TypeMedia Paper June 2017
TypeMedia Paper, #1 Some of the activities of the TypeMedia class of 2016-2017 June 2017 TypeMedia Master Royal Academy of Art Prinsessegracht 4 2514AN The Hague TypeMedia.org
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TypeMedia Paper June 2017
When in doubt, draw!
It takes far less time to read a text than it takes to write and edit it. This asymmetry of effort also exists in the basis of those texts: we can decode the symbols on the page in a fraction of the time it took to make those symbols. As readers we need only a basic understanding of letterforms. In order to design letterforms we must learn to look at the shapes, as well as their patterns and texture, in a far more analytical way. Students at the TypeMedia master do just that. They study contrast, weight, rhythm, proportion, spacing: in short, every aspect of the process of making type. They examine primary sources and original material at museums (Meermanno, PlantijnMoretus) and archives (Koninklijke Bibliotheek, UvA Bijzondere Collecties). Just as importantly, they learn to tinker with the tools: physical writing implements as well as digital and even algorithmic ones. The teaching follows a practical approach in studiobased making and learning. The students are taught to reflect on how the tools they use influence the creative process and the possible outcomes. And most of all they are taught the TypeMedia mantra “When in doubt, draw.”
Frank Grießhammer, February 23, 2017
5x5 Noordzij cube by Toshi
Erik looking at old books
This year, our students came from Mexico, Korea, Germany, The Netherlands, Slovakia, Croatia, South Africa, Argentina, Finland, India, Poland and Spain. A shared curiosity about type brought them to The Hague where they all ran head-long into the reality of a demanding year-long program. Some sparks flew, but mostly it was stone dust, fußballs and darts.
Erik van Blokland Head of TypeMedia Marja van der Burgh Coordinator Paul van der Laan Peter Verheul Senior lecturers
Noted guests Toshi Omagari (Monotype) visited the TM studio to repair the 5x5 Noordzij Rubik’s cube which he designed and gave to the TypeMedia archive for safe keeping. Unfortunately we mixed it up and no one could fix it. Toshi solved it in an impressive 20 minutes.
Ro Hernández
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There were workshops in Arabic letterforms by Kristyan Sarkis, Cyrillic letterforms by Ilya Ruderman, and an expedition into deep font technology by Frank Grießhammer, all TypeMedia alumni. We had a pop-up exhibition of the sketch and sample stones by letter carving teacher Françoise Berserik. In the exhibition (and video!) she showed how materials, light and location inform her design process. We went to TypoLabs: a highly technical conference where makers and engineers from around the world presented ideas on math, line shaping and writing systems. A welcome distraction was offered by the Whispers project, a collaboration with TypeMedia, TypeRadio.org and the communication design students of Indra Kupferschmid from the HbK Saar.
Françoise Berserik Peter Biľak Frank Blokland Petr van Blokland Just van Rossum Fred Smeijers Jan Willem Stas Lecturers Kristyan Sarkis Ilya Ruderman Frank Grießhammer Workshops Daniel Coull Sven Fuchs Pablo Gámez Navarro Borna Grčević Ro Hernández Thom Janssen Eino Korkala Muki Monsalve Eun You Noh Mato Pyšný Lipi Raval Magda Wiśniewska Students TypeMedia 2016-2017
Letter carver Pip Hall presented her work, lettering in the English countryside. Paul Barnes (Commercial Type) gave everyone a critical eye, but his comments are always appreciated. Catherine Dixon (Central Saint Martins) was this year’s external examiner and gave a talk about the design process.
erm, !
Perhaps a minor field in terms of its practitioners, type design is rich in history and it is the cornerstone of many cultures. And somehow it has become the center of hot technological development. We do our best to prepare our graduates for this crossroad.
Arabic sketch by Pablo Gámez
Cover drawing Erik van Blokland
Erik van Blokland
A rubbing of a stone for a butcher’s cat. 26x11 cm
A Dutch boustrophedon, 16 cm high (poem by Hans Verhagen) Preparation and presentation.
Trial and sample stones A one day pop-up exhibition with the work of TM letter carving lecturer Françoise Berserik. October 14, 2017
Which steps are involved in letter carving? How does the material influence the work? How important is the light? While Berserik teaches the basic skills in her class, the design process is interesting because it is not very visible. She talked about her “trial and sample stones”, illustrated with sketches and photographs. A video was made. vimeo.com/193389625
The exhibition also marked the repair of the TypeMedia studio patio wall and the construction of a sturdy ledge which is strong enough to hold all sorts of stones. Now you can see your stone in all sorts of daylight and weather.
