A new generation of designers adept with new technology and tools are blending their skills with the typographic tradition. In the 1980s hand lettering artists collaborated with designers to generate brands and type marks. Not much has changed in twenty or so years, it is just the pencils, rapidographs, French drawing curves have given way to pen tools, anchor points, electronic drawing tablets, hard drives and saving preferences.

We felt that we need to back up our previous post examining the redesign of the Qantas brand with well executed lettering samples. We have sourced two of our favourite type and lettering designers – Jean François Porchez and Ian Brignell. One from Sèvres, France, the other from Toronto, Canada; one is a typeface and custom lettering designer, the other exclusively a custom lettering designer; one designs for brands big and small, the other designs lettering for massive, enormous, big and some small brands.

The lettering samples we have drawn together from the two designers cross the boundaries of custom type forms – fine scripted lettering illustration, flamboyant scripts, rigid gothic forms, eccentric traditional logotypes, cursive brand marks, bold blob like brands, to spare san serif type marks. What brings these designs together is there seems to be not a bump, bulb, curve, corner, counter space, ascender, descender, or swash out of place. It doesn’t matter how expressive or how restrained each sample seems to the eye, each sample simply looks right, appropriate and legible. We look forward to grooming a client or two willing to budget for type design by Jean François or Ian.

If you are a type nerd enjoy! If you are not a type nerd just look at the pictures.

Samples designed by Jean François Porchez follow –
Visit Porchez Typofonderie here

Samples designed by Ian Brignell Lettering Design follow –
Visit Ian Brignell Lettering Design here