Typst Examples Book; Public Lettering (a.k.a., R.I.P. Phil Baines); Featured Font: Fixel

A bit of a tome, today, but that’s what you get when we have an ice storm over the weekend 🙂

Typst Examples Book

This is stretching the theme of our normal Tuesday Drops, but Typst does more than any other, modern document creation system to make it super easy and logical to ensure things we create can be done so with a core focus on typograpy. You can focus on the minutiae in a much more friendly environment than LaTeX, and do so at light speed.

While the Typst language and tooling are accessible, they do feel a bit foreign to folks froming from R/Python/LaTeX/CSS/HTML. The Typst Examples Book (GH) does an amazing job walking even the most junior Typst acolyte through how to work with all of the features. That means, you can start creating beautifully typeset documents with an attention to not only typographic details, but overall layout details.

Give it a 👀 and make sure to give the repo a ⭐️.

Public Lettering (a.k.a., R.I.P. Phil Baines)

(This is my best attempt at an obit homage of my own, never having written one before.)

Phil Baines is a name synonymous with the evolution of contemporary typography. This individual has left an indelible mark on the field through innovative designs, scholarly work, and dedication to education. His contributions span across various mediums, including books, posters, and public lettering, showcasing a deep-rooted respect for the craft and a scholarly appreciation of letterforms. His work is characterized by a blend of historical reverence and a forward-thinking approach, making his designs not only visually compelling but also intellectually engaging.

If you’re wondering about the overt use of the past tense, it’s because Baines past away earlier this year. I’ve only just gotten ’round to reading some of the obits and testimonials, then digging through some very old links. It’s quite amazing the mark this individual has left on us.

Baines’s journey into typography was unconventional. Initially embarking on a path towards the priesthood, be pivoted to graphic design due to a true passion for art and letterforms. This transition led him to study at St Martin’s School of Art and the Royal College of Art, where he honed his craft and later, as a professor at Central Saint Martins, influenced generations of designers. His educational contributions extended beyond the classroom, with Baines co-authoring seminal texts such as “Type & Typography” and “Signs: Lettering in the Environment,” which have become essential readings for students and professionals alike.

One of Baines’s most notable contributions to typography is his exploration and documentation of public lettering. His fascination with the typographic landscape of cities culminated in the creation of the “Public Lettering” website and the organization of type walks. These walks, which began as educational tools for his students, evolved into a broader project that documented and celebrated the “everyday typography” found in urban environments. This project not only highlighted the aesthetic and historical significance of public lettering but also encouraged a wider appreciation for the role of typography in shaping our public spaces.

Baines’s design work, particularly his collaborations on public memorials and his cover designs for the Penguin Great Ideas series, demonstrates his ability to merge historical influences with contemporary design idioms. His work on the memorial to the Indian Ocean tsunami and the London bombings memorial showcases his skill in creating meaningful, enduring public art through typography. Meanwhile, his cover designs for Penguin demonstrated his inventive use of letterforms, blending ancient ecclesiastical styles with modern aesthetics to create visually striking and conceptually rich designs.

Phil Baines’s legacy is not just in the tangible works he created but in the impact he had on the field of typography and design education. His approach to design—marked by a blend of intellectual rigor, historical awareness, and creative experimentation—has inspired countless designers to explore the depths of typography. Baines’s work challenges us to see letterforms not just as functional elements of communication but as expressive pieces of art that connect us to our cultural heritage and the physical spaces we inhabit.

In remembering Phil Baines, we celebrate a designer who transcended the conventional boundaries of typography, blending history, education, and design into a career that has enriched our visual and cultural landscapes. His contributions remind us of the power of typography to inform, connect, and inspire, ensuring his influence will be felt for generations to come.

Featured Font: Fixel

I had to close out this edition on a less somber note, so here’s a link to a spiffy new free-for-commerical-and-personal-use font from a great team of developers and designers at MacPaw.

Fixel is the result of a collaboration between MacPaw and the Ukrainian font studio AlphaBravo. Together, they crafted a font that (in their words) is not just a tool for communication but a bridge between the digital and the human. The design process of Fixel, as detailed by both teams, was a meticulous journey of exchanging countless fonts and character sets, refining designs, and creating a cohesive identity that reflects both playfulness and technological precision.

It comes in two styles, Text and Display, offering nine weight variations from Thin to Black. This range allows for a versatile application across various mediums, from digital interfaces to print materials. The typeface supports over 40 languages, including Ukrainian, making it a tool for global communication. The collaboration also aimed to imbue Fixel with a strong connection to Ukraine’s national symbols, incorporating a special symbol inspired by the tryzub, showing the team’s dedication to cultural representation and diversity.

Give a try, and, perhaps, take this opportunity to keep the folks fighting for their very survival in Ukraine in your thoughts.

FIN

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