Font Bureau and Partners Launch Type Network
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For the past two decades, Font Bureau has been one of the leading digital type foundries, with a library that includes some of the most celebrated fonts on the market. Founded in 1989 by type designer David Berlow and noted publication designer Roger Black, Font Bureau has built and maintained their reputation for producing typefaces of the highest quality. In fact, everything they produce, including their web site and all of their promotional and marketing materials, has always been exquisite, well-crafted, and highly functional.
Font Bureau announces the Type Network with this dynamic banner. Typefaces shown clockwise from left to right: Belizio (David Berlow), Titling Gothic FB (Berlow), Neue Haas Grotesk (Christian Schwartz), Whitman (Kent Lew), Escrow (Cyrus Highsmith), Interstate (Tobias Frere-Jones), Moderno FB (Berlow), and Agency FB (Berlow).
But now, big changes are happening at Font Bureau. This independent type company is refocusing its brand and collaborating with new foundry partners on a major initiative – Type Network. Type Network is a new model for type design, development, licensing, and use. It was built in response to the often complex and ever-changing requirements of good typography and smart type users. A private company owned by type designers, Type Network is focused on its mission – to find, support, and make available the best type.
Like most independent foundries, Font Bureau likes designing type. But the type world has become so much bigger in recent years, and the expectations and demands much greater. Web fonts, globalization, and the increased frequency of new designs called for a different kind of organization – a collaboration by a diverse group passionate about quality, creativity, innovation, and telling stories through type. Type Network was founded to meet these needs. It is privately owned and operated by type designers and a management team devoted to the type business. Its new site is a destination for professional users, featuring a varied catalog of expansive typeface families and licensing options for desktop, web fonts, apps, and more.
“Type Network’s web developers, editors, marketing experts, and business group have together envisioned and made a font site for the 21st century,” said Sam Berlow, president of Type Network. “We have built a site designed for type users to shop; where type designers can present not only their products, but also their stories.”
Type Network has launched with established type designers and foundries such as Font Bureau, Carter & Cone, Petr van Blokland’s Typetr, and Cyrus Highsmith’s Occupant Fonts; emerging new Type Network brands from David Jonathan Ross (DJR), Richard Lipton (Lipton Letter Design), and Victoria Rushton; and veteran Font Bureau designers Zavier (Leslie) Cabarga and Greg Thompson. Many more foundries will soon join the Type Network family as their own brands.
Type users can easily explore a single foundry’s collection, browse Type Network’s rich catalog with its wide variety of typefaces, and license fonts from multiple designers effortlessly. Users can connect directly with foundries while shopping for type. Its flexible platform allows each foundry to maintain its unique brand by building a personalized storefront.
Searching for a specific kind of font is easy, as can be seen from the menu on the left. There are filters for foundries and for parameters like weight and width, design categories, intended use, and more.
Typeface graphics are sharp and inviting.
With this move, Font Bureau will focus primarily on type design and custom services. The company’s font licensing business, font development activities, and retail shop will live on Type Network. “With our partners at Type Network, Font Bureau’s goal is to be the destination for designers of all kinds who want the best fonts, offered directly by type designers,” said David Berlow, founder of the Font Bureau and a partner in the new endeavor.
This is just a taste of what you’ll find on Type Network. They’ll be adding more features, more content, and more great type from a growing coalition of independent foundries and designers. It’s a challenging, exciting time for type makers, with a world of ever-expanding typographic opportunities available to designers. Just as Font Bureau has been at the forefront of digital type since the foundry debuted more than 25 years ago, the entire team is looking forward to the future. “We’re delighted to be part of a new era in the history of type,” said David Berlow. “Type Network is all part of the next thing: an exploration of the combinatorial explosion of possibilities for typography and its use.”
The News section shown in these three images features curated articles from Type Network and beyond, focusing on timely topics about type design and typography.
Type Network’s frequently updated Gallery features hundreds of uses of their fonts, providing users with daily inspiration.
The folks behind the Type Network site invite you to explore it and offer your feedback. You can email your thoughts and subscribe to their email newsletter to get all the latest updates at [email protected], and follow them on Twitter and Facebook.
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