A rubbing of a stone for an art painter 23,5x41 cm
A sample stone for a lettercarving alphabet, 28x29x3 cm.
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TypeMedia Paper June 2017
Research
Colophon
The first semester research project supervised by Paul van der Laan. These are the typefaces:
Published by the TypeMedia Dpt. of the Royal Academy of Art, The Hague, June 2017. Text, design: Erik van Blokland Editing, proofs: Françoise Berserik, Marja van der Burgh, Amy Ramsey, Peter Verheul. Photos, if not credited, by Erik van Blokland, Marja van der Burgh, Peter Verheul, and TM students.
Ancien Romain. A Revival. Souvenirs d’une soeur Lipi Raval
Marja van der Burgh
Philips
Ehmcke-Rusctica Magda Wiśniewska The Flinsch Type Foundry. Akzidenz-Grotesk Borna Grčević Friedrich Hermann Ernst Schneidler and his Schneidler Medieaval Sven Fuchs Garamond Antiqua Halbfett Martin Pyšný Goudy Bold Revival Daniel Coull
Discussing type and typography with Philips designers, teachers and students
Jeanne de Bont of Philips Design Innovation department invited the TypeMedia students to come and visit the studio in Eindhoven and meet the designers and engineers. Interesting discussions about typography and type design for interfaces of sometimes very critical applications. Medical technology leaves no room for mistakes. The TypeMedia students got a taste of typography in the corporate world. Jeanne de Bont is a member of TypeMedia’s peer group. February 3, 2017
Also have a look at: kabk.nl typemedia.org typecooker.com drawbot.com boldmonday.com farhill.nl typotheque.com letterror.com typetr.typenetwork.com dailydrawbot.tumblr.com robofont.com superpolator.com
Jan van Krimpen’s Romulus Romein. A revival. Ro Hernández Noh Caslon Eun You Noh Säculum by Heinrich Hofmeister Muki Monsalve Die schöne Erbar Grotesk. The wallflower of geometric sans-serifs Eino Korkala Trump Mediaeval revival project Pablo Gámez Walthari Thom Janssen
This paper is set in Atlas Grotesk by Kai Bernau and Susana Carvalho and Christian Schwarz. 1000 copies, printed on actual paper in non-variable fonts, by NewspaperClub. Inquiries typemedia@kabk.nl.
These drawings The following pages have sketches and drawings by this year’s TypeMedia students. The clean, final and finished works are on display at the graduation exhibition.
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Marr Design agency Lesley-Moore, working on the new Academy and Conservatory identity, selected the Commercial Type Marr Sans typeface for all the typography. Marr was designed by Paul Barnes, with help from TM grads Dave Foster and Hrvoje Živčić. www.lesley-moore.nl commercialtype.com
Whispers
Programmatic type by Thom Janssen “This is a typeface about death” Eino Korkala
A collaboration between Type Radio.org, the HBK Saar and TypeMedia. This was the third edition of this project, it does not happen every year. Whispers works as follows: after secretly selecting a list of typefaces, TypeRadio’s Donald Beekman and Liza Enebeis travel to Saarbrücken. Here each student is asked to make a sound composition, an audio collage, using inspiration from the typeface. These sounds are then anonymised and passed on to the TypeMedia students who then have to draw a new typeface based on what they hear. At the closing event hosted by Donald Beekman and Bas Jacobs all compositions and their resulting typefaces are presented and the original typeface is unveiled. Many surprising results and lots of fun.
TypeRadio Liza Enebeis Donald Beekman Underware Typeradio.org
HBK Saar, Saarbrücken Prof. Indra Kupferschmid, Communication Design www.hbksaar.de
HBK Students Fabienne Lentes, Janine Wichmann, Echo Hui, Keke Shen, Yuanyu Lin, Lisa Collmer, Yuanzhen Zhai, Daniel Weiand, Corinna Schneider, Yannik Herter, Eric Schwartz, Max Holl, Chiara Schwartz, Lea Brysch, Andrei Ebinca, Lukas Ratius.
