PUBLIC SCHOOL

Frank Ortmann – Handwriting / Calligraphy

Click through to watch the “making of” video for the cover artwork of Max Goldt‘s L’Eglise des Crocodiles. It features stunningly beautiful handwritten work by Frank Ortmann of Freies Grafik Design.

Fonts in Use

Fonts In Use is a new site from the minds of Sam Berlow, Stephen Coles, and Nick Sherman. The site showcases existing typography in use coupled with an opinionated statement about the exhibited type.

“So much of design critique is focused on graphics and photography. It’s time to shed light on the most basic element of communication: the type. At Fonts In Use we’ll catalog and examine real-world typography wherever it appears — branding, advertising, signage, packaging, publications, in print and online with an emphasis on the typefaces used.”

Definitely a site to make room for in your bookmarks.

Your Handwriting Sucks

Until I see you or myself for that matter, draw something like this by hand, I will keep the opinion that your handwriting sucks (mine does too). Video after the jump.

Save The Planet, Use Garamond

The next time you think to yourself that you’d like to do more for the environment, just remember to consider your font choices on future design projects. Matt Robinson and Tom Wriggelsworth (who has an awesome name) decided to draw out large scale type specimens of popular fonts to measure ink usage of each. They used the remaining ink in the ballpoint pens as their means of measurement. Expectedly, Impact scored low “green” marks while the comparatively lean Garamond and Courier were at the top of the class. More pictures of the process after the jump.

Hermann Zapf is making us look bad

Type designer Hermann Zapf has the ability to make all of your handwriting look like chicken scratch in one fell swoop. This video shows how he does it.

Via N3rdski