer and founder of ArabicType and
one of the first women to design a typeface, to creator of the Rail Alphabet font, font distribution site and type academy I Love Typography; and Chantra Malee,
Margaret Calvert – are regularly pointed towards alongside an enthusiastic the co-founder and CEO of Sharp Type and founder of The Malee Scholarship,
“Look! They were here all along!” narrative. And while educating ourselves which aims to advance and empower women who are part of underrepresented
on their output is worthwhile, when faced with the remaining lack of female- racial and ethnic groups in the type design field.
founded, or female-led foundries on a global scale today, looking to the past
feels a little redundant. The following conversation was conducted over WhatsApp one evening, London
time, in February 2023, while Nadine walked her dog round the block in her now
There are of course plenty of resources available to discover women in type home of Barcelona, Chantra texted in between looking after her newborn in
working across the industry at present – titles such as A Messy History of Women early morning West Coast America and Aasawari began her day in Washington.
in Printing and Typography and Femme Type have been vital in researching this Despite the incredible work and change these three individuals have advocated
report – with increasing numbers of emerging, independent female-identifying for in type design, this conversation was an opportunity to vent about this subject
typographers entering the industry. Yet the numbers falter when we look closer matter and while it may not provide a concise answer of next steps, it is a vital
at leadership positions and in turn, influential mentors for those learning type discussion on the imbalance of gender representation in type, and the effects
design to look up to. this can have on female-identifying creatives currently operating within it.
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It’s Nice That: As you know, we’ve been developing a report

of 100 foundries and type designers across the world. I hadn’t
originally planned to feature a conversation such as the one
we’re having today, but we’ve been shocked at how few female-
founded type foundries there are in comparison to those led
by men.
“ THERE IS SO MUCH
I think I was admittedly naive about how much I perceived the
IMPOSTER SYNDROME AND
field had changed in recent years, with platforms like Femme
Type, and the work of yourselves and many emerging designers. VERY HIGH BARRIERS TO
With this in mind, I thought it would be great to start with how you
feel gender representation is across the work you do currently?
OVERCOME, JUST BECAUSE
Nadine Chahine: Your observation is very much on the mark! YOU'RE A WOMAN.”
— NADINE CHAHINE
Chantra Malee: Agreed!

Nadine Chahine: When we were inviting foundries to join I Love Typography

we noticed how few foundries were led by women, so we started a mentorship
program for those that are led or co-led by women. For many years the industry Chantra Malee: That was certainly something I identified shortly after joining
has patted itself on the back, pointing to the female designers all around the industry, which led to my founding of the Malee Scholarship to provide
and yet no one looked at how many of them are in a position of leadership, financial support, mentorship, and a platform for emerging female type
and how many were leading the medium sized foundries, and they were designers. There is so much unacknowledged talent out there that needs
so few. This will write women out of history, again, and there is so much we to be brought to the forefront and recognised.
can contribute.
Nadine Chahine: Absolutely. There is so much imposter syndrome and very
So, the point is: in order to answer the question of gender representation high barriers to overcome, just because you're a woman.
and equity, it is not enough that we just exist. We need to exist on every level.
Chantra Malee: Indeed!
Chantra Malee: Nadine, I really like what you have to say here.
It's Nice That: I completely agree, especially around elements
Aasawari Kulkarni: Agreed, when it comes to researching and finding the of leadership. With this in mind, but taking a step back slightly,
contribution of women in (type) design history, it has been difficult. It is would you be able to share more about how you felt studying
indeed good to have platforms and resources that highlight contemporary design and the gender divide on your respective courses? And
designers, but a steep hill to climb when it comes to history. did you feel supported in those institutions?
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Nadine Chahine: At university level there were quite a lot of female designers
but once we got to the real world, those in positions of power were almost
always men. Both at university and at work, there were mentor figures for
me who 100 per cent supported me, and there were others who perhaps
were uncomfortable with the scale of my ambitions. Like, I could be
a little bit ambitious, but I should stay in my little corner and not

“WHENEVER I make waves.

Chantra Malee: That’s a good question. I think from my own personal

INTERVIEW A experience, I felt very supported by most of my professors that I could
achieve excellence. I feel very lucky and grateful for that. It was a different

NEW CANDIDATE, experience after I started to work professionally, where I began to experience
the gender gap in a profound way. That can be quite a blow to a young adult,

I EMPHASISE THE
who is starry eyed and full of expectation.

Nadine Chahine: I was told no one will hire me after my masters because
IMPORTANCE OF "I haven't paid my dues".

RESPECTING ONE Aasawari Kulkarni: In India, most of my classes and professors were women.
While college felt like a very supportive environment, it was more difficult to
even get in the door. I got shot down by someone saying they were not there
ANOTHER AT to hold my hand and teach me type design, they were running a business
and not a design school.

OUR FOUNDRY. This was very disheartening to a new student. Where or how would I learn

WE’RE ALL ON
if something wasn't taught in school – which is why finding mentors in the
industry has been SO important.

THE SAME TEAM.” Nadine Chahine: Ouch, that's terrible…

— CH A N T R A M A L EE Aasawari Kulkarni: And I got my ITF internship after that comment as well
– where someone literally did hold my hand and teach me!

Nadine Chahine: Amazing!

Chantra Malee: So incredible.

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It’s Nice That: Off the back of this, I wanted to also ask you Nadine I was incompetent and mentioned hateful things. I knew this was his own
about your career at some of the most prestigious and large scale stress about his business and unhappiness with our agency as a whole, but
type foundries. Were these mostly male dominated at the time, he felt empowered to bully the young woman on the job and not address the
and did this affect your experience? two male partners, who were really the ones that should have been addressed.
That experience has always stuck with me.
Nadine Chahine: Yes, they were definitely male dominated. You find your
allies and you walk past the ones who get in the way. I joined when I was Nadine Chahine: So true about taking it out on the young women! I do have
26 and I was very aware that I had to work twice as hard just to prove that I to admit though: I learned so much from so many colleagues so it wasn't
got my role for merit, not any other reason (there was the occasional gossip all too bad. Many I am still friends with today!
and I just had to tune that out). There were incidents, of course – worse as
I had higher positions – where it felt that I was not allowed to exercise my It’s Nice That: I am so sorry that it was this way for you, but equally
authority because of my gender, and that's when you stand your ground thank you for sharing these day-to-day aspects of working in
and fight. design that people need to hear.

It’s Nice That: This is a perfect analogy: “You find your allies and Aasawari Kulkarni: I'm sorry that happened to you.
you walk past the ones who get in the way.” I am so sorry to hear
that though, and it's particularly frustrating to hear it became
worse as you moved higher up.

Nadine Chahine: To be honest, I only realised the scale of that impact

when I quit my job in 2018. I had learned to toughen up so much, so that I
could survive those meetings and long emails, that I stopped feeling like a
woman. I was in fighting mode non-stop. After I removed myself from that
environment I suddenly felt safe enough to be me, and not the warrior me. “AFTER I REMOVED MYSELF
Aasawari Kulkarni: I'm sorry you had to go through that. That really sucks. FROM THAT ENVIRONMENT
Chantra Malee: I had to take a moment with this question, because I have
worked with many incredible men who I love to work with, but it certainly
I SUDDENLY FELT SAFE
hasn't always been that way.
ENOUGH TO BE ME ”
When I was a young professional, I was running many projects for clients — NADINE CHAHINE
who were all men. I was treated very well by some, and I’m still friends with
them in fact, but others were very disrespectful and made me feel very
small. I once received an email from a client, an older man, who wrote an
incredibly vindictive and hurtful email that came at me personally telling me
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Chantra Malee: I really know where you’re coming from here, Nadine. Beyond that, like I was saying earlier, I think as a young woman in the
You know I had an interesting interaction with someone in the holistic world, classroom setting, I have to be extra careful. I have found strong mentorship
who was reading my energy, and saw that my Yang was overpowering my in women in higher positions and without that I think it wouldn't be easy
Yin. For those who don’t know, Yang represents the masculine and Yin to go on dealing with the experience. It's easier to talk over young women
the feminine in every individual. I’m no expert, but that is the gist of it. She than it is with older men and the fact that even young students can see this
continued to say that she experiences this with a lot of women who are is kind of sad. Academia is taxing. I don't think I could survive without the
working professionally in any industry. Whether or not one believes in the support and shared experience with my colleagues.
spiritual aspect of this, I think this is an incredible insight. From a personal
point of view, I realised I was taking on this role of the masculine, feeling the It’s Nice That: That's so interesting and I completely resonate
need to fill in a more masculine set of shoes to earn respect and maintain with having a group of people around you who lift you up –
authority in my position. and tell you to step up when needed! Thank you for sharing,
it's really brilliant to have a voice of someone interacting
Nadine Chahine: For me it felt like I needed steel to run in my veins... with students here.

Chantra Malee: Yes, absolutely. I suppose it's slightly different for you Chantra, now being
the co-founder of a foundry. Are there things you have in
Aasawari Kulkarni: I’m coming from a slightly different background here, place to ensure that this behaviour doesn't happen at your
but I know what you both mean. In the expectations that my students have own company?
in me vs a male professor; of having to be extra stern, extra dominant to be
taken seriously in the classroom, even if that might not be in my nature. Chantra Malee: Absolutely. As we grow our team, we’re of course always
looking for those with talent, but a lot of it comes down to their personal
It’s Nice That: That's so unfortunate. I'm so interested in what qualities. We invite people who we believe, have a moral framework akin to
you're seeing as an educator at the moment Aasawari, would our own. Whenever I interview a new candidate, I emphasise the importance
you be able to share some insight from recent or current classes of respecting one another at our foundry. We’re all on the same team. We
you’re teaching? Are these barriers something that’s discussed, believe that everyone has their own set of talents, and it’s a matter of finding
or are there narratives behind their work which speak to issues it in each person and giving them enough autonomy to explore and develop
such as this? those innermost skills. I think that’s the way to accomplish great things,
by encouraging and truly respecting others. I always say in my interviews
Aasawari Kulkarni: The good thing I'm noticing is that students expect that first and foremost everyone must respect one another, and we are not
teachers to include women in the narrative. They hold us accountable. a team who gossips or speaks poorly behind another’s back. I had that in
previous jobs, and it is so incredibly toxic and unproductive.
I had an interesting conversation with a student last year when we were
talking about what it means to design with a feminist lens. She told me later It's Nice That: I suppose a wider question to you all... Like we’ve
that she has had classes where one class of the semester was dedicated to all said, there appears to be a barrier to enter the industry when
“women designers” which didn't feel inclusive exactly. And so conversations it comes to female-identifying individuals setting up their own
about gender in design with a new generation are encouraging to have. practices or foundries as type designers. They certainly seem
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to be working within type foundries, but not necessarily forming

their own. But where do you each believe this actually stems from?
What are the blocks we need to work towards breaking down?