TypeMedia Paper June 2017
Ro Hernรกndez
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TypeMedia Paper June 2017
Mato Pyšný
TypeMedia Paper June 2017
Thom Janssen
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TypeMedia Paper June 2017
Dan Coull
TypeMedia Paper June 2017
Pablo Gรกmez
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TypeMedia Paper June 2017
Magda Wiśniewska
© Normal Posselt
Ro Hernández
P98a Finally a visit to Spiekermann’s P98a gallery and celebrity print making workshop. Ferdinand Ulrich introduced us to the collection of old and new wooded type. Afterwards we got our hands dirty in a little printing event with one of Erik-the-balder’s quotes. Design will indeed save the world. But it may also have to. Norman Posselt took the black and white photographs. www.p98a.com
Teachers, students and alumni present at TypoLabs, April 6-8 2017. Berlin. More or less from left to right: Colin Ford, Lukas Schneider, Benedikt Bramböck, Christine Gertsch, Marina Chaccur, Philipp Neumeyer, Bernd Volmer, Sven Fuchs, Luc(as) de Groot, Ludwig Übele, Adam Katyi, Daniel Perraudin, Borna Grčević, Paul van der Laan, Krista Radoeva, Just van Rossum, Aleksandra Samuļenkova, Mark Frömberg, Inga Plönnigs, Erik van Blokland, Pablo Gámez, Diana Ovezea, Magda Wiśniewska, Peter Verheul, Bogidar Mascareñas, Ramiro Espinoza, Daria Petrova, Frank Blokland, Noe Blanco, Maria Monsalve, Lipi Raval, Anton Koovit, Tilmann Hielscher, Martin Pyšný, Thom Janssen, Eun Yoh Noh, Daniel Coull, Claudia Kernberger, Heidi Sørensen, Eino Korkala, Martin Wenzel, Ro Hernández, Maria Doreuli, Minjoo Ham, Malte Herok, Alexander Roth, Linda Hintz, Selina Bernet, Jitka Janecková, Roberto Arista, Marc Rouault, Frederik Berlaen. Photo © Norman Posselt
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TypeMedia Paper June 2017
Type Cooker recipe printer Thom Janssen and Sven Fuchs built and programmed a device that prints TypeCooker recipes for the Open Day. Can you draw this one?
Muki Monsalve
Designated TypeCooker.com Sketching Area
Applications for 2018-2019
Carving letters in class
Applying You can apply for TypeMedia 2018-2019 if you meet the following criteria (check the website and Academy materials for a complete list): You have (at least) a bachelor degree in graphic design. You have sufficient practical experience. You can write about your motivation for joining the master course. You have a convincing portfolio of graphic design and typographic design. Your portfolio contains examples of calligraphy, lettering and type design. You are fascinated by type design (should be evident from the portfolio) and typography in all sorts of media. You are acquainted with developments in the field of type design.
Please: Do not send hard copies! Enroll at Study Link via www.kabk.nl and follow the instructions to upload your application files. Application deadline January 31, 2018 Requested materials We want you to upload a letter of motivation, a CV and a digital portfolio. We also need scanned copies of your diplomas and passport, and a digital passport photo. If you have a double nationality, add a copy of both passports. Also, if you have an EU passport, please let us know. Portfolio Keep in mind when making your portfolio that we are not necessarily looking for finished products (like you would show to a client), but rather we are keen to see the process of your design work. So, include sketches, half products and intermediates. We are interested in your individual development process in a variety of projects.
You have a good command of English—written as well as spoken.
Portfolio Day We organise a “Portfolio Day” on Friday January 26, 2018. Please note that it is a presentation, not an interview! To make an appointment to present your portfolio on that day, contact Marja van der Burgh. typemedia@kabk.nl
Open Day Saturday January 27, 2018 will be an Open Day at the Academy and at TypeMedia. On this day you can visit the studio; talk to students, teachers and alumni and see a presentation of recent student’s work. You can also visit other departments and get an impression of the KABK in its diversity.
Morisawa A triple score for TypeMedia in the 2016 Morisawa Type Design Competition. competition.morisawa.co.jp
Bart Vollebregt won the Morisawa Gold Prize in the Latin category for his Vonk Regular and Italic. The Silver Prize was awarded to Jitka Janečková for the Rododendron typeface. Honorable mention for Marc Rouault’s TroisMille typeface.
Carving letters at the Open Day 2017
TypeMedia Paper June 2017
Sven Fuchs
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TypeMedia Paper June 2017
Eun You Noh
TypeMedia Paper June 2017
Lipi Raval
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TypeMedia Paper June 2017
Borna Grčević
TypeMedia Paper June 2017
Muki Monsalve
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TypeMedia Paper June 2017
Eino Korkala
TypeMedia Paper June 2017
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Berlin
LetterWalk Organised by Fritz Grögel and assisted by Malte Herok and possibly also Florian Hardwig, a walk past some of the hidden treasures of Berlin lettering. We spotted ij ligatures, huge metal letters, heard weird and wonderful stories and saw shapes of all sizes.
