Swash & Serif - Call for Submissions

Swash & Serif - Call for Submissions  

We're so excited to announce our first art show! In conjunction with the Toronto Design Directory, we've created Swash & Serif: A Group Typography Show. It will be held at The Black Cat on Dundas West, opening November 13.

We're looking for submissions now and we want to see all kinds of typography work, from print to 3D and installation and even motion and animation or video. We've seen the talent you guys have and now is your chance to show it off! The deadline for submissions is November 1st, and you can learn more about the show (and get the submission form) at swashandserif.ca.

Meeting Nº12: Ligatures Lectures Presents - Lettering and the Movie Poster

Lettering and the movie poster

We're one week away from our very first Ligatures Lecture on Lettering and the Movie Poster.  We’ll be discussing the evolution of type throughout the decades along with beautiful examples of poster design. This will be a wonderful opportunity to celebrate both lettering and the film poster.

The lecture (as well as a show-and-tell) will be taking place on Wednesday, September 24th, from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm at Shopify (80 Spadina Avenue, 4th Floor). Feel free to bring along your own work for a show-and-tell following the short presentation.

We're half full so if you're looking to RSVP, head to ligatures.ca to sign-up!

We look forward to seeing everyone!

Don Black Linecasting Road Trip

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As promised, here are the details regarding the Ligatures road trip to Don Black Linecasting in Scarborough.

Don Black has agreed to offer us a small tour of the facility, which will include: -showing how the Intertype and Ludlow casters work + a casting demo. -go over wood and metal type anatomy and other details. -show the different types of presses – maybe even set something up on the Canuck press and pull a proof of something to take home (set-up in advance).

Ligatures, along with the help of Tanya Roberts (Snap + Tumble letterpress), are currently looking for a group of 6 enthusiastic folks to join us on two evenings:

Friday, September 19, 6:30pm-7:30pm (AT CAPACITY)

Friday, September 26, 6:30pm-7:30pm (AT CAPACITY)

If you are interested in attending, please send us an email and we will help arrange transportation. If you have access to a vehicle, please include a note about this in your reply, and how many folks you would be able to drive. We will likely be commuting together from Kennedy station to Don Black, located at 120 Midwest Rd, Unit 5. We'll plan to meet connect at Kennedy around 6:00pm to be at Don Black's for 6:30pm.

Please reply with you interest no later than Friday, September 12. Space is limited – first come, first served.

See you soon!

UPDATE: Both dates are at capacity. Please email us to get on the wait list or to sign up for future excursions like this.

Meeting Nº11: 'Sign Painters' screening recap

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After months of planning and weeks of work, the day had finally arrived. On Wednesday, August 21, we  gathered early at Swipe Design to prep for our first big screening of 'Sign Painters: The Movie'. With the help of the Swipe staff, we set up in the Urbanspace gallery, which comfortably held 100 seats. We also had tables for snacks, sign-up sheets and swag. (Thanks Fran, Kara, Kellie & Mike for helping to set up!)

Kyle had even prepared some fantastic "Reserved" signs for our special guests.

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And we did not forget the popcorn, in special Ligatures-stamped bags (thanks, Leslie!)

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The crowd slowly started to pour in around 6:30, and by 7:00, it was a full house, with nearly every seat taken.

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Just after 7:00, we got things started. Chris Rouleau grabbed the microphone and welcomed everyone to the special event.

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After a quick review of the Ligatures mandate and a plug of Ligatures' upcoming events, he went on to thank the sponsors for the evening: Fair GoodsSwipe Design | Books + Objects & Typostrophe. The evening was made extra special with homemade baked goods provided by Hart Felt Kitchen. Thanks again, Sharon!

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On Wednesday, we were honoured to have Mr. Wayne Reuben join us for the screening. Wayne is one of the two remaining sign painters at Toronto world-famous department store, Honest Ed's. He even took time to do a few photos ops after the film. Thank again, Wayne!

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(Photo credit: Mirela Z.)

