Mixfont; Words of Type; Fleckled

Lots of font toys to play with and learn from in today’s typography-centric edition of the Drop.

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TL;DR

(This is an AI-generated summary of today’s Drop using Ollama + llama 3.2 and a custom prompt.)

• Mixfont is a font generator that helps designers visualize typeface pairings in context rather than through abstract recommendations (https://www.mixfont.com/).
• Words of Type is a multilingual typography encyclopedia created by Lisa Huang that offers 200 expert-translated terms in seven languages, supplemented by accessible lectures and a premium community membership (https://wordsoftype.com/).
• Fleckled is a digital archive founded by Jason Pattinson that preserves letterpress typography through over 150 high-resolution downloadable fonts printed on an 1860s Columbian press and digitized in two ink variations (https://fleckled.com/).

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Mixfont

Finding the perfect font pairing can be a real pain, often involving endless trial and error. That’s where Mixfont steps in, offering a quick and fun way to generate font combinations. This tool/site lets us quickly visualize typeface pairings.

Instead of just listing suggestions, Mixfont emphasizes contextual visualization, athis let us assess typographythrough direct visual context rather than abstract recommendations.

ngl: I may have pressed the remix button about a hundred time so far.

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Words of Type

Words of Type is a new-ish typography knowledge platform that breaks down typopgraphy language barriers. Founded by French-Chinese type designer Lisa Huang, it’s grown into a collaborative project with experts from multiple countries.

The platform centers around a free multilingual encyclopedia containing 200 typography terms across categories like typesetting, historical concepts, anatomy, and digital typography. Unlike typical translation projects, Words of Type offers content in seven languages (English, French, German, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Korean) with each translation crafted by typography experts rather than algorithms.

They supplement this knowledge base with online lectures and workshops designed for accessibility and affordability, creating direct connections between learners and experts.

Sicne this is actual “work”, WoT uses a freemium model to keep going. The encyclopedia is 100% free, and they’ve established a paid community membership (25€/year) that provides:

• Priority event access
• Expert Q&A sessions
• Input on future development
• Professional networking opportunities

The project thrives through collaboration with language experts, illustrators (including Erik van Blokland, Jay Cover, Tezzo Suzuki / 鈴木哲生), and technical contributors. They’re also partnering with type foundries who can sponsor specific terms and showcase their typefaces.

If you’re interested in typography (I mean, you are reading the Typography Tuesday edition of the Drop, so…), this platform is worth exploring as both a learning resource and potential community.

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Fleckled

Fleckled is a new digital archive that bridges historical letterpress typography with modern design that knows we stare at glowing rectangles quite a bit. The platform curates and offers high-resolution downloadable letterpress fonts, preserving the distinctive character and tactile quality of traditional letterpress printing in digital form.

Founded by creative director Jason Pattinson, Fleckled currently features over 150 fonts that were printed on an 1860s-era Columbian press and then digitized. These fonts retain the authentic characteristics of letterpress printing, including the natural imperfections, woodgrain textures, and handcrafted qualities that give them their unique charm.

The collection includes uppercase, lowercase, and numeral sets with additional ornaments and borders across various styles. Each font is available in two versions: one with thicker, more saturated ink and another with a lighter, more distressed appearance. This variety allows designers to choose the aesthetic that best suits their projects.

Pattinson notes that Fleckled is targeting a new generation of designers, creatives, and artists who value authenticity and the distinctive character of pre-digital typefaces. The platform aims to inspire creativity that celebrates natural beauty and the essence of handcrafted imperfection in visual storytelling.

The company launched earlier than planned due to high demand from followers seeking access to specific fonts. There’s a promo at the bottom of their main page, but — as usual — I’m not writing this to shill, just to inform.

Pattinson and his team have spent over two decades digitizing letterpress typography, collaborating with printers and dealers across multiple countries including Italy, Sweden, Germany, Argentina, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Their mission is to make these timeless assets accessible to contemporary creatives while offering an authentic alternative to AI-generated design elements.

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FIN

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