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In exactly two weeks, on Thursday, October 4, the University of Amsterdam - Special Collections hosts the third edition of Type Amsterdam. The free conference is an afternoon about current typography affairs. It again boasts a stellar line-up of specialists – most of them type designers – who will speak about a variety of topics, ranging from historical research over type design theory to actual type creation.
Type Amsterdam 2012 is organised by the Special Collections of the University of Amsterdam in collaboration with the Royal Academy of Art (KABK) in The Hague. Type designer and teacher at Type & Media KABK Peter Verheul is master of ceremonies. As the seating is limited to 80 the free event was immediately fully booked, so one can only hope that the organisers decide to expand for the next edition.
Program
Ramiro Espinoza | Krul and the untold story of
the ‘Amsterdamse Krulletter’
Walking down the streets of what is possibly Amsterdam’s most beautiful district, the Jordaan, Ramiro Espinoza discovered many of the pubs in the area had their windows painted in a very interesting and beautifully executed script. Although they were hand painted, the style was very consistent, and could also be found in other districts. This led Ramiro to investigate the history of the ‘Amsterdamse Krulletter’ (Amsterdam’s Curly Letter), and eventually to digitize his own interpretation Krul.
René Knip & Janno Hahn | Arktype.nl
René Knip and Janno Hahn have been collaborating since 2006, producing design with a strong typographic component. Together they have mined their joint design work, creating a unique collection of 25 OpenType fonts and families specifically designed for use in architectural lettering and environmental graphics. The arktype.nl collection will be launched on October 18, 2012 at the Special Collections - University of Amsterdam, with presentations and lectures from René/Janno and Yves Peters (writer on this project), a small exhibition of type examples, and the release of the 176 page arktype.nl specimen book. At Type Amsterdam they will offer a sneak preview.
Indra Kupferschmid | Technological shifts and their effect
on letter shapes
Throughout typographic history there have been many technological developments that had a large influences on the design and production of typefaces – from the earliest attempt to standardize type via various typesetting systems to our output devices of today. Some classic typefaces have been subject of several reworkings over time with many details changed to adapt to the (then) current technology. In this talk Indra explains some technical requirements and restrictions and why some typefaces look the way they do.
Mathieu Lommen | Early 20th-century slab serifs and
their type specimens
In the twenties and thirties of the previous century the New Typography emerged. This pendant of the “Nieuwe Bouwen” Modernist movement stood for functional, mechanical, standardisation (DIN) and the application of photography (typofoto). Evidently this new typography called for new and different printing letters. Besides the sans serif the Egyptienne experienced a remarkable revival, especially in advertising. Both typographic genres appeared in type specimens in the second decade of the 19th century. The ‘branding’ of the new German Egyptiennes will be examined by way of the collection of type specimens of the University of Amsterdam.
Fred Smeijers | Life after Counterpunch
Having been out of print for nearly four years, a second edition of Counterpunch, making type in the sixteenth century, designing typefaces now has been published this summer. The first edition was introduced in 1996 at the ATypI conference in The Hague, and nearly fifteen years later the book is still sought after. One reason for the sustained interest over those years may have been the book’s down-to-earth approach. The book offered a clear view on punchcutting that was easy to understand, and included essential historical knowledge not easily accessible at the time. Its many illustrations brought the subject to life and linked it to (then) contemporary digital practices.
“Life after Counterpunch” is not a sales pitch for the new edition. Instead, it will reflect on what has happened in the years since 1996. Fred Smeijers’ research has continued along paths that are not very different from those he was following in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Technically speaking he was limited by his research tools in those days. Since Counterpunch was published however Smeijers has been able to reassess earlier conclusions by comparing them with findings discovered through research tools of greater technical precision, in particular microscopic images of historical type material at the Plantin-Moretus Museum. These images have brought a more objective perspective to his conclusions and will be a feature of this talk.
Fred Smeijers’ research since 1996, however, should not be understood as merely a Counterpunch ‘check-up’. He was able to match his findings against the stimulating ideas of two other researchers: Peter Burnhill, as recorded in his book Type spaces; and Justin Howes, who shared his work with Smeijers during four lengthy conversations they had in 2003. They have both enabled Smeijers to situate his own work in a much broader perspective. |
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