On Thursday night, we did it all over again and presented our second sold-out screening to another crowd of 100 sign lovers. More popcorn, more treats, and more good times were had by all.

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(Photo credit: Suzanne Long)

But perhaps the best part about Thursday: Wayne Reuben was kind enough to invite his fellow Honest Ed's signpainter, Mr. Douglas ("Dougie") Kerr, to the film screening. Dougie certainly made the evening extra special, and he was eager to chat with folks after the show. Thank you Dougie for joining us!

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(Photo credit: Marie Rupolo)

We couldn't be more pleased with the turnout of these screenings and the warm reception from the community. Wednesday night's screening sold out in less than 10 hours, sparking the Thursday screening, which sold out in less than 28 hours. We are so happy that we were able to present the premiere of this film to Toronto. Sign painting has deep roots in Toronto, with Honest Ed's being a perfectly preserved example of this disappearing art form. More broadly, the film presents larger concerns with urbanism, commercialism, and mass-production (versus the hand-made), and we are glad to ignite these important discussions in our city.

Thanks to everyone who joined us – we hope to see you all again soon!

UPDATE: Second screening added to Toronto premiere of 'Sign Painters: The Movie'

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Due to popular demand, we have added a second free screening of Sign Painters: The Movie, and increased the seating capacity of both screenings.

The double screening will occur on the nights of Wednesday, August 20th & Thursday, August 21st from 7pm – 9pm at Swipe Design (401 Richmond Street West). The event is generously sponsored by Fair GoodsSwipe Design | Books + Objects & Typostrophe.

The original August 20th screening was announced on July 28th, and all seats were claimed less than 10 hours. This double screening will be a Toronto premiere, and local sign painters from the GTA will be in attendance to celebrate this special event.

This event will reach capacity quickly, and space is limited. If you contacted us to be put on the waiting list, this is your opportunity to get tickets. Unfortunately, we are unable to reserve tickets.

If you already have tickets to the first screening and are unable to attend, please let us know so we can release the seats for other folks who are interested.

To RSVP, please go to ligatures.ca.

More about the film in the previous email (below) and on the Sign Painters official website.

Thanks for making for helping create such amazing buzz for this event, and for continuing to spread the word to your friends. We can't wait to see you there!

Ligatures presents Toronto premiere of 'Sign Painters: The Movie'

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We are pleased to announce our next event which has been months in the making.

Ligatures will be hosting a free screening of 'Sign Painters: The Movie' on Wednesday, August 20th from 7pm – 9pm at Swipe Design (401 Richmond Street West). The event is generously sponsored by Fair Goods, Swipe Design | Books + ObjectsTypostrophe.

In 2010 filmmakers Faythe Levine and Sam Macon began documenting these dedicated practitioners, their time-honoured methods, and their appreciation for quality and craftsmanship. Sign Painters, the first anecdotal history of the craft, features the stories of more than two-dozen sign painters working in cities throughout the United States. The documentary profiles sign painters young and old, from the new vanguard working solo to collaborative shops such as San Francisco’s New Bohemia Signs and New York’s Colossal Media’s Sky High Murals. – Sign Painters Movie blog

This will be the Toronto premiere of the film, and a number of local sign painters from the GTA will be in attendance to celebrate this special screening. We will also be joined by representatives from Graphic Commerce, the primary supplier of sign painting tools, based in Mississauga. We will have plenty of food, beverages and giveaways – you don't want to miss this one.

"A cautionary tale about the head-long rush into a technology-driven time and a meditation on what’s lost along the way. it is a reminder to look around and recognize the physical history in our presence every day." – Mary Louise Schumacher, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Space for this event is limited. For more information or to RSVP, please go to ligatures.ca.

More about the film on the Sign Painters official website.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Update 07/29/14: This event sold out in less than 10 hours. Please email us to get on the waiting list, or to be notified about future screenings: ligatures.yyz at gmail dot com

Type Camp Toronto - Recap

CR2 The excitement for Type Camp Toronto has been a long time coming. We had been planning this event for months, and we were so excited to finally see it come to life last weekend.