Aasawari Kulkarni: I think the things I'm thinking about are like a summary
of many things we've spoken about. Not having the required confidence,
support, and examples to look up to. I am in the process of releasing my
first typeface ever and without the generous mentorship I have received in
the industry, I would be nowhere close to this process. I'm still not confident
because of the many past experiences of being shut down, laughed at. I
go through this after having received tons of support; and wonder how “ THE GOOD THING
many immensely talented women out there are not receiving the required
mentorship, support, and confidence to build something. Which is why the
existence of programmes like Alphabettes mentorship and Malee scholarship
I'M NOTICING IS
is so, so important. It's not just a one off thing but can build so much up
AND can build a belief in you.
THAT STUDENTS
Nadine Chahine: It's a complex situation with many factors at play. Firstly, EXPECT TEACHERS
TO INCLUDE WOMEN
until recently there were very few role models for this. Secondly, imposter
syndrome (and I expect that to inhibit women more than men). Then, the
demands of running a business spill over outside of a nine to five, so if
you're planning a family this becomes difficult very quickly (women typically
shoulder more burdens at home so there is less capacity to bring work home IN THE NARRATIVE.
too). Finally, male-led startups are more likely to get funding (the statistics
on this are terrible for women) so raising money for a startup is difficult for
women. This means that there is a financial barrier as well.
THEY HOLD US
Then there is also a wider societal issue of what society teaches young
ACCOUNTABLE.”
boys and girls. Men are encouraged to lead, women to foster and nurture — A A S AWA R I K U L K A R NI
a "home" environment. What society has often failed to understand is that
an emotionally balanced work environment, where people prosper, is the
key to unlock so much.

Aasawari Kulkarni: 1000 per cent. Women are considered too ambitious to
want to build something. They are also shamed for not being the caretakers
of the household and for taking into account their own interests first.
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Chantra Malee: I completely agree with this. Both sexes are equally capable,
but objectively there are fewer roadblocks for some over others. I think also,
we’d be remiss not to mention that this is not only an issue of gender. One's
race and social standing can inhibit one’s “success” as well. A question
that we ask all applicants at Malee, is to describe one’s financial need. A lot
of our applicants don’t have access to the same resources from software
programs to books. How can one compete if they can’t get the same education
or access to tools as others can?

“ BOTH SEXES Nadine Chahine: We've seen the world that alpha males have built; plagued
by war and rampant capitalism. A world where women take leadership roles

ARE EQUALLY alongside men can perhaps build a kinder society. One where empathy is
a plus not a minus.

CAPABLE, BUT Chantra Malee: Building off of Nadine’s comments, I believe there has to
be a shift in priorities. At least in the western world I am glad to see we’re
OBJECTIVELY starting to question our capitalist society where world power is considered
the most valuable currency. It drives the individual to serve one’s self often

THERE ARE FEWER at the cost of others and they are lauded for it. I think we need to restructure
or redefine what success means. Prioritising a thriving community versus
a single person would objectively make for a better world. Perhaps if we
ROADBLOCKS looked beyond ourselves as individuals we would have free healthcare for
all in the wealthiest nation in the world, an education system that was truly

FOR SOME equal opportunity, and a food system that nourished us, rather than make
us more sickly. I enjoy a challenge, and I think competition is and can be

OVER OTHERS”
very healthy, but we’ve gone too far in that direction.

Aasawari Kulkarni: I completely agree with this and want to add that, as an
— CH A N T R A M A L EE Indian here in the United States, the isolation can be deeply felt especially
when you've grown up in a community-oriented society like India. I have
often felt that instead of looking at the west as an epitome of idealistic
society we would be better off looking at our roots that preach values of
community and at individual work as something that might yield results for
the greater good.

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It's Nice That: To be honest, I would say I found it quite difficult to

plan questions for this conversation as it feels like a conversation
that has been had multiple times, but this was so brilliant thanks
to you all. I guess lastly, what would you say to any female-
identifying practitioners out there who are on the fence of taking
that leap of setting up their own initiative?

Aasawari Kulkarni: I felt that way while answering many questions to be

honest. But I think conversations like these, even if they feel repetitive, will
drive the point home, hopefully away from just those that are part of the
echo chamber.

Nadine Chahine: I do want to stress a point: just because it’s hard doesn’t “ WE CAN NO
mean it’s impossible and the more of us who fight forward, the easier it will
be for those who come after. I think this would be my answer to those who
are on the fence. Also to know that the rest of us have their back and we
LONGER ACCEPT
will do everything we can to support. THAT WOMEN ARE
And finally, we can no longer accept that women are written out of the history
of type. As long as we do not have the space to tell our stories, no one else WRITTEN OUT OF
THE HISTORY
will. So we need to step up and lead.

OF TYPE ”
— NADINE CHAHINE

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GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 07 THE NORDICS

SECTION 07

T HE
NORDICS

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YPE OR
GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 07 THE NORDICS

Or Type
​​Reykjavík, Iceland
Or Type is an Icelandic and Danish type foundry established by Guðmundur Úlfarsson and Mads Freund
Brunse. Its typefaces aim to challenge the conventions often found in typographic traditions and contemporary
values, inspired by “vernacular references and from intrinsic ideas”. In turn, the foundry describes its
typefaces as “being designed to have their own reason for being, rather than filling a gap in the font market”.
Amongst its growing library of fonts, expect playful typefaces alongside serifs with perfectly apt titles, such
as Boogie School.

NO BAD
No Bad Type
Helsinki, Finland
Juuso Salakka launched his independent type design studio, No Bad Type, in 2018. Since then, the studio’s
output has ranged from the characterful and expressive display typeface Cigarillo (the lower-case l’s look
satisfyingly like plump Cohibas) to the more elegant and understated serif Thoreau. While Cigarillo is a
single-style display typeface, most of Juuso’s offerings are expansive families, from the cheery and playful
sans-serif Rascal Grotesk to the quirky modern serif Dreja. The latter was released as a retail typeface
with The Lives of Others, an independent magazine published and exhibited in the gallery Factory2 Seoul
in Korea.

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ORE NOR
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Store Norske Skriftkompani

Volda, Norway
Elsewhere in Norway, we have Store Norske Skriftkompani, a foundry with a specific focus on the Norwegian
language and the country’s wider culture. Developed from the book and exhibition Skrift I Oslo (meaning
Letters in Oslo) which documented signage in the city from 1864 to 1964, its releases reflect the original
project’s appreciation for Oslo’s visual dialect. As you may have guessed, these design relics – from
handmade signs to lettering – created the basis for the foundry’s first releases. Today, Skriftkompani
focuses on text oriented typefaces but maintains its northern perspective.

GOOD ty
Good Type Foundry
West Coast, Norway
Founded in 2015, Good Type Foundry leads with the aim “to design, develop and publish contemporary
typefaces with high attention to detail.” Across its catalogue, the foundry presents fonts which offer an array
of possibilities, from storytelling display fonts to minimalistic sans serifs. With this breadth it appears the
foundry’s name is slightly short selling itself, with a collection that is truly great as opposed to just good.
In 2020, the foundry moved from Oslo to the west coast of Norway operating as a small team

SCHICK TOIK
of two. Sustainability is also a growing priority of the foundry and if you are an environmentally
friendly business the pair gladly offer collaboration and discounts.

Schick Toikka
Helsinki, Finland and Berlin, Germany
Florian Schick and Lauri Toikka first met while studying their master’s in type media at the Royal Academy
of Arts in The Hague, and are now based in Helsinki and Berlin. Over the past 12 years and counting, their
output has been lauded for their interest in “original and time lasting solutions rather than in quality and
speed,” says the pair. In this time, Schick Toikkka has built a library of 12 retail typefaces, spanning 27
families and 318 individual styles, as well as collaborations with the likes of Nike, Kinfolk and Marimekko.
The pair remain an incredibly popular and respected foundry, deliberately avoiding growing their
business too much “and have stayed fiercely independent”. All its type families are available
exclusively from the Schick Toikka website.

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PLAY TYPE
GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 07 THE NORDICS

Playtype
Copenhagen, Denmark
If you happen to live or are visiting Copenhagen any time soon, make sure to visit Playtype. Operating as
an independent foundry since 2010, Playtype’s journey into type actually began 25 years ago as part of
the design agency e-Types. Typography was always a core part of the agency’s design solutions, in turn
accumulating typefaces it looked to share with a wider audience.
When launching, its founders also opened up a popular physical shop, selling type-related merch
and stationary – “kind of a new thing back then,” says the foundry. “Since typefaces these days
are basically just data and not very tangible, the idea of being able to go to a physical shop and
buy a nicely designed physical USB stick with typefaces felt appropriately contrary.” Today, the
space doubles as an experimental space for the foundry.

BLOOM T
Bloom Type
Stockholm, Sweden
A relative newcomer to the type design scene, Bloom Type was founded by French graphic designer Baptiste
Guesnon in 2021. The foundry works with a wide range of clients and collaborates with studios and brands
to create custom typefaces, logos, design tools, animations and interactive typographic experiences. But
in addition to its commercial work, Bloom Type also produces and sells its own font catalogue. We’re
particularly partial to the curvy and expressive Knopp, which was inspired by the flowers of spring (each
weight represents a different stage of a bloom, from the tight bud to the fully open flower) and the friendly
rounded edges of Pack Soft.

the pyte
The Pyte Foundry
Oslo, Norway
In 2015 designer Ellmer Stefan set himself the task of releasing a new display typeface each Monday
throughout the following year. Today, The Pyte Foundry operates as the commercial protraction of this
brilliant experiment. From its base in Oslo, the foundry presents a selection of the back catalogue alongside
“newly envisioned” typefaces – although it calls them Pyte-faces – “balancing functionality and idiosyncrasy,
historical reference points and contemporary design practice”. As a result, you’ll find no two typefaces
similar in stroke or style.

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GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 08 CENTRAL & EASTERN EUROPE

SECTION 08

CE N T R A L
CEN
& E AS
ASTT ERN
EUROP
EURO PE

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GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 08 CENTRAL & EASTERN EUROPE

“USE LOCAL OR MAKE YOUR OWN!”:

INVESTIGATING A MOVE TOW
TO WARDS
INCLUSIVE T Y POGRAPHY IN
CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUE U ROPE

As we journey across Central and Eastern Europe in this chapter of our

report – from the Czech Republic to Slovakia, with pit stops in Serbia,
Kosovo, Estonia, Poland and beyond – the variety of styles is perhaps the
most varied, despite flowing across such a concentrated cluster of countries.

