GridType Vol.—1 Explores How Digital Tools Shape Type Design
GridType Vol.—1: Type & Tools by Slanted Publishers explores the relationship between type design and the tools used to create it, presenting an edition of ten typefaces developed with the experimental type tool grid-type.com. The publication features typefaces by Anna Cairns, Boom Promphan Suksumek & Anna Srikitkul, Charlotte Rohde, Hanna Boslau, Julie Werenskjold Sørensen, Miquel Hervás Gómez & César Rogers (fanfare), Studio HanLi, Svatopluk Ručka, Trang Hà, and Özgür Deniz Koldaş. Interviews by Lena Weber, studio pointer*, and Céline Hurka examine the processes and ideas behind type design and toolmaking.
GridType draws on historical grid-based approaches to type design, including stencil systems such as the Plaque Découpée Universelle from the 1870s, a single stencil designed to produce the letters of the alphabet. The experimental type tool allows users to create custom stencils by selecting a grid and adjusting parameters such as the number of rows and columns and the level of complexity.
all images courtesy of Slanted Publishers
Nine Grid Systems Generate New Typographic Variations
The tool includes nine different grid types, reflecting research into the construction and development of grid-based lettering systems. Some are based on geometric forms, including rectangles, triangles, and circles, while others reference the influence of display technologies such as pixels and segmented screens on type design. The project also draws on historical examples of grid-based typography, including the work of Wim Crouwel, the Bauhaus, and the Plaque Découpée Universelle.
Through the combination of code and design, GridType allows parameters to be adjusted to generate a wide range of typographic variations. The process also introduces the possibility of unexpected outcomes and discoveries as different settings are explored. GridType Vol.—1 presents type specimens created by ten designers using the tool, with the resulting typefaces available for download through grid-type.com. Alongside the specimens, the publication examines the relationship between type design and technology through interviews and Q&As, addressing topics including the influence of technological development on typography and the role of designers in developing their own tools.
GridType Vol.—1 examines the relationship between type design and digital tools
the publication presents ten typefaces created with the experimental GridType tool
GridType explores how tools can influence the development of letterforms
ten designers use the GridType system to develop distinct typographic languages
the experimental tool allows designers to create their own digital stencils