Type Camp was founded by Dr. Shelley Gruendler and has become an educational tool for people wanting to learn more about typography and design. Taught by amazing instructors from all over the world, workshops have been popping up on the international scene for the last few years, including India,  Brazil, and Japan. Ligatures was pleased to help bring Type Camp to Toronto for the first time.

Type Camp Toronto was lead by Dr. Shelley Gruendler & Carol Fountain Nix, and was setup as 2 one-day sessions. To get the full experience – and meet as many typophiles as possible – Leslie attended the Friday session, and Chris & Kyle participated on Saturday. This recap is an amalgamation of our three experiences during this amazing weekend.

Day 1: Friday (by Leslie Harrod)

With a tea in hand, I quickly jogged to the Design Exchange (I was worried about being late as I know Shelley doesn’t tolerate lateness – ha!). I had never been to an event at the DE building, so this was shaping up to be a great experience. I wasn’t too sure about what to expect, but I knew I was in good hands when both Shelley and Carol introduced themselves.

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Shelley started off with a group exercise to break the ice, which allowed each of us to get to know each other – the infamous "Name Game". It was a little intimidating, but within minutes, we all knew each other, and could get right into the course.

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From start to finish, it was an amazing experience. Carol was unbelievable. I don’t really think there are any other words to describe her. Watching her work was mesmerizing. Your mouth couldn’t help but drop every time her brush slowly glided across the paper – the result were the sexiest letters you’ve ever seen. She was very supportive and guided our techniques. Looking over all my test papers throughout the workshop from beginning to end, you could see the difference Carol’s guidance was doing. With Shelley available to give suggestions & feedback, the techniques came to life on the page. I can’t say enough how inspiring and motivational this course was.

How can I forget about the people I got to meet as well! There were such amazing and talented individuals from all over the country – even as far as Montreal. It was great to get to know each other and learn more from one another. As we all received the post-Camp e-mail from Shelley and Carol with everyone’s contact info, I truly hope that we can build and get to know each other. It will be wonderful to meet again and share what we’ve learned from this – as well as other projects that have inspired us – in the coming months.

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Day 2: Saturday (by Christopher Rouleau)

Saturday morning started bright and early. I grabbed an espresso and then met Shelley & Carol at the Design Exchange to help set-up around 8:30am. Each spot at the conference table had a sketchbook with each individual's name written with pointed pen, and there was paper, ink and writing tools aplenty. Within 30 minutes, the boardroom was filled with 16 eager (and caffeinated!) participants, all ready to expand their lettering horizons.

Shelley gathered us in a circle and welcomed the group, gave a brief history & overview of Type Camp, and then helped us all get introduced to each other by playing the "Name Game" (essentially, introducing yourself and the person/people beside you). It was a pretty challenging request for a Saturday morning, but totally helped unite the group.

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Then, it was straight to work. From 9:00am until lunch, we worked on a variety of calligraphy exercises, using a broad nib pen. Our work included creating consistence vertical strokes, perfecting our rounded strokes, and then practicing basic lower case characters. Some people remained seated at the table, while others were encourage to work standing upright. Once we were warmed up, we started working on lettering full words like "limit" and "georgia". After each exercise, we would convene, review and critique the group's work. Throughout the morning, Carol provided superb tutorials using ink and larger calligraphic tools.

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We paused for lunch, and resumed right around 1:15pm. For the remaining 3.5 hours, we left the broad nib behind and embraced a more casual approach to lettering with brush pens. Here, we were encouraged to "loosen up" and allow for a more free form of writing. Carol introduced us to "automatic writing",  a form of continuous doodling which resembles letterforms but doesn't actually spell anything. The effect is chaotic, spontaneous, and quite beautiful.

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Using the knowledge we gained in the morning (dominant brush strokes, consistency, brush angle, etc.), each student was encourage to find their lettering "voice". Exercises included "bad lettering" (creating words in a style opposite to their inherent meaning), collaging letters as a group, and proposing a hand-lettered wordmark for an existing company brand. By the end of the afternoon, it was INCREDIBLE to see everyone's creative transformation.