With limited bachelor courses available for type design specifically in the
area, the majority of typographers featured here travelled to areas of Western
Europe to complete their education, or taught themselves. In many cases To learn more about our neighbours on the other side of Europe, we invited
returning to their home cities with a new influx of influences, typography a discussion amongst Alja Herlah, the co-founder of Slovenian foundry
in this part of the world is both viewed as a functional and experimental Type Salon (following stints at Atlas Fonts and Dalton Maag), Martin Vácha,
form. It’s a design tool, but equally an embodiment of personality, history the founder of Prague-based Displaay Type and Ott Kagovere, a designer
in countries such as Slovenia who have changed scripts over time, or an and educator in Tallinn, Estonia, who initiated the student type foundry,
introduction into the expressive forms of design for students over a semester. Suva Type Foundry.
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It’s Nice That: Hi everyone! To begin, can you each explain

how your fascination with type design began? Can you trace
it back to a particular moment, teacher, project – or even a
specific typeface?

Martin Vácha: In the beginning, I was just fascinated by the fact I could use
my own font as a graphic designer. This came to mind because our graphic
design studio was next to a type design studio. I had some friends there and
by observing their work I realised using my own font in my work was possible.

Alja Herlah: For 40 years, Slovenia was part of Yugoslavia and there
were two official scripts: Latin and Cyrillic. I was born in an independent
country and therefore didn't have the opportunity to learn Cyrillic in school,
“I WAS ALWAYS but I was always fascinated about this second script my parents could read
and understand.

FASCINATED ABOUT Then, when studying graphic design (without having any ideas what type

THIS SECOND SCRIPT MY

design actually was) one day, I was trying to design "nice" ‘a’ and thought
I was successful. But then the professor took over the outlines and with just a
few movements of point redrew it so finely that I decided… I want to do this!
PARENTS COULD READ There is also one “feature” of eastern or non-english languages – diacritics.

AND UNDERSTAND.” A lot of typefaces back in the early years of digital design did not include
diacritics for the Slovenian language, so designers were super creative by
adding and designing “carons” on particular letters. These are also funny
— ALJA HERLAH and great solutions that have stayed with me over time.

Ott Kagovere: My earliest contact or awareness with typography came through

drawing graffiti as a teenager. Then later on, one of my graffiti buddies –
Anton Koovit, who was a few years older than me – went to study graphic
design at university and later type design in The Hague. Although I wasn’t
studying design yet, I heard a lot about typography from him.

Later on, while studying graphic design I wasn’t interested in becoming

a type designer, but I have always been interested in micro typography.
The idea of type as a particle of language is fascinating to me. While studying
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GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 08 CENTRAL & EASTERN EUROPE

philosophy I wrote my MA thesis about semiotics and even there I gave

fonts as examples of signs that function so that their meaning is strongly
influenced by their form.

It's Nice That: That's fascinating and so true! I would love to

know more about the education opportunities in your area of
Europe when it comes to type design? How was your experience “ I THINK WE NEED MORE
at university?

Martin Vácha: At the University of Arts in Prague, the type design studio
LANGUAGE SUPPORT
was really strong with Tomas Brousil, Radek Sidun and Karel Haloun as
leaders. Since they left, the studio is no longer focusing on type design and
AND MAYBE MORE ST YLES
mostly on working with typography. That’s regarding the official way to get
a degree, but we have a summer camp in glyphs for beginners. FOR REALLY USEFUL
Alja Herlah: I would say, at least in Slovenia and smaller countries, everything
depends on a few individuals. My professor Domen Fras, who is actually an
TYPEFACE FAMILIES.”
architect and did his MA in Central Saint Martins, was a decisive individual — MARTIN VÁCHA
in my career. I would also like to mention the professor of calligraphy and
type design Lucijan Bratuš, who is one of the beginners of type design in
Slovenian. The two of them also initiated the workshops Tipo Brda, which
have had a decisive influence on typography and graphic design in Slovenia I am glad that we have an academic program and then something very
over the past 25 years. experimental and wild – in the forest, without laptops!

Although there aren't many type designers, basic lettering and typography It's Nice That: It's amazing that they've taken the initiative to set
knowledge from those workshops has led to very successful graphic up their own course. And do you have to pay to go to university
designers. And now attendees of Tipo Brda are continuing to teach more in your respective countries?
and more courses at faculties in Slovenia – which can not be compared to
Reading or HAAG, of course. Alja Herlah: No, only if you go to a private one, which are less recognised here.

Ott Kagovere: In Estonia, the Baltic states and Finland, there are actually Ott Kagovere: In Estonia higher education is free, but taking a micro-degree
no BA courses dedicated to type design. For this reason, many students or participating in a summer school has a cost.
interested in type go to The Hague or Switzerland. From this autumn two
local type designers (Andree Paat and Aimur Takk of Tüpokompanii)
​​ started Martin Vácha: In the Czech Republic all government-based education is free,
a type design micro-degree program here in Estonia and it has been going but I guess this will change soon. I hope, because it is not easy for the state
very well. There is also an experimental type design summer school, Qoqoqo. to manage finances and give studio leaders an appropriate salary.
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It's Nice That: Ott, as you currently work as an assistant professor, typography. A good example of this is Jojome studio (Johanna Ruukhol
could you tell us a little about the type design scene in Estonia. & Martina Gofman) from Tallinn. There is a certain anti-Adobe approach.
What are you students interested in exploring? They are not type designers but for graphic design work they draw their
own titles etc.
Ott Kagovere: I think what students are interested in and what Estonian
type designers are doing is somewhat different, although there of course It's Nice That: And what about the aesthetic of the type design
is an overlap. scene in Slovenia?

Students are often interested in exploring; either something fun, something Alja Herlah: Since living in Slovenia again, I have been doing various studies
experimental or something related to a certain subculture that they are a part on the topic of Slovenian typography. We actually released two typefaces
of or are fascinated about. I think many students are interested in making based on “Slovenian letters from the 20th Century”: Wesna (interwar posters),
typefaces that they can later use when they design party/rave/club music and Plecnik (based on architect's lettering).
posters. There is also an interest in the so-called vernacular type – type
seen in local bar/hairdressers – signs that are often designed by amateurs, Slovenia has always been at the crossroads of West and East and current
but which look cool or surprising. trends. I think that our society is too small to be able to talk about the Slovenian
style, but here and there, throughout history, are some characteristics that
I also think that students are often interested in telling stories through type. I can say are Slovenian – like those “carons” I mentioned earlier.
They make a typeface that talks about their love of ketchup, their summer
holidays, movies etc. This is always very nice because not everyone is The current scene mainly follows western trends, which makes me sad, but
interested in type design, but when they get to play around (and the first we're probably not the only ones.
contact is not too serious) they might discover something new.

It's Nice That: And would you say there is a particular visual style
to Estonian type design in terms of aesthetics?

Ott Kagovere: Local professional type designers, or designers with a serious

interest in type design, are interested in different things but in some sense “USE LOCAL OR
MAKE YOUR OWN!”
also local histories. Be it through revivals or again personal histories. A
good example is the BA work of Patrick Zavatskis. He made a typeface called
Niina, named after his grandmother who was half Russian after noticing
her grandmother wrote Estonian in a strange way, mixing it with Ciryllic — OTT KAGOVERE
influences, and made a typeface reflecting on that.

I don't notice this myself but a friend of mine who is from North America and
currently living in Berlin always tells me he sees a lot of 1990s rave revival
aesthetics when coming to Tallinn. There is also interest in hand drawn
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It's Nice That: How about you, Martin?

“ NOT EVERYONE IS
Martin Vácha: As the Czech Republic is in the middle, the heart of the EU,
we see designers as individualities that absorb all tendencies, but tend to
lean on one style. I think within Displaay, Allcaps and Heavyweight there are
Swiss tendencies, beside Superior and Suitcase which are a little bit more
Dutch wave and Slovak is really closely connected with Czech nationality, INTERESTED IN T YPE
so we see the same there.

It's Nice That: Martin and Alja specifically, you both founded your
DESIGN, BUT WHEN THEY
own type foundries. Can you tell me about how you came to this
decision? Maybe you can start, Martin?
GET TO PLAY AROUND…
Martin Vácha: Since I studied both graphic design and later type design, THEY MIGHT DISCOVER
SOMETHING NEW.”
and developed five of my own typefaces I missed on the market, I wanted to
try to publish them under my own brand and observe what would happen.
After eight years of doing graphic design I found that Displaay had more and
more requests. It wasn't a side project anymore, plus graphic design was — OTT KAGOVERE
really challenging to do on an international level. I was hoping I could do it,
but our clients weren't so sure. So I decided to jump into my own project
fully, even though I don't think we need more typefaces these days. I think It's Nice That: Yeah I can see that – as someone currently
we need more language support and maybe more styles for really useful in London! What does a day at work look like for you both?
typeface families. On the contrary, I understand that creating a custom small
range font for a music festival identity for example, is great to support visual Alja Herlah: We actually don't have “a daily routine”. Krista recently moved
identity and new typefaces for such projects we need. to the countryside near Italy and therefore we are communicating online. Our
days depend on the projects we have which are changing from time to time,
It's Nice That: What about you Alja? between retail typefaces, custom type work, graphic design projects and
importantly the administration of the studio (which really takes a lot of time).
Alja Herlah: At one point while living in London and working for large I am teaching in the summer semester which brings a new flow of work, and
corporations, I wanted more freedom. Freedom in design and also freedom in sometimes we have interns in the office. The very important “routine” that we
my way of life. I really wanted to work in type design but, at the same time, the have is working from eight to four in the afternoon, maybe five, and no later.
way of life that Ljubljana offered me (compared to London) was important: more Starting with Turkish coffee.
nature, peace and sun. Establishing a foundry meant having the opportunity
to continue in type design, to be independent of the location of work and at Martin Vácha: This year our foundry decided to refuse all requests for custom
the same time to do other things, such as graphic design, teaching, organising projects and focus on expanding our typefaces regarding styles, language
workshops, and enjoying the afternoon. support, redrawing and creating a wider range of glyphs to help graphic
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GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 08 CENTRAL & EASTERN EUROPE

designers manage bigger, more serious projects with our typefaces. It's hard both personally and on a wider scale – in the next few years for
to describe such a process, but in short, we’re five type designers with one upcoming designers?
manager working on many subtasks. We learn from each other and complete
research to reach the best quality for any glyph we design. Alja Herlah: Unlike Martin, currentlyI would prefer to have more custom
type related projects.
It's Nice That: Would you say there is a community of type
designers or graphic designers you communicate with in your Also, it would be great to spread awareness (in our country and beyond)
specific cities? People you talk about work with, or look to to invest in licensing rather than finding free alternatives. I also think
for advice? there is too much production of typefaces yearly, so I am afraid of how
it will develop in future, with new and new courses of type design,
Alja Herlah: Honestly, I am communicating regarding type design mainly with which are not needed. Rather, I would prefer better usage, better inclusivity
my previous DaltonMaag co-workers. As Martin mentioned, there is not a and language/script support.
lot of type engineering knowledge over here. But I think having some sort of
community within the city would be great, especially to spread the awareness
of (custom) type design and characteristics of such specific design among
other graphic designers.

