It's Not Easy Being Green

A new year, a new you! As the Green movement continues to sweep the world, it's leaving no stone unturned. Literally. I'm all for recycling and reducing carbon footprint and general responsible living. But sometimes the movement aims beyond its reach and can come out looking foolish. 

Case in point, a new typeface unveiled by our forward-thinking Dutch buddies, aptly named:

The reaction:

1. Creepy! The holes should rather be dots. I get that they're going for something new and fresh. But again, still creepy. 

2. Impractical! I can't see an appropriate use for this type. It might as well be a lit up marquee sign. But aside from that application, it has no home. Maybe it could be an animated font with the holes/dots blinking. Or better yet, chaser lights. Yeah! No.

3. Cheesy! Why does the name have to have the word "font" in it? That alone adds a measure of cheesiness that, I suppose, is only fitting since it exhibits a swiss cheese likeness. That, or termite damage. 

4. Mediocre! There are better ways to save ink. Like using a thinner stroked font or grayscale. Or, better yet, manipulate the most versatile font ever designed to use less ink. Like this Linotype Punkt, which comes in Light, Regular and Bold. Just like your coffee.

Above: Linotype Punkt Regular

So, the lesson here is sometimes, the greenest solution is just to recycle.

Until Next Time,

Font Police

(Tip Credit: Agent Kerning) 

Take a Big (Retro) Belt and Cinch It!

Those crazy Germans! Their clean lines, utilitarian design, and crisp precision...Despite some of their past missteps, we can all still learn something from their strong organizational skills.

This shot of a Berlin hotel sign is fantastic! Looks like the text is integral to the overhang - illuminated, properly scaled, restrained of excess color/texture. The subtle graphic quality of pullman conveys its point as the name to remember. It's in bold, and softer, more playful than the rest of the text. And, it reminds me fondly of the original Gap logo, pre-1990s:

So simple and clean. But somewhere along the line, they felt the need to re-brand themselves, create a reborn persona suitable for the mid-90s vibe. Getting serious with the palette of darker shades like navy and maroon. Sounds conservative. Capitalizing to highlight their capitalization on the casual fashion market. Or, are they shouting? Showing distinguishing characteristics with a serif type. Anorexic too. Back then, the 60s weren't cool. The 90s were!

Case in point, the Gap is captured on Saturday Night Live! Like, totally. Back in the heyday of Gap's fashion empire. Everyone and (quite literally) their mom owned a t-shirt, pair of jeans, sweater, or at least socks from The Gap.

Only in retrospect can we soberly evaluate our misjudgments. But, who knows? Pleated printed skirts and cardigans could be all the rage next fall! No fashion faux pas is safe from regurgitation. So maybe there is room for squares...

In closing, my suggestion is...keep 'em both! And interchange as appropriate! Not. I'd rather see the old typeface on the square background - but rotate the color of the square to fit the flavor du jour. It's not like they haven't done that already. 

Easy! 

Until Next Time,

Font Police

(photo credit: Lieutenant TrueType, The Internets)

The Sound That It Makes

There are more examples of poor typeface selection than there are appropriate. Or, to go a step further, what will from this point on be referred to as fontomatopoeia (definition: words whose typeface matches perfectly the structure of the word itself as well as its definition). Therefore, on the rare-ish occasion that one encounters an instance of fontomatopoeia, well, it must be celebrated, documented and shared in order that the masses may know what is good and right for the betterment of their future typeface decisions. So, this entry is dedicated to one of my favorite cities: New York. 

exhibit at the MoMa

max brenner's wares

store signage in greenpoint

Until next time,

Font Police