No TypeMedia year is complete without a trip to Berlin. Many TM alumni, a rich type scene and a good conference. This year it was unseasonably cold. Feedback Session Hosted by Alphabet-Type, the type engineering and services company of Eigi Eigendorf, Cornel Windlin, Pronto Müller and many friends. TypeMedia students discussed their plans and work with TypeMedia graduates. While the serious work had only just begun, the feedback was very welcome.
Fritz Grögel
www.alphabet-type.com
TypoLabs A niche conference, organised by the experiened TYPO Berlin team and very focused on font technology. Two days of intense presentations on variable fonts, unicode, shaping of Arabic and other complex scripts, tool development and math. A lot of TypeMedia on the program and in the audience. Erik van Blokland talked about designspaces and mutatormath. Frederik Berlaen talked about RoboFont and building tools. Just van Rossum led a discussion about the future of font technology.
Malte Herok Ludwig Übele Eun You Noh Minjoo Ham
www.typotalks.com/labs
Lucas’ FontFabrik In a visit to the FontFabrik Luc(as) de Groot introduced his ancestors Peter and Karel and made a convincing argument for better Bulgarian typefaces.
That was a cold day.
fontfabrik.com
Buchstabenmuseum A quick visit to the archive of the Buchstabenmuseum to score some Instagrammable moments. Currently the collection is not in a museum but we were able to see it in storage. Good that old lettering is being rescued.
Muki Monsalve
Buchstabenmuseum: Haus
TM speakers at TypoLabs
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TypeMedia Paper June 2017
Plantin Moretus
Eino Korkala
Living so close to Antwerp, a visit to the Plantin Moretus museum is required. Recently renovated and updated the Plantin museum had been closed for a while. The new Plantin is probably more future proof and with a lower threshold for tourists and visitors. But we were sad to miss the Aldus books on display. TM lecturer, GNp laureate, author of “Counterpunch” and scholar at the Plantin collection, Fred Smeijers offered us a hands-on session with the actual punches of Granjon and Van den Keere. Access to historic material and the primary sources is important and we’re happy that the Plantin Moretus museum gave us this opportunity. www.museumplantinmoretus.be
Pablo Gámez, Lipi Raval, Magda Wiśniewska
Mark Frömberg
UvA Special Collections Mathieu Lommen, curator at the Special Collections of the University of Amsterdam hosted a visit of the TypeMedia class. A stunning collection of writing manuals, lettering manuals, type specimens and manuscripts. bijzonderecollecties.uva.nl
Nicolas Jarry, Les sept pseaumes de la penitence, N. Jarry Paris scribebat, 1653.
Jan van den Velde (Antwerp 1568-1623), Spieghel der schrijfkonste.
TypeMedia Paper June 2017
Signs We are pleased to have three handsome new signs in the studio. Verboden te Rooken, a monolinear sans serif, with mostly round stroke endings. It says ”no smoking”. Note the old spelling in “rooken”. Rescued by Fransje. No final location picked yet. Piano’s, also rescued by Fransje, many years ago. It is a single, fragile sheet of glass with a hand-painted grotesque. Note the surprisingly hipster diagonal in the N. While most letters could have been done with masking tape, the signpainter’s skill really shows through in the O and S. The KABK technical services made a beautiful box for the glass plate, with light and wall fixture. Hotel Atlantic was rescued by connaisseur Bart de Haas. A hotel with single to no-star qualifications—it is said one could rent a room by the hour—near Holland Spoor train station. The sign hangs over the door, just as it does now. A lovely piece of neon work, but damaged in a couple of places so it does not work any more. Original photo from the Beeldbank Haags Gemeentearchief, but possibly from the archive of the sign manufacturer.
Choc While the celebration of Sinterklaas (December 5) might be controversial, the design and manufacture of chocolate letters is a typographic celebration. Sketches and models made in clay. Moulds made with the KABK vaccuumformer in the woodworkshop. The chocolate needs to be cast by hand.
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Handdrawn numbering on the calendars by Tezzo Suzuki.
tezzosuzuki.com/calendar17
2017-2018 Year start Monday August 28, 2017
Portfolio day
Robothon
Friday January 26, 2018
Yes, there will be a new edition of the popular micro conference on type and technology
Open day
Thursday March 8, 2018 Friday March 9, 2018
Saturday January 27, 2018 Keep an eye on kabk.nl for more detailed announcements
Gerrit Noordzij prize Friday March 9, 2018 Saturday March 10, 2018
Alumni day Saturday July 7, 2018