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I left the Design Exchange shortly after 5:00, exhausted but completed changed. I was so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with Shelley and Carol. What an amazing day!

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Thank you Type Camp! We look forward to seeing you again soon!

Crafting Type

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Crafting Type is a 3-day touring typeface design workshop, and they will be making a stop in Toronto on May 9-11 at Centennial College. From their press release:

Crafting Type lasts for 3 days and is designed to give you a solid theoretical and practical start in type design.

Although most students don’t want to be type designers we hear from architects, UI/UX designers, people who work in identity and branding and of course graphic designers that the process of learning how to make type has given them new insights and made them better at what they do - because they work with type and letters on a daily basis.

We break down the sense that type design is impenetrable and encourage exploration.

We keep a ratio of 7-12 students per teacher to keep the quality of instruction high and to make adjusting to different skill levels practical.

Octavio Pardo and Aoife Mooney are the two confirmed instructors for this event. They both hold Masters degrees in Typeface Design from the University of Reading in the UK and are active as professional type designers. Octavio Pardo is a graphic and typeface designer based in Milan, and internationally recognized for his typeface Sutturah, by the Type Directors Club of NY. Aoife Mooney is a freelance typeface designer for the Hoefler & Co. type foundry and lecturer in graphic design and typography at Kent State University, OH.

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Prices for the 3-day workshop range from $300 (student price) to $600 (professional). Space for this event is limited, so make sure you sign up early. Register here.

For more information, here are some great links:

Crafting Type website

Crafting Type newsletter

I Love Typography interview

Honest Ed's

Going into last weekend, I had a few things to really look forward to. My dad was coming in to visit and more exciting (no offense, Dad) was the sign sale at Honest Ed’s. How cool and amazing would it be to own a small bit of Toronto history? I’ve been to Ed’s a few times before but it was those signs that really always drew me back. It doesn’t matter what the sign said or advertised, it was the simplicity and delicacy of them. My plan was simple. I’d wake up, throw my hair in a bun, slap on some glasses and out the door I would go. I’d grab my usual Starbucks Hazelnut latte and be on my way to meet Chris and Paul. To my surprise, and maybe I was naïve to think that this was a designer / letterer thing only, but there were what seemed to be thousands of people already lined around the building and down a block or two. Paul, who was with us, gave the best reaction: it’s comparable to wanting to buy tickets to your favourite, obnoxious band that you think no one has heard of and only you appreciate. As silly as this may sound, it was kinda how I felt about the situation. I mean, wow! Who would have thought that something like this would draw people from all over Toronto and then some. The weather wasn’t the greatest and I totally misjudged how long I would be out waiting in line. I ended up having to run across the street to buy extra socks! I ended up wearing two pairs to keep my feet warm on the cold, wet concrete.

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When you first arrived, the line seemed to be moving at a gradual pace. You were making progress! From what you saw, as soon as you entered into the building, you were home free and you’d be in a heaven of hand-painted beauty. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case. The line snaked through the housewares department and up to the stairs leading to the second floor. It was at this point that I lost my two sign-seeking comrades – sadly, Chris and Paul had other commitments for the afternoon. In hindsight, I probably should have left at this point. However, after reading another blog on the situation, I came across the term sunk cost fallacy. Essentially, it means when a person (or company) is more likely to continue with a project if they have already invested a lot of time, money, or effort into it, even when continuing isn’t the best thing to do. This totally happened to me. I was that person. The last half of the hours spent there were on the second floor. It made leaving even harder. I could see the sign area, how could I leave? My heart broke when you realized that there was only one cashier running the place. What?! I couldn’t understand it. Instead of reassessing the situation with the amount of people that turned up, why not add on more cashiers to help along the process of checking out?

Don’t get me wrong. I am happy that I ended up with three very beautiful pieces but the whole process of getting them still makes me sick to my stomach. I’m hoping that in time I won’t look at them and remember what I did to get them. Knowing that the store is closing in 2016, I think I might keep my distance at the next sign sale.

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