Martin Vácha: Unfortunately, besides our Christmas party, there aren’t very
many opportunities to meet other designers in Prague. We all have heavy
schedules during the year and there is no platform for communication between
each other. Also, we are kind of competitors regarding type design. But graphic “ I HAVE RECENTLY MADE
designers, if they need any type help, always write in with any request.

Ott Kagovere: In Estonia definitely so! Especially in the past five years the
A RULE FOR MYSELF TO
community has grown. Tüpokompanii were away in Europe and the States
for some time, studying and working in type design, but they are back here
BE MORE INCLUSIVE AND
teaching and working. We talk a lot about type and collaborate together. It is
always good to have a type designer on a project and I have recently made TO USE ONLY LOCAL
T YPEFACES IN MY WORK ”
a rule for myself to be more inclusive and to use only local typefaces in my
work. Thus far it has worked out well because of the local community.

Although the design scene in Tallinn is small I would say it is very active. — OTT KAGOVERE
There are many things happening and different fields covered.

It's Nice That: Hopefully that sense of community can be adopted

elsewhere. Finally, how do you hope type design develops –
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Martin Vácha: I think generally we need more type designers which can
offer type engineering, to develop high functional typefaces. There are many
designers working with similar aesthetics and you can not literally bring
something new in Latin based typeface design. But, for example, designers
in Germany cannot recognise a typeface with good kerning or language
support in Spanish or French. Therefore they often chose interesting
typefaces without a good level of quality.

Free typefaces or low pricing models are also not healthy, but I think good
“ THE AT TRACTION designers know the importance and experience of how to introduce more
expensive typefaces to their clients. Maybe the licensing model is also too

TO USE FREE complicated. This is why we are preparing an easier model for next year.
This is also based on our discussions with our clients and designers using

T YPEFACES THAT
our typefaces.

Ott Kagovere: I hope to see more inclusivity in type design. More female
ARE EASILY AVAILABLE type designers and different voices. Design education has a big role here,
to introduce many different ways of approaching type design, or question

SHOULD OR COULD what even is a typeface nowadays.

On a practical level I would like to see more support. It seems strange to me

BE REPLACED that local designers use Google fonts when there are equally good, or in
most cases better typefaces, made by their peers. The attraction to use free
BY SUPPORTING typefaces that are easily available should or could be replaced by supporting
local designers. I see this as a similar frame of thinking that most of us have

LOCAL DESIGNERS.”
with other products – when we prefer local goods like food or clothes to the
mass produced and often low quality products made elsewhere.

— OTT KAGOVERE I hope this switch in thinking becomes more prevalent in design! It should
be the norm, in my opinion. Use local or make your own!

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Ani Dimit
GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 08 CENTRAL & EASTERN EUROPE

Ani Dimitrova
Sofia, Bulgaria
Combining both the classical and contemporary is Sofia-based typographer Ani Dimitrova. Following her
master’s degree in type design at The National Academy of Art in Sofia, Ani’s career has seen the designer
work at Fontfabric Type Foundry and Lettersoup, before kickstarting her very own independent foundry.
Designing typefaces alongside teaching at the Varna Free University, she has authored ten fonts to date,
including two revival fonts by the Bulgarian artist Ivan Kyosev, brought back to life from 30 years ago in 1993.
Look to Ani’s portfolio for type designs steeped in history, tiny quirks perfect for appealing to designers,
or custom projects.

Kyiv Type Foundry

Kyiv Type Foundry
Kyiv, Ukraine and Hannover, Germany
A creative “playground” sitting at the intersection of Latin and Cyrillic scripts, Kyiv Type Foundry offers retail
and custom fonts, and new perspectives on Cyrillic-based heritage. KTF’s work also reflects its founders’
belief in tradition and synthesis. Moving between high and low-brow, analogue and digital, previous projects
include a heavy display type based on a rare movie poster, and an interpretation of the most used black
grotesk on the ex-USSR terrain.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, KTF has raised funds to help its homeland; the

NAUM TYPE
foundry’s KTF Jermilov was used in Banda’s communication campaign Be Brave Like Ukraine
to highlight “the main feature of Ukrainians and express it widely”.

NaumType
Belgrade, Serbia
On the more experimental side, the Serbia-based foundry NaumType brings intriguing takes on forms and
surprising stylistic approaches. Though NaumType specialises in decorative display fonts – like Umbero,
which features an ornate structure for a new take on medieval stylisation – it marries this with work on
versatile text fonts too.
For founder Peter Bushuev, the driving force behind the foundry is expanding the aesthetic limits
of type. Since setting up shop in 2018, NaumType’s taste for risk has been evident. As is Peter’s
taste for the sleek and futuristic, often combined with the tradition of graffiti and street art.

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Kulture
GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 08 CENTRAL & EASTERN EUROPE

Kulture Type
Prishtinë, Kosovo
Playful, irreverent and occasionally downright weird; Kulture Type showcases personality amidst an
occasionally sombre industry. Founded with the hope of connecting cultures via type, the one-person
foundry releases “not too serious fonts”, often working in cultural references and presenting things
illustratively. Its work wouldn’t feel out of place across a cult food brand, roastery or tattoo parlour. Having
begun as a pandemic project, Kulture has since stood the test of time. Past typefaces have been inspired
by Yugoslavian mini shops and Albanian typography.

Tüpokompanii
Tallinn, Estonia
“Mistakes” are folded into the work at Tüpokompanii, a Tallinn-based type design studio founded in 2022.
The approach of founders Andree Paat and Aimur Takk is to embrace unexpected results in the hope
of uncovering new potential and challenging conventions in type design. As such, Tüpokompanii has
established a collection of retail and custom fonts that express unexpected qualities when it comes to
letterforms. In the past, founder Andree has collaborated with Swiss foundry Dinamo on various projects;
Aimur has delivered custom typefaces for Tallinn Music Week, IDA Radio and the ERKI Fashion Show
in 2017.

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REEDOTS
GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 08 CENTRAL & EASTERN EUROPE

Threedotstype
Wrocław, Poland
The central concept to Threedotstype is to create fonts based on a story. Across its releases, there are
fonts which carry social, technical or historical aspects, each influencing a letterform’s shape.
As a result, Threedotstype demonstrates a sense of comfort in ugly or uncoordinated letters,

HRIFTOV
“as long as they represent something interesting, solve technical issues, or provoke discussions”
its team describe. Each font additionally features a set of arrows developed from a collection
of navigational tools used in visual communication as inspiration for unique characters.

Shriftovik Type Foundry

Tbilisi, Georgia
The ethos at Shriftovik is one of much-needed optimism, with the foundry believing that typography has
the power to change the world. The team is driven by the urge to create something new in typography and
share it with customers. Both sentiments are represented in the work, which sees bold styles demonstrate a
penchant for experimentation and positivity. A graffiti-inspired display typeface, with wickedly pronounced
terminals, features alongside elegant sharper cuts, drawing from heroines of noir cinema. Across the board,
type feels ready made for colourful applications.

KOROLEV
Kateryna Korolevtseva
Kyiv, Ukraine and Weimar, Germany
Kateryna is an independent type designer committed to developing typefaces dedicated to Ukrainian Cyrillics.
You can expect projects like Misto Font from her desk – an homage to her hometown of Slavutych, a city
born after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Or Expromt, a modern slab serif inspired by Ukrainian graphic
artist Hryhoriy Berkovych.
Through her typefaces, public speaking and writing, Kateryna endeavours to bring greater
prominence to Ukrainian design, while championing the diversity of the country’s type design
heritage. She has written about the subject for Design Week and Alphabettes.

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Mykolas Saulytis
Vilnius, Lithuania
Alongside his hobbies of rollerblading, playing video games and listening to heavy music, Lithuanian
designer Mykolas can be found designing type. His fondness for letterforms developed via graffiti as a
teenager, where he “simply thought (and still kind of do) it was the coolest thing ever,” he says. “It had
everything, from the adrenaline of going out at night to paint random walls to staying up late drawing and
geeking out at different letter structures.”
Since this teenage love, Mykolas has combined this craft with digital skills in turn creating display
fonts and occasional custom typefaces like Guts, a purposefully overly rounded typeface he
recently created for Guts agency. However looking forward, “hopefully a small type foundry will

Florian Karste
be born in the near future.”

Florian Karsten
Brno, Czech Republic
An independent studio since 2014, Florian Karsten splits its focus between type design and websites. In
fact, the studio began to design typefaces when it was in need of more custom options for its own web
projects. While many of the foundry’s typefaces appear explorative in nature, Florian Karsten is equally
focused on timelessness and problem solving. A perfect example is its pixel-based serif typefaces, which
are both exciting while devoid of superfluous additions. The foundry is currently working on new releases
for 2023 and its new foundry site.

Setup Type
Bratislava, Slovakia
Helmed by Ondrej Jób, Setup Type has been running for over a decade as a Slovak type foundry and
design studio offering retail and custom typefaces, and much more. Past projects have included a custom
typeface for Slovak National Gallery as well as work with historical typefaces, such as the digitalisation
of the original signage for 1930 functionalist ferry terminal in Bratislava, Propeller.
Licensable typefaces have also looked to the culture of Bratislava, like Manual Grotesk A, which
offers a classic Slovak street plate typeface. While retail typefaces vary drastically in style, from a
decorative script with detached ball terminals to the more digitally inspired, there is a sharpness
and inclination towards heritage across the catalogue.

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PE SALO
GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 08 CENTRAL & EASTERN EUROPE

Type Salon
Ljubljana, Slovenia
From Ljubljana comes independent type design studio Type Salon, focused on creating memorable letter
shapes that combine diverse heritages with contemporary presence. In the past, typefaces have looked
to architecture and Slovenian posters from the interwar period, with an emphasis on being finely crafted
yet multi-usable.
Salon also covers a variety of character sets and multi-scripts; since 2020, the foundry has
released six typefaces in Latin, Cyrillic, Greek and Arabic. While typefaces like the art deco Gizela
feel fitting for more romantic branding, Column Cultures, made with the help of microbiologist
Primož Turnšek, is a welcome departure into the wilderness. Founders Alja Herlah and Krista
Likar also organise typographic workshops and lectures in Slovenia.

