Typendium App Delivers Typeface Histories

Erica Gamet

As someone who “just isn’t that into” the intricacies and nuances of typography, I realize I could do with a little education on the subject now and then. Turns out, there’s an app for that. The Typendium app for iOS is a small—yet thorough—compendium of select typefaces and their history.

The included list of typefaces is quite short: The free version comes with just Baskerville and Futura. An in-app purchase of 99¢ will unlock Gill Sans, Palatino, Times New Roman, and all future typefaces released.

Created by designers Robyn Nevison and William Robinson in Newcastle Upon Tyne, Typendium is chock full of information about each typeface, including in-depth histories. That history starts with a nice biographical background of each designer, and showcases early and significant uses of the typeface being reviewed. For instance, I learned that Ben Franklin wanted to set The Declaration of Independence in Baskerville and that John Baskerville’s masterpiece was a bible in 1763, yet he was a fierce Atheist. I also learned that—as in the case of the personal life of Gill Sans’ creator—it’s possible to learn TOO much about the creators.

While the personal histories are interesting, I particularly like hearing the circumstances that led to the creation of each typeface. Even for someone like myself that doesn’t have a favorite typeface, I am able to have a deeper respect for what goes into creating type, especially the artistry is involved. If you’re like so many of my type-obsessed friends who will go so far as to debate the historical accuracy of a typeface used in a television show, Typendium will be a nice little addition to your app collection. And for those of you keeping track, the creators of Typendium helpfully indicate the app was set in Avenir.