Theodor Ballisager My final thesis at the masters education in Graphic Communication Design at The Royal Academy in Copenhagen is a typeface exploring the interplay of typography and lettering.
With two opposites, two extremes (typographic and lettering) the typeface spans the classification of a text typeface and a display typeface. The type explores the interplay of typography and lettering with a purely typographic text typeface as the one end of the spectrum and a lettering alternate typeface as the other. With stylistic alternates bearing options for creating typography with lettering flair, this project explores the spectrum between text and lettering.
Through stylistic sets and contextual alternates , i am creating a spectrum with levels of lettering going from typographic over text with flairs from lettering, to pure ornamental and stylistic letters resembling classic, elegant hand-lettering. The lettering part of the typeface can be manually selected and adjusted, or it can be automatically created via contextual alternates and 16 stylistic sets, ranging in lettering expressions from mild to wild. From text with small lettering details, to full-fledged dynamic lettering – besides the skeleton: the purely typographic typeface, optimized for body copy and other forms of longer text.
The typeface, which is an academic project as much as a future commercial typeface, is thereby a multi-functional typeface, for both lettering artist, typographers, signpainters and designers of all kinds.
Based on the theories of Fred Smeijers and the three ways of drawing letters i am conducting a examination of classic lettering within a typographic system. Academically and creatively it is an exercise in adding lettering expressions to a typographic extreme, and the other way round.
The project is a reflection of a personal journey within creativity and typedesign. From my background in graffiti, over handlettering and traditional signpainting, to graphic design and modern type design. It is also with a personal agenda in bringing some beauty and classicism back into contemporary design (and life and everything aesthetically) and into the hard functionalistic design approaches of scandinavia.
I have created a typeface bringing together the wildness from graffiti and lettering with a rational design approach for a broad target group of lettering artists, signpainters, typographers, graphic designers, and more. The strength is the mix of typography and lettering, in a typographic system where you can walk the whole spectrum—be completely typographic and with more and more flair. But also go a step further and create contextual images of lettering.
I care for whats known in Danish as “folkelighed”. Culture that belongs to the people. All the things we share. Maybe that’s why I am fascinated by opposites—to the extent of making them meet. In design as well as in life. That may, in a strange metaphorical sense, be what this font family reflect.