Joanna Angulska
Poznań, Poland
Designer Joanna Angulska is perhaps best known for her work with script typefaces. One of Joanna’s earliest
brush-based releases is the memorable Papaik, inspired by hand lettered sign paintings. The designer
has since released others such as Popeye, a personality-laden display perfectly suited for bold posters.
Her designs often nod in style to street signs and shop windows from the 60s, while feeling updated for
contemporary use. More recently, Joanna has begun work with The Northern Block on a new design of
another script typeface.

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SUVA TYPE
GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 08 CENTRAL & EASTERN EUROPE

Suva Type Foundry

Tallinn, Estonia
Suva Type Foundry was born from a week-long intensive type design workshop. Every one of its typefaces
has been designed by the students and faculty of the graphic design department at Estonian Academy of
Arts (EKA). The result is a dizzying amount of diverse typefaces – though all Suva’s fonts lean stylistically
towards initial typeface sketches, due to the way they are made. The name Suva mirrors this eclectic
approach; the foundry explains that Suva means “random”. It also refers to the history of the EKA building

Displaay Dis
itself, a former sock factory. Suva’s collection of typefaces is still expanding.

Displaay
Prague, Czech Republic
Established by Martin Vácha in 2014, Displaay focuses on retail and custom typefaces. As a foundry, its
aim is to “develop distinctive typefaces” that it currently believes are missing from the wider market. As a
result, “specific moments of imperfection and spontaneous irregularities inspire our ethos,” says Martin.
A respected library of fonts by the global design community, recently the foundry has launched Offline, a
selection of physical products including badges, playing cards and more in contrast to the digital world of

KOMETA KOM
fonts – which are available exclusively via Displaay’s website.

Kometa
Brno, Czech Republic
Kometa was founded in 2018 with a unique premise that fonts might inspire the same fervour as sports, with
the foundry borrowing its name from “the iconic Moravian hockey team”, it explains. Though, in antithesis
to the fast-paced urgency of the pitch, Kometa is slowly curating a collection of indie typefaces, which
range from workhorse to eccentric, in effort to stand apart from on a tight shelf space. It also tries to imbue
each of its typefaces with an intellectual component. For example, its intentionally lopsided debut release,
Labil Grotesk, which explores what might happen if you put a quintessential skeleton of a sans-serif to the
tests of gravity.

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SECTION 09

T HE
MIDDLL E E A S T
MIDD

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‫تروب‬
GLOBAL TYPE

Hey Porter!
Amman, Jordan
AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES

The typography practice of Hey Porter! combines founder Tawfiq Dawi’s self-taught graphic design education
alongside a wider degree in the visual arts. A specific interest in fonts first began in 2017, when Tawfiq
began an experimental poster project to explore Arabic typography in graphic design. Each evening for the
following three years were spent creating new posters, practising his type design. Eventually, he established
his own independent digital type foundry focusing on developing contemporary display typefaces. Such
dedication to the practice has led to a growing library of modern Arabic typefaces, like Kaifama, based
on Mushafi and Fatimid Kufic scripts and Endama, combining futuristic aesthetics with a classic Thuluth
calligraphy style.
SECTION 09 THE MIDDLE EAST

a Soufeh
Lana Soufeh
Amman, Jordan and Lausanne, Switzerland
A type designer from Amman, Jordan, Lana Soufeh describes her creative state of mind as an ongoing
conflict with her culture, “specifically falling in love with it more and more when writing, reading and
speaking Arabic”, she says. Currently away from home and working towards a masters in type design at
ECAL, Lana is finding herself increasingly eager to “explore my mother tongue first through Latin type
design since there are not any schools and not enough digital Arabic typefaces (yet).”
In turn, Lana is working towards becoming a helpful resource for students and professionals like
herself by building a body of research on the history of Arabic printing, and collecting points of
view from type designers dealing with Arabic script in digital contexts.

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GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 09 THE MIDDLE EAST

Alaa Tameem
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and Amman, Jordan
Following studies into multiple aspects of visual culture – including Arabic type, wayfinding and signage –
Alaa is a designer and art director with a vast portfolio focused on branding and type design. At present he
is the design director of Milk Network and the founder of Zero Posters, an initiative which aims to explore
new techniques and styles of Arabic typography. Creating a vast body of concept driven lettering via Zero,
his upcoming release is The Manchette Typeface, an example of Alaa’s stylistic tendencies of creating
“enriching Arabic design with a refreshed, systematised and pragmatic personal imprint.”

font
IT’S NICE THAT INSIGHT REPORT N°02
Fontef
Tel Aviv, Israel
Fontef was founded by two passionate lovers of type. Yanek Iontef, who has been drawing typefaces
since 1994 and loves to cycle the streets of Tel Aviv looking for old topographic street signage; and Daniel
Grumer, whose interest in design came from drawing logos of football teams when he was younger, but was
attracted by “the meaningful combination between Hebrew and Arabic”. Now focusing on the possibilities
of multilingual type design, the foundry creates type in Hebrew, Latin and Arabic. To date, they’ve also
collaborated with a number of Latin-based foundries – like Commercial Type and Dinamo – on projects in
which they often design Hebrew.

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SECTION 10

SOUTH
ASIA

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 GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 10 SOUTH ASIA

Vani Jain Van

Vani Jain
Mumbai, India

‫سامح زوار‬
Vani Jain’s trajectory into type design is one familiar with many a designer’s entry into the medium: the “36
Days of Type” challenge. Always interested in graphic design, Vani developed her first font, Wriggle, via the
challenge – in which creatives design a letterform each day, for 36 days, to complete the Latin alphabet.
Shortly after, the designer expanded her learnings to create Bucky Peach, a slight juxtaposition to Wriggle
structurally, while even more experimental. Despite being her first typeface designs, and personally driven
projects, both were hugely popular amongst the design community, leading to Vani continually experimenting
with the medium. She is currently working on her third typeface, Transmit, soon to be released, and a zine
compiling her font-based explorations.

Rawaz Hammas
Karachi, Pakistan
The practice of Rawaz Hammas is a type-based artistic vision of Urdu via lettering and design. Originally
studying calligraphy at the University of Karachi, Pakistan, the artist’s practice has tirelessly worked to
improve and create designs with meaning in the Urdu language. An example of this is Bunyaad, his latest
typeface which is “a testament to his passion for Urdu design and his commitment to using his abilities
to bring beauty to the written word”. This passion for bringing a sense of purpose and impact has led to a
fruitful career working with commercial and cultural clients for the artist, and it’s incredible to see him also
continue to develop his own letterforms, too.

யுனிவர்ச
Universal Thirst
Bangalore, India and Reykjavík, Iceland
The primary goal of Universal Thirst is to “expand the design possibilities” for Indic writing, which includes
Devanagari, Tamil, Gujarati, Gurmukhi and Bangla. Set up by Gunnar Vilhjálmsson and Kalapi Gajjar, the
duo now works across a team of designers who have experience in both Indic and Latin fonts. Spanning
experimental releases – like the gooey psychedelia inspired Ilai – and more functional fonts, – like the 20th
Century editorial style Meursault – its safe to say the foundry has its fingers in many typographic pies.
Its typefaces have been used the the likes of The Gourmand, Google, Dishoom and Frieze Art Fair.

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SECTION 11

SOUTH
EAST ASIA

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GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 11 SOUTH EAST ASIA

“A LOT OF PEOPLE SEE WESTERN

DESIGN AS THE ONLY STANDARD OF
GOOD DESIGN”: AN EXPLORATION
OF TYPE DESIGN IN SOUTH EAST ASIA
To discover further detail and crucial context about the type design scene
across South East Asia, we sat down with three designers across Vietnam
and the Philippines. Joining us from Metro Manila is Jo Malinis, a graphic
designer who can be found working on identities and type design – when
she’s not teaching at the Philippines College of Fine Arts. A creative advocate
for type design from the Philippines, Jo is also the founder of Type63, an
initiative that aims to showcase and celebrate Filipino type design.
When travelling across South East Asia, those fond of type design will instantly
discover a variety of scripts steeped in history, combined with inspiration Then, from Vietnam, we’re joined by Đức Cao, an independent type and
driven from adaptive uses of everyday life. Across the designers and foundries graphic designer in Ho Chi Minh. A knowledgeable resource on Vietnamese
we’ve met in creating this report, individuals have noted influences taken graphic design, Đức is additionally a member of Lưu Chữ, the Vietnamese
from hand-painted signage and drawn attention to design details unique to typographic archive. And finally, also in Vietnam, we have Bảo Lâm. An
their script, such as diacritics. Recent years have also seen creatives across all-round creative – Bảo currently works as a digital product designer with
disciplines single out typography as an underappreciated craft so necessary a passion for type, and loves photography, too – he founded Yellow Type
to communicate regional character clearly, and effectively, via a written voice. Foundry together with Duy Đào. It’s a burgeoning library of fonts designed
As one of our contributors here describes, selecting a typeface, let alone specifically for the previously neglected letterforms of the Vietnamese
designing one, is an intimate experience – “It’s music we can read!” language in a digital environment.
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GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 11 SOUTH EAST ASIA

It’s Nice That: Could you each tell us how your fascination with Bảo Lâm: I came across typography when I was still in high school but it
type design began? What can you trace it back to? was only a hobby I did back then. It wasn’t until I met my graphic design
tutor in Saigon in 2018, and he passed the type design flame to me. It was a
Đức Cao: For me, it started out in primary school, where calligraphy was magical moment. I realised how the shapes of letters are just like us – they
taught as a subject. I remember spending hours practising drawing letters have emotions and souls. The harmony between dark and white on a blank
with my ink-covered hands to capture a perfect “O”. After that I was canvas can be so fascinating. It's music we can read! Also I can actually
experimenting with graphic design and illustration and found type design create a digital product that everybody can use, how cool is that!
to be the perfect middle ground for both practices.
It’s Nice That: Music we can read! I would love to know more about
Jo Malinis: For me, it started at work. My boss assigned me to work on a the education opportunities in your respective countries when it
custom typeface. The brand already had calligraphic letterforms but, because comes to type design? How was your experience at university?
we were trying to “modernise” it for a more commercial appeal, it needed
a sleeker look – that's when I stepped in. This was around 2014 or 2015. Jo Malinis: Oh gosh... there are none. At least during my time in
At that time I had no idea that type design was even a thing and, for some university, we were mostly taught how to use type. There weren't any
reason, never really questioned where typefaces came from. electives or workshops available to understand type design the way
that I know it now, and if there were classes outside of school offered,
they were mostly on calligraphy and lettering. (And there were only a
few of them!)

“ I HOPE TO SEE MORE Now we are slowly starting to see the value in type design and universities
have started to offer electives and workshops on it — but these are only

E X PERIMENTAL DIACRITIC accessible to those who have the opportunity to experience higher education.

