FSI FontShop International announced the publication of “Made with FontFont: Type for Independent Minds,” a new book commemorating the fifteen-year anniversary of the groundbreaking digital type foundry. Edited by FSI co-founder Erik Spiekermann and Dutch writer-designer Jan Middendorp, the colorful compendium showcases the award-winning collection of fonts created by “designers for designers.”
Spiekermann, along with partners Neville Brody and Joan Spiekermann, conceived of FontFont in the late 1980s, after desktop publishing put type in the hands of the masses. Newly minted typographers and experienced design professionals demanded fresh, vital lettering styles for client work and personal expression. Spiekermann and company worked with an international group of innovators, including many young talents, to develop the FontFont collection.
“We just knew all these great designers who now had the tools to do their own type, while we had the tool for distributing them through FontShops,” Spiekermann says. “We also knew that we were not the only designers who were ready for alternatives to Helvetica, Times, and even Garamond.”
Type users worldwide have embraced the foundry’s unique range, from contemporary text types and historically inspired titling faces to playful picture fonts and experimental alphabets. “When the FontFont type library was founded in 1990, it provided a meaningful alternative to what was then available to graphic designers,” Middendorp says. “Over time, FontFont has become one of the most influential players in the type world.”
“Made with FontFont” illustrates just how visible these typefaces are in the global landscape. The 352-page book is replete with real-world examples of FontFonts in use, from high-profile ad campaigns for big automakers and fast food giants to iconic poster designs for the Tyson/Tubbs heavyweight battle in Tokyo and New York’s Shakespeare in the Park.
To complement the array of existing work in “Made with FontFont,” Spiekermann and Middendorp commissioned art and articles by members of the type and design community. Amsterdam’s Strange Attractors designed the book’s cover; other contributors include John D. Berry, Peter Bilak, Brody, Susanna Dulkinys, Eboy, Rian Hughes, Max Kisman, Akira Kobayashi, LettError, Ellen Lupton, Ian Lynam, Martin Majoor, Albert-Jan Pool, Paula Scher, Christian Schwartz, Nick Shinn, Fred Smeijers, Studio Dumbar, and xplicit.
“The many contributors all share an emotional approach to type,” Spiekermann says. “For us, it is more than a tool to do our work with.
We love type, and we think that this book shows our affection and enthusiasm for all things typographical.”
“Made with FontFont” is a companion to “FiFFteen,” an exhibition celebrating FontFont and FUSE. The show has been traveling internationally, with previous stops including Barcelona, Berlin, Helsinki, London, and New York. “FiFFteen” will open in Los Angeles in the spring. The book is available now.
About FontFonts
Erik Spiekermann and Neville Brody launched the FontFont brand in 1990 with the goal of producing innovative digital typefaces by designers for designers. FontFonts represent the work of 130 designers worldwide, with over 3,900 contemporary fonts in the collection. The FontFont library features some of the most popular typefaces in use today, including FF Meta®, FF DIN®, FF Scala®, FF Eureka® Sans, FF Kievit®, and FF Fago™.
For more information about the FontFont collection, its designers, and other news, please visit www.fontfont.com.
About the authors
Erik Spiekermann is an information architect, type designer, and author. He founded Germany’s largest design firm, MetaDesign, in 1979, and started FontShop in 1989. He has numerous typefaces to his credit, including the bestselling FF Meta® and ITC Officina®. Spiekermann lives and works in Berlin, London, and San Francisco.
Jan Middendorp is a Dutch-born designer, writer, editor, and educator based in Berlin. He was previously editor of “Druk” magazine for FontShop Benelux, and authored the critically acclaimed reference “Dutch Type,” the first overview of type design in the Netherlands.
This article was last modified on January 10, 2022
This article was first published on January 8, 2007
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