The Font Bureau was commissioned by Google Fonts in 2016 with the purpose of showcasing what the new variable font technology could do with two new fonts: Decovar Alpha and Amstelvar Alpha. While the former showed how more than a dozen axes of stylistic variations can be used (and abused) for display typography, the latter showed how a similar number of axes. Amstelvar Alpha can be used to deliver unprecedented control and flexibility in text typography. In 2018, Google Fonts commissioned the Font Bureau to apply the parametric axes approach to Roboto, transforming it from a UI typeface to an extreme typography system that pairs with Amstelvar. At ATypI 2020, the presenters will introduce the first official releases of Amstelvar and Roboto Flex in roman and italic styles for Latin, and share a glimpse into the future with Greek and Cyrillic. Interview / Q&A: Amstelvar and Roboto Flex Q&A: Following their detailed discussion, Crossland and Berlow will offer a dedicated Q&A to further explore a presentation packed with both novel and advanced text typography techniques.
Amstelvar and Roboto Flex: Unprecedented Flexibility in Text Typography
Dave Crossland
Dave Crossland attended the first Libre Graphics Meeting in 2006, and became fascinated with the potential of libre licensing to improve design. Since then, he has worked to liberate typography, mainly as a program manager for Google Fonts. He also regularly contributes to the Crafting Type, Font Bakery, and Runebender projects.
David Berlow
David Berlow entered the type industry in 1978 as a letter designer for the respected Mergenthaler, Linotype, Stempel, and Haas type foundries. He joined the newly formed digital type supplier, Bitstream, Inc., in 1982. After Berlow left Bitstream in 1989, he founded The Font Bureau, Inc., with Roger Black.\n\nFont Bureau has developed more than 300 new and revised type designs for the Chicago Tribune, the Wall Street Journal, Entertainment Weekly, Newsweek, Esquire, Rolling Stone, Hewlett Packard and others, as well as performing OEM work for Apple Computer Inc. and Microsoft Corporation. Font Bureau’s retail library consists mostly of original designs and now includes over 500 typefaces. Berlow is a member of the New York Type Directors Club (TDC) and the Association Typographique International (ATypI) and remains active in typeface design. David Berlow entered the type industry in 1978 as a letter designer for the respected Mergenthaler, Linotype, Stempel, and Haas type foundries. He joined the newly formed digital type supplier, Bitstream, Inc., in 1982. After Berlow left Bitstream in 1989, he founded The Font Bureau, Inc., with Roger Black. Font Bureau has developed more than 300 new and revised type designs for the Chicago Tribune, the Wall Street Journal, Entertainment Weekly, Newsweek, Esquire, Rolling Stone, Hewlett Packard and others, as well as performing OEM work for Apple Computer Inc. and Microsoft Corporation. Font Bureau’s retail library consists mostly of original designs and now includes over 500 typefaces. Berlow is a member of the New York Type Directors Club (TDC) and the Association Typographique International (ATypI) and remains active in typeface design.
Santiago Orozco
Santiago Orozco is a type designer and engineer based in Monterrey, the capital and largest city of the (hot) northeastern state of Nuevo León, México. With a background in Computer Science from his studies at the University of Monterrey (UDEM), Orozco found himself at the intersection of design and technology, attending graphic design classes while doing engineering. In 2009, Orozco founded Typemade Foundry/Studio, and since then, has developed custom type for brands, corporations, and other foundries. He started collaborating with Font Bureau and currently manages, design, and engineer fonts for Font Bureau and its clients. Typemade specializes in type design, font production, and type technology. Orozco is also the founder of the international conference TMX—Type, Tech, and Design, which has been presented annually in México since 2015. Orozco’s vision is to have a place for the ones who keep things moving forward in the fields of type, technology, and design.