Đức Cao: There were close to none here back when I was at university.
DESIGN IN GEN
GE N ERAL. YOU CAN Right now, I’m not so sure. I do see a few classes here and there in one or
two of the local universities as an elective. But that course usually lasts for
ALWAYS HA H AVE FUN DESIGNING a semester, and is not usually taught by those who have experience in type
design themselves.

IT WITHOUT MAKING IT TOO Bảo Lâm: I believe the graphic design scene in Vietnam is still very young
compared to our Western friends Change - after “friends” to – we don't have
STAN
STA N DARD LOOK
LOO K I NG
NG..” a history of graphic design or anything that has such depth. In type design
specifically, I really do believe that we've only been paying attention to this
— D U C CAO industry for the last five years. We don't have universities that teach type
design, we haven't even got any type foundries here, and most of all, our
awareness of font licensing is very vague.
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Đức Cao: To echo what Jo has mentioned earlier, I was never aware you
could make a living with type design, as the practice wasn’t mentioned or
taught at all by any of the lecturers.

Jo Malinis: And same with Đức's comment on who teaches type. They
are usually not experienced in type design themselves, which to me is
understandable at this point. “I DO REALLY
Bảo Lâm: I guess the lucky thing is that we use Latin glyphs so we don't
have hard times catching up with the west?
HOPE TYPE
It’s Nice That: Đức and Bảo, would you say there is a particular DESIGN WILL
visual style to Vietnam type design in terms of aesthetics?

Bảo Lâm: Haha yes, but it's such a cliché! We've been doing “Vietnamese
BE BET TER
aesthetic” typefaces with chunky letters (mostly referenced from avant
garde) and hairline accents – there are like 100 fonts with that look. But if
CONSIDERED AS
we're talking about “Vietnamese look” in a typeface, I wouldn't say there's
a specific style. I think it's more like typefaces that the Vietnamese feel A PROFESSION,
ESPECIALLY IN
at home when they look at it, or they know for sure it was designed by a
Vietnamese designer. The glyphs such as Ư (U horn) or Ả (Hook above
comb) are unique to us.

Đức Cao: Based on my observation, I wouldn’t say that there is a strong SOUTH EAST
and particular style here yet, but I do think that there are a few motifs that
are often used among type designers here. One example is display and
decorative typefaces that fall somewhere between lettering and type design,
ASIAN COUNTRIES,
as the reference often comes from old vernacular signages with beautifully
drawn letterings.
AND BE MORE
It’s Nice That: That makes sense. In terms of this growing aesthetic, ACCESSIBLE.”
when I was reading the biography of Yellow Type Foundry Bảo, — BAO LAM
you mentioned how since the beginning of the internet many
typefaces have not been designed for the Vietnamese language.
As your work is driven to change this, would you mind telling us
more about this mission?
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Bảo Lâm: Yeah, it's a sad thing to be honest. We all know choosing the right It’s Nice That: Thank you for sharing this. It’s such a shame, but
font is a pain in the ass every time, right? But it's doubly hard when you it is exciting to see foundries such as yours emerging to change
design for Vietnamese, because most of the available typefaces back then this. Is there anything you’d like to add on this subject matter Đức?
did not support Vietnamese glyphs and we just kept using one typeface for
everything. Or worse – we have tofus (the squares) in our designs, or the Đức Cao: Similar to what Bảo has mentioned, type piracy or modification
error glyphs that sabotage the whole thing. without permission is a common practice, even among the designers. The
shortage of Vietnamese support for typefaces is uncanny, and we find
The best we could do was a “Vietnamisation” (illegally modify the typeface ourselves falling back to a few typefaces from project to project. This is why
without the type designer's awareness, with no licence). It has even become many people decide to head to the black market and purchase fonts with
a business in our industry: you hire somebody with a bit of type design prices that are ten times cheaper and Vietnamese ready.
knowledge to "Vietnamise" the typeface for you, and most of the time it only
costs like $10 to do so. Even well-known corporations do this because they It’s Nice That: It's really frustrating. The diacritical marks featured
are not aware. Imagine instead of paying $9.99 per month for Spotify, you in the Latin-based Vietnamese alphabet also present a variety of
hire somebody to sing that foreign song in your language for just ten cents design challenges I can imagine, especially with elements such
(and resell it online, without the artist's permission). as kerning. What are your biggest considerations when designing
a typeface with this level of detail?
My goal is to slowly change this landscape. It might take years, five, ten, even
20, but it has to change. Our first move is to make a really good business Đức Cao: I think that would be creating enough space to fit them in,
in type design, with our own hands and knowledge, to provide people the especially double stacked diacritics for capital letters, and proper kerning
typefaces they need (and want). for combination with letters like Ư and Ơ (“u” and “o” with horn) as it is
usually forgotten. Very specific, yes.

“I BELIEVE THE Bảo Lâm: Good question! I agree that designing Vietnamese accents is
challenging, but it's a privilege I think. The hardest part is always kerning
and leading for sure. The more I design these stacked accents, the more I
GRAPHIC DESIGN SCENE IN realise that they could be dynamic, which means their shapes can be varied
to adapt the situation. You just have to test over and over again to make

VIETNAM IS STILL VERY sure all the variations work well together.

YOUNG COMPARED TO OUR

But it often also comes with a trade-off: Let's say you want a beautiful horn
comb but the kerning can be worse, or the hook above comb can break the
tight leading... There are many times you have to really consider what to
WESTERN FRIENDS.” keep and what needs to be gone.

— BAO LAM Đức Cao: Overall, I hope to see more experimental diacritic design in general.
You can always have fun designing it without making it too standard looking.
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Bảo Lâm: Yeah I second that, I think it depends on your purpose - if you're
designing a display typeface, you can always have fun going wild.

It’s Nice That: Onto the Philippines with you Jo. Can you describe
how the type design scene comes to life? especially considering
the variety of languages spoken?

Jo Malinis: I think understanding what Filipino type is and how it looks is an

ongoing discussion that could have many possible answers, so it's hard to
fit it into just one concise description. But, it is definitely a conversation that

“I PERSONALLY we are currently having, and that's a good first step into finding an answer
for it.

SEE T YPE DESIGN I personally see type design in the Philippines being used as a vehicle to
preserve culture and express it, and this is evident in the different approaches
IN THE PHILIPPINES that Filipino type designers use to create their work. Some are based on
existing calligraphic or lettering work, some take visual cues from everyday

BEING USED AS life, while others represent non-tangible ideas unique to their culture (like,
say, how they visualise the tone of how their language is usually spoken).
It's all very colourful, in my opinion.
A VEHICLE TO It’s Nice That: And how does this scene impact your
PRESERVE CULTURE work personally?

AND EXPRESS IT ”
Jo Malinis: Hmm... I find that it makes me question how I approach design
in general. A lot of people see Western design as the only standard of good
design, and that's been adapted in the way that we teach design as well.
— JO MALANIS It is challenging to step away from that mindset when you've held it for so
long so now that I am exposed to more local work, it becomes easier to see
how that view can be problematic.

It’s Nice That: Would you mind if I asked about the Baybayin
script? Does this influence your work or is it not commonly used?

Jo Malinis: I don't use Baybayin in any of my work because I (unfortunately)

do not know how to read and write with it. The Philippines has a number of
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different scripts, but almost all of them are either endangered or obsolete.
We don't teach them in school, unless you take a very specific class for
them in university (or outside school), so it is not common to know how
to use it. Some type designers have been trying to preserve and/or revive
Baybayin, which is good, but without any educational component to help
with how it's used, it will always remain endangered.

It’s Nice That: With this in mind, could you tell us about Type63
specifically, and what drove you to set up the platform?

Jo Malinis: Sure! Type63 was actually born out of curiosity, but also sadness
and frustration.

It came at a time where I would receive critique on my type design work from
foreign professionals who I found out through Alphabettes or Type Crit Crew.
“ T YPE63 WAS
It made me ask why there weren't any local designers I could approach for
help. I barely knew anyone except for some online type design friends who
ACTUALLY BORN
were also exploring the field. This led me to ask who the type designers of
the Philippines are, if there are any. And so I created Type63 to try and look OUT OF CURIOSITY,
BUT ALSO SADNESS
for them.

It was important to me to get to know local creators since they could

hopefully discuss type design as a practice in our context. This is very
important to have, because the situations here and abroad are different. AND FRUSTRATION”
The work environments, accessibility to information, sensitivity to different — JO MALINIS
cultures when it comes to borrowing aesthetics, financial concerns, etc. –
all of these were, and still are, things that come into play when talking about
type design.

It’s Nice That: And it’s such an amazing platform as a result. Also,
all of you work as independent type designers or have your own
foundries, why did you decide to set up your own company as
opposed to working in-house somewhere?

Jo Malinis: I figured being an independent type designer would be the best

setup for me because I get to explore work with different foundries and
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networks, design studios, and clients in general. This is where I plan to gain It’s Nice That: Finally, what are you all hoping to do in the future?
experience working with type, and then figure out if pursuing my own foundry But also, how do you hope type design develops in the next few
or joining an in-house team would be a good next step. years for upcoming designers?

Bảo Lâm: I'm still working fulltime as a product designer, the foundry is still Jo Malinis: I want to be able to release a typeface that I won't hate after five
under construction and as I mentioned before - the job isn't done until I'm or ten years! I don't know if I'll get to study more in an academic setting,
satisfied, so I'm still considering it as a hobby and trying not to put pressure but I do want to gain more knowledge about it. And, for type design in the
on it. I believe the best work you produce is the work you do in your playtime! Philippines, my hope is that it becomes more accessible and that I get to
know and talk to new designers who share the same passion for it soon.
Đức Cao: Right after my postgrad course in type design I was applying to a
few type foundries, but because of the time zone differences and their current Bảo Lâm: For me I'd really love to get the foundry out there and put our
operation scale they weren’t able to afford to hire me as a result. I’d love to name on the map, then have the chance to give back to the community. I do
join one to understand a more structural and systematic way to approach really hope type design will be better considered as a profession, especially
type design works in the future. But for now operating as an independent in South East Asian countries, and be more accessible.
designer gives me time and space to figure out my voices at my own pace.
Đức Cao: In the near future I’d love to collaborate with more type designers
But because of how small the type design community is I’ve been able to to learn more about the process of designing type. In the far off future, I’d
connect and receive lots of guidance and feedback from fellow designers love to have a font library of my own, and possibly my own practice and
while working on my own stuff, which is a huge plus! studio space.

It’s Nice That: Out of interest, would you say there is a community I hope type design will be more accessible and taught in schools and
of type designers you communicate with in your specific cities? universities more. That more people will understand that this is such an
People you talk about work with, or look to for advice? interesting profession and there will be more designers with new and exciting
voices joining our force.
Đức Cao: Yes, they are usually my colleagues at Lưu Chữ as they are all
type enthusiasts. Other than that I spend quite a lot of time figuring stuff out
on my own.

Jo Malinis: It's Type63 for me, haha.

It’s Nice That: You've built your own community!

Bảo Lâm: Ah not quite, I often collaborate with only my co-founder. I created
a Facebook group for Vietnamese type designers, but haven't got time
and energy for it. Still, I would love to connect in real life with more fellow
type designers!
IT’S NICE THAT INSIGHT REPORT N°02 MARCH 2023 PAGE 76
ơng Trần
GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 11 SOUTH EAST ASIA

Dương Trần
Hanoi City, Vietnam
Describing himself as a “type explorer”, Dương Trần’s work displays his passion for visual identities,
layout design and, of course, typography. His foray into type design only began in 2020, but the designer’s
ability and interest in crafting letters with emotional expressions already cements Dương as an exciting
name in the Vietnamese type design scene. Like many designers from the region, he is also interested in
scaling up the market of typefaces which can support the Vietnamese script in more detail, and with wider
variety. A perfect example of this practice is his typeface DT Phudu, a display sans-serif typeface inspired
by Vietnamese hand-lettering billboards which supports 192 languages with special diacritical marks.

HRFTYPE
Hrftype
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Hrftype is a type design studio specialising in multi-script and font development. The foundry largely
concentrates on custom typefaces for numerous organisations, as well as retail fonts “that reflect our
culture’s aspiration with contemporary craft”. To see its growing collection of custom work head over to
Hrftype’s Instagram.

YELLOW T
Yellow Type Foundry
Tuy Hoa city, Vietnam
Formed by Bảo Lâm and Duy Đào in 2018, Yellow Type Foundry is the typographic output of these two
Vietnamese designers. Especially made for the Vietnamese language, the pair are proud to inherit a
unique and stacked diacritics system, while still using the Latin alphabet. “As a matter of fact,” adds Bảo,
“many typefaces are not made for Vietnamese since the very beginning of the internet and it breaks our
hearts that our people have been limited to speak our language in different choices – and we’re here to
change that.”

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DỨC CAO D
GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 11 SOUTH EAST ASIA

Đức Cao
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
The practice of Đức Cao explores the syntax of shapes and lines, and the logic behind these elements across
graphic and type design, as well as illustration. A core member of the Vietnamese Typographic Archive,
alongside designing his own typefaces, Đức can be found researching and archiving the graphic design
history of his home country while he currently completes his studies at the Plantin Institute of Typography.
His most recent release is Swirl, a Latin European and Vietnamese outline display typeface inspired by the

JO MAILINIS
twists and turns of a flat brush, available via BlazeType.

Jo Malinis
Metro Manila, Philippines
Jo Malinis is a designer who is fascinated by letterforms and how they can be “representative of concepts
and themes”. For example, her satisfyingly buoyant, bubbly type Salbrida Sans takes inspiration from
inflated rubber vests; or objects that keep people afloat. Previously, Jo was part of Plus63, and is now
an instructor at the University of the Philippines Diliman College of Fine Arts where she teaches Visual
Communication Design, as well as leading her own independent practice. Alongside her type design practice,
Jo founded Type63, an initiative that “serves as a platform to celebrate and showcase type design and

POWER
typography by Filipinos”.

Power Type Foundry

Makassar, Indonesia
Established by Teguh Arief in 2021, Power Type Foundry is an independent, digital font foundry with a focus
on current trends. Constantly in dialogue with trending designs across visual culture, the foundry offers
a variety of fonts for test use as well as commercial fonts for daily design tasks.
With six typefaces available to date, favourites of ours include Offbit, a font derived from Bitmap
that thematically nods to computing and graphic design; or the more playful Power Display, a
funk inspired font ideal for logotypes, branding and packaging.

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SECTION 12

EAST ASIA

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MOOL
GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 12 EAST ASIA

Moolong Type
Tokyo, Japan
Housing the typographic practice of designer Ayumi Kiryu, Moolong Type combines experimentally leaning
Japanese scripts and Ayumi’s wider graphic design work. First becoming interested in letters when she
took a typography class at Nihon University College of Art, a hunch was confirmed that Ayumi wanted to
concentrate on letterforms as opposed to layouts.
Gaining experience at Kinuta Typeface Production – known for widely used typefaces such as
Maruaki – after graduating, today Ayumi can be found expanding the remits of how we design
type. This is shown in Kiriko Kana, a typeface created by using hand cut paper rather than
handwritten strokes.

Boomi Park
Seoul, South Korea
If you’re in need of a Hangul typeface, Seoul-based designer Boomi Park is the person to call. A designer
at South Korean type foundry Sandoll, in her role Boomi has created a number of popular retail fonts
in Korea, including Hoyoyo, Nemony and Gwanghwamoon, as well creating custom typeface projects.
However her skills don’t just stop at designing glyphs as Boomi can additionally convert various
scripts, including Latin, into Hangul. As well as her work at Sandoll, head to Boomi’s Instagram to
see further typographic experiments.

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GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 12 EAST ASIA

YMG Type Foundry

Seoul, South Korea
Having completed a bachelor’s degree in graphic design, Mingoo Yoon headed to ECAL in Switzerland
for his master’s, where he specialised in bi-script design for Hangul and Latin alphabets. He has since
continued this work through his foundry in Seoul, YMG Type Foundry. He and his team focus on multi-
script type design, especially on Hangul with Latin, but also CJK (Chinese, Japanese and Korean) fonts,
creating typefaces suitable for each culture’s typographic background. This foundry has carried out type
design projects for companies including Google and YouTube. Alongside this work, Mingoo is also currently
teaching at Hongik University and Ewha Womans University, both in Seoul. The typeface showcased here,

TYPE 3TYP
Favorit Hangul, is available via ABC Dinamo.

3Type
Shanghai, China
3type is an outfit that describes itself as a “typical and atypical foundry”. When viewing its type library, fonts
range from the classic and elegant Ellenda, the glitchy, pixelated Dinkie T to the stylish and contemporary
RVS Basic. This variation comes from the foundries wide range of experience, with its designers having
backgrounds in contemporary art, curation, translation, writing and historical research, alongside
design, a fact that has “greatly empowered” 3type’s understanding of writing systems, cultures and, “most
essentially, typefaces”.

gaoZinN
Zin Nagao
Tokyo, Japan
For his day job, Zin works for Fontworks, which sells Japanese typefaces and fonts, but alongside this he
has a thriving and highly experimental personal practice. On the website of his foundry, named FOZNT, he
gives away his typefaces – which he somewhat mischievously describes as “useless” – for free. As this
might suggest, they lean away from obvious practical applications and instead feel like the results of play,
exploration and experimentation. One of his most intriguing typefaces, Yon Yon, was created by applying
the “mysterious and lovely geometric shapes of Hangul to European text”; the project was nominated for
the Tokyo Type Directors Club Award 2023.

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 DONG
GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 12 EAST ASIA

Dong-hoon Han
Seoul, South Korea
Korean typeface designer Dong-hoon Han’s interest in letters spans far beyond the realm of graphic
design. An individual interested in “all fields and activities related to letters, such as writing, writing letters
and designing letters”, like fellow Korean designer, Boomi Park, Han has also worked at Sandoll, as well
as Tlab and contributed to design criticism titles. Within Han’s designs you’ll find a love of contrast in
type design, such as his font, Tlab MoonForte, which is inspired by the third movement of Beethoven’s
Moonlight Symphony.

霍山型 霍
Huoshan Type
Beijing, China
Founded by graphic designer Canfei, Huoshan Type (HS Type) is actually a side project. As they finish
work each evening, Canfei will switch over to designing Chinese fonts and hopes, in future, to be able
to make a living purely from designing typefaces. But despite being a burgeoning side project, HS
Type has already released six sets of Chinese font families to date. HS Qinghe Sans, a longer term
project, is also in the works and includes 3,000+ characters, set to be completed in 2024. For now, we
recommend looking at the craft displayed in Huoshan Type’s Haohai and Hanbing fonts to start with.

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GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 13 OCEANIA

SECTION 13

OCEANIA

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klim klim
GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 13 OCEANIA

Klim Type Foundry

Te Whanganui-a-Tara/Wellington, Aotearoa/New Zealand
Working from the ethos of “a thing well made”, Klim Type Foundry combines historical knowledge with
rigorous contemporary craft. Established by Kris Sowersby in 2005, Klim has grown to have a globe-
trotting influence, with its variable typefaces being used by large clients across the world. Many fonts in
its library have an artfully classic feel and have been used in publications like the National Geographic and
The Financial Times, while other fonts lend themselves to a more digitised culture, being used by the likes
of Apple and PayPal.

Mahoney
Gemma Mahoney
Melbourne, Australia
Good designers tend to understand that typography is about more than creating designs that look good;
it’s about evoking emotions and communicating personality. Gemma, a multidisciplinary graphic designer
based in Melbourne, is a case in point. She describes her work as “not only an exercise in aesthetics but
also an emotional experience”, and we can see why. Her display typefaces are full of bold and eye-catching
details, from the elongated serifs of Fleck to the swollen joints of Daze Display to the sophisticated, nostalgic
flourishes of Nurture Display. Gemma says she brings “creativity and playfulness to a disciplined process”
– a combination that produces typefaces to conjure the emotions.

yn Fung
Jazlyn Fung
Melbourne, Australia
Originally from Hong Kong and now living in Melbourne, Jazlyn Fung is an independent type and graphic
designer. Her bespoke library of fonts include the joyfully named Happy Fat Font, driven by her aim to
“design something fun and spread happiness to people in the lockdown” and 800G, inspired by the shape
of extra large eggs to create a double yolk character.
Before designing typefaces, Jazlyn worked in the worlds of branding and environmental graphics.
Her recent move to Melbourne has made way for a period of experimentation with designing type
however, creating typefaces with meaning, ideally a story, but “also, to be emotional and fun”.

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Matter of S
GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 13 OCEANIA

Matter of Sorts
Unceded Wurundjeri land, Naarm, Melbourne, Australia
The typographic practice of Vincent Chan, Matter of Sorts is a type foundry whose interests expand to
notions of commoning, designing, pedagogy, type “and where they might overlap, co-mingle and meld”.
In turn, the foundry offers a changing library of retail typefaces and custom fonts for a variety of clients.
An award-winning practitioner – Vincent was also awarded the Ascender award from the Type
Directors Club, recognised for “expanding the medium of typography” – Matter of Sorts has plenty
of families to choose from, but our favourites include Telegram, Quadrant Text and Recollection,
to name a few.

Digital Met
Metis Digital
Melbourne, Australia
Metis is a digital type foundry established in 2018 as an extension of io design company, the studio run
by Simon Bent, with Gillian Bent (and Scully, their Cairn Terrier). The foundry specialises in producing
typefaces that are both conceptually and visually distinctive, challenging preconceived ideas of what a font
should look like. Indeed, in many of its typefaces, legibility has taken such a backseat, it’s reclining in the
back of a stretch limo. The fonts are wonderfully experimental. Take a look, for instance, at the illustrative
display typeface Alexandro (created out of a yearning to do something “downright weird”) or the joyful and
psychedelic Molten, an exploration into semi-liquid letterforms.

Huang Wei
Wei Huang
Unceeded Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung land, Australia
For Wei Huang, type design exists as a medium between “craft, technology and aesthetics”. His high-tech
types, which jump from spiky, experimental exhibition typefaces to widely accessible sans fonts show true
diversity of craft. With an array of past clients including Caroline Polachek, Google, Microsoft and WARP
Records, his work is widely disseminated over all corners of the cultural landscape. In 2014, Wei released
the open source typeface Work Sans through Google Fonts which is now one of the most popular fonts on
Google, viewed one billion times a week online. In 2022, he was awarded the Type Director Club’s Ascenders
competition. Wei's dream commission is to design typefaces for video games.

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GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 14 CONCLUSION

CONCLUSION

A large part of this realisation for us has been the thoughtful designers
who offered their time to discuss the typographic scenes in their respective
regions from South America, Central and Eastern Europe to South East
Asia. In one essay, Chantra Malee, Aasawari Kulkarni and Nadine Chahine
joined us to discuss the imbalance of female leadership in this industry.
From the difficulties paid-for design awards place on designers operating
with alternate currencies, to the armour female-identifying type designers
Global Type first began as a sprawling spreadsheet. But over the past few have to wear in male-dominated environments, or the lack of diacritics
months it has moulded into, what we hope, is a snapshot of talent working restricting the written voice of Vietnamese designers, despite all the power
across the typography industry today. Aside from unearthing a whole typography holds there is plenty more work to be executed to ensuring the
host of global talent, we’ve found individuals crafting communities as well industry is balanced, fair and, in turn, fruitful for emerging creatives joining
as letterforms. the scene in future.

From those who came to the medium via late night graffiti treks to curious Global Type has been an immense project for learning in the It’s Nice That
young creatives admiring signage from Metro Manila to Cairo and Oslo, team. It has shaped into a report far beyond the initial directory of talent we’d
the designers featured in this report have proven typography’s potential to originally planned, all thanks to the voices of those featured. And, although
connect perhaps more than any other visual medium. It provides opportunities this marks the end of the report, we look forward to further investigating type
to present oneself or a small community through to country-wide histories, design far beyond the regions of our own, and hope Global Type encourages
and all through the particular formation of a character set. you to do the same.
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GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 14 CONCLUSION

A special thank you to Will Knight and Africa Pombo who spent days locked
in a meeting room looking at over 400 type designers and foundries. An
additional thank you to Ruby Boddington, Đức Cao, Fer Cozzi, Future Fonts,
3Type and Antonio Carrau for your research help and advice. Of course a huge
thank you to the 100 designers and foundries featured for your cooperation
(and patience!).

Global Type was developed by It’s Nice That’s Creative Insights team, a new
department that carries out research and analyses visual trends in the creative
world. We also do this and similar work for in-house teams at brands and
agencies around the globe. To learn more about how our Creative Insights
department can support you and your team’s creative goals, drop Sophie a
line on sd@itsnicethat.com.

COLOPHON
EDITORIAL TEAM
Lucy Bourton Editor
Liz Gorny Writer
Olivia Hingley Writer
Matt Alagiah Editor-in-chief
CREATIVE TEAM
Will Knight Art Director
Africa Pombo Designer
DIGITAL TEAM
Brittany Wilson Digital Campaign Manager
PROJECT MANAGERS
Derya Adiyaman Project Manager
Sophie Davies Project Manager
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GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 14 CONCLUSION

FOUNDRY LOCATION TYPEFACE

NORTH AMERICA
Typeji New York, United States Min Sans
Pangram Pangram Montreal, Canada Right Slab
Vocal Type Washington DC, United States Eva
Nuform Type Berkeley, United States BRZO
Contrast Foundry Sunnyvale, United States Flic Flac
Dum Dum Studio Monterrey, Mexico Clarel
Jessica Gracia Mexico City, Mexico Gracia Regular
Biliktü Toronto, Canada Arbeiter
Future Fonts Oregon, United States Zafran

SOUTH AMERICA
Inari Type Curitiba, Brazil PP Eiko
Fer Cozzi Buenos Aires, Argentina Rosalind
Bastarda Bogotá, Colombia Salsa BT
Supercontinente San José, Costa Rica Segueta
Reset Montevideo, Uruguay Thundra
Blackletra São Paulo, Brazil Haltrix
Nodo Buenos Aires, Argentina Bau

INDEX AFRICA
Rana Wassef
Valentino Vergan
Cairo, Egypt
Nairobi, Kenya
Remix
Kelyon
Tondi Type Foundry Johannesburg, South Africa Bebop
Boharat Cairo, Egypt Qoronfull Arabic
Issam Type Ain Taujdate, Morocco Magide

SOUTHERN EUROPE
Good Eggs Type Foundry Milan, Italy Diaspora
Milieu Grotesque Lisbon, Portugal Chapeau
Atypical Thessaloniki, Greece Miasma
60 Kilos Jaén, Spain Desultory Galipos
Collletttivo Milan, Italy Halibut

WESTERN EUROPE
APFEL Type Foundry London, England Periferia
Out Of The Dark Geneva, Switzerland Blitz
WiseType Rotterdam, The Netherlands Zaft
Bold Decisions Amsterdam, The Netherlands Glossy
Jung-Lee Type Foundry Amsterdam, The Netherlands Impact
Diorama Type Partners Paris, France Bet
Extraset Geneva, Switzerland Quarz
Kia Tasbihgou London, England Peace 2020

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GLOBAL TYPE AROUND THE WORLD IN 100 FOUNDRIES SECTION 14 CONCLUSION

FOUNDRY LOCATION TYPEFACE FOUNDRY LOCATION TYPEFACE

WESTERN EUROPE (cont.) CENTRAL & EASTERN EUROPE (cont.)

Boom-Promphans The Hague, The Netherlands Crushual Displaay Prague, Czech Republic Bagoss
HAL Typefaces Berlin, Germany Twins Kometa Brno, Czech Republic Victor Narrow
Signal Type Foundry Dublin, Ireland Kōsetsu
Type Lab Paris, France Nikita THE MIDDLE EAST
Hungarumlaut Graz, Austria Mohol Hey Porter! Amman, Jordan Endama Inktrap
F37® Foundry Manchester, England Gela Britain Condensed Lana Soufeh Amman, Jordan Oldstyle Con 1
Lo-ol Geneva, Switzerland Civilitate Alaa Tameem Jeddah, Saudi Arabia The Machette
PolyType Glasgow, Scotland Gela Fontef Tel Aviv, Israel Tel Aviv Brutalist
NaN Berlin, Germany Hyena
Bahman Eslami The Hague, The Netherlands Fedra Serif Arabic SOUTH ASIA
Altiplano Lausanne, Switzerland Nirvana Vani Jain Mumbai, India Bucky Peach
PFA Typefaces Berlin, Germany Laminat Rawaz Hammas Karachi, Pakistan Marzi
Plain Form Paris, France Ready Active Universal Thirst Bangalore, India Ilai Bottom
Boulevard Lab Edinburgh, Scotland Avenue
Bouk Ra Paris, France Hanol SOUTH EAST ASIA
Charlotte Rohde Amsterdam, The Netherland New Edge 666 Dương Trần Hanoi, Vietnam Phunu
Hrftype Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Atti
THE NORDICS Yellow Type Foundry Tuy Hoa, Vietnam Moi Ngoi
Or Type Reykjavík, Iceland Separat Đức Cao Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Swirl
No Bad Type Helsinki, Finland Cigarillo Jo Malinis Metro Manila, Philippines Salbabida
Store Norske Skriftkompani Volda, Norway Store Norske Maleri Power Type Foundry Makassar, Indonesia Neue Power
Good Type Foundry West Cost, Norway Kosmos
Schick Toikka Helsinki, Finland Krana EAST ASIA
PlayType Copenhagen, Denmark Melanzane YMG Type Foundry Seoul, South Korea ABC Favorit Hangul
Bloom Stockholm, Sweden Knopp 3Type Shanghai, China Memo
The Pyte Foundry Oslo, Norway Pyte Legacy Library Zin Nagao Tokyo, Japan ZNVT 17
Huoshan Type Beijing, China HuoshanXiuzhu Sans
CENTRAL & EASTERN EUROPE Moolong Type Tokyo, Japan Moolong
Kulture Type Prishtinë, Kosovo Lugati Boomi Park Seoul, South Korea Boomi
Tüpokompanii Tallinn, Estonia Bougie Dong-hoon Han Seoul, South Kora TlabPsychedelic
Ani Dimitrova Sofia, Bulgaria Faddie
Kyiv Type Foundry Kyiv, Ukraine KTF Compact OCEANIA
NaumType Belgrade, Serbia Juxta Klim Type Foundry Te Whanganui-a-Tara/Wellington, Pitch Sans
Threedotstype Wrocław, Poland Rubin Aotearoa/New Zealand
Shriftovik Type Foundry Tblisi, Georgia SKParnik Regular Gemma Mahoney Melbourne, Australia Daze Display
Kateryna Korolevtseva Kyiv, Ukraine Expromt Jazlyn Fung Melbourne, Australia HappyFat
Florian Karsten Brno, Czech Republic FK Raster Grotesk Compact Matter Of Sorts Unceded Wurundjeri land, Turnery
Mykolas Saulytis Vilnius, Lithuania Mihael Jordan Naarm/Melbourne, Australia
Setup Type Bratislava, Slovakia Odesta Metis Digital Melbourne, Australia MF Molten
Type Salon Ljubljana, Slovenia Wesna Wei Huang Unceded Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Innocence Latterve 4
Joanna Angulska Poznań, Poland Papaik land, Australia
Suva Type Foundry Tallinn, Estonia Akijo

IT’S NICE THAT INSIGHT REPORT N°02 MARCH 2023 PAGE 89

The insights reports is a new department that carries out research and analyses visual trends in the
creative world. This team will be publishing downloadable reports like this one throughout the year,
so keep an eye out for these over the coming months.