Type Camp Toronto - Recap

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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

Calligraphy workshop

We have finalized the details for our first calligraphy workshop!

The workshop will be held Saturday, May 10 from 1:00-4:00 at Coach House Books (80 bpNichol Ln, U of T campus).

Calligraphy expert Kevin King will host a three-hour workshop on the basics of calligraphy. Kevin became interested in calligraphy through his work as a Type Designer & Typographer at Canada Type & the Coach House Press in Toronto. With the help of the Toronto book binder Don Taylor, he began taking lessons from the master Toronto Calligrapher Susan Shand, who he still continues to study under. Susan taught him not only the basic techniques of Calligraphy, but also the underlying theories and principles of the art.

Supplies:

We will be offering a supplies package at the cost of $55.

For our workshop, we will only be working with a very small set of tools. We will be working with calligraphy markers and a selection of fountain pens that will help us become acquainted with the basic techniques of calligraphy, and simple 11x17" graph paper sheets. The beauty of calligraphy is that you do not need a huge set of expensive tools to create beautiful work. We encourage students to bring along any calligraphy pens that they may already own, as this could be a great opportunity for you to learn more about how your tools work and to use a tool that you are already comfortable with.

The fee also includes a calligraphy workbook that students can take home.

Space for this workshop is limited! Please RSVP here no later than Wednesday, May 7. An email will follow with payment instructions.

Crafting Type

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.

  

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

Making Faces screening recap

On April 9th, our group convened at Coach House Books for a screening of Making Faces: Metal Type in the 21st Century by Richard Kegler. This 45-minute film documented the fascinating (and meticulous) process of creating tiny metal type matrixes – from sketch to cast metal. It offered an intimate look at the process of Canadian graphic & type designer Jim Rimmer, and offered a few great laughs. Rimmer's typeface Stern (pictured above) was the first font to be released simultaneously in both digital and metal type formats.

Special thanks to P22 Type Foundry for making this screening possible, and to Coach House Books for generously offering their space. Much love to Kevin King for showing us an authentic case of Stern metal type, and for his vast knowledge of all things typographic.

Thanks to everyone who came out. See you at the next screening!

Ligatures Film Screening of Making Faces

With the success of the Linotype Film screening we've decided to keep with the hot metal type theme. We will be assembling at Coach House Books for the free screening of Making Faces: Metal Type in the 21st Century by Richard Kegler on Wednesday, April 9^th. The documentary follows the creation of the typeface Stern, designed and cut by Canadian designer Jim Rimmer (1931 — 2010). The typeface was commissioned by P22 Type Foundry to be the first-ever digital font and an hand-set metal type release. Kevin King will have an actual case of Stern type for us to see firsthand!

Join us for this FREE screening as Jim walks us through the long lost process of cutting and casting type in metal! Space is limited, please sign up early.

We would like to extend a huge THANK YOU to to P22 Type Foundry for helping us secure the rights for a public showing!

March Meeting Nº6: Lino printing workshop recap

Photo credit (bottom left): Tanya Roberts

On Sunday, March 23, we braved the frigid Toronto windchill and gathered at Coach House Press for our inaugural lino printing workshop. Myself and Tanya Roberts of Snap + Tumble Letterpress were the hosts for the day, and we were joined by 18 talented folks eager to learn a little bit more about lino printing techniques.

Tanya and I arrived early to prep everyone's supply bags. For $25, all participants received: one 4" x 6" lino tile, one Speedball carving tool, ten 5" x 7" sheets of Somerset paper, and access to brayers, ink and a printing baron.

We offered a brief introduction and demonstration in the bindery, and then participants were free to set up wherever they felt comfortable in Coach House. We had several people continue working in the bindery...

...while others headed up to the Hogarts-esque coffee room upstairs to start carving. We had people of all skill levels – some well versed in carving techniques, and others with zero experience at all. Everyone worked together to make their creations come to life.

Below are some fun process shots taken over the course of the 3 hour workshop.

Tanya and I were extremely grateful for such an amazing turnout, and blown away with the quality and range of work created. Every member of the group was so kind and generous – sharing tools, offering tips, and ever helping with cleanup. We also got to enjoy some amazing baked goods, courtesy of Sharon Hart of Hart Felt Kitchen. Thank you, Sharon!

This workshop could not have been possible without the help of Kevin King, who arranged for us to set up at Coach House. Thanks again, Kevin!

It was a pleasure to make this workshop come to life, and Tanya and I cannot wait to host the next lino printing workshop – hopefully sometime this summer. Please send us an email if you'd like to get on the mailing list, or follow us on social media for updates on upcoming events.

Thanks everyone! Happy carving!

(All photos by Christopher Rouleau unless otherwise stated.)

March Meeting Nº5: Recap

All I can say to begin this recap is THANK YOU to all those Ligatures members that braved the weather and made it out to Coach House for our first ever movie night! With the snow blowing outside, we screened the documentary Linotype in the quaint library on the second floor to a full house.

The night started with a wonderful tour and demonstration by Kevin King. Kevin’s been a wonderful contact with this group and helped in organizing this great event. Coach House is lucky enough to own an authentic Linotype machine, which is proudly displayed at the entrance. Built in 1917, the machine wasn’t in working order, but it was still something to see in person and really set the tone for the movie we were about to screen.

The film was filled with amazing and entertaining interviews with typesetters all around North America. From young to old, the fascination with type seemed to transcend the generations. It was great to see younger generations stepping forward to continue on the legacy that Linotype has created. One of the areas of the film that stood out was the discussion on the Linotype University, which offers various training programs to people interested. Organized and taught by Linotype engineers, there's actually a course coming up in the fall! Roadtrip?

I really don’t want to give too much away of the film but all I can say is that it is a really entertaining and educational film to check out. That being said, I think another big shout out needs to go to Ryan Edwards for helping us acquire the screening rights to this film. Without them, we wouldn’t have been able to make this happen. It was also lovely to see all those Ligatures members that brought along snacks & beverages to share with the group. Building a sense of community with the members has been wonderful and this movie night really brought us together. If you weren’t able to make this screening, don’t worry! We’ve got some more movie nights in the works for the upcoming summer months!

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.

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.

Honest Ed's Show Card Sale

 

Toronto's favourite department store, Honest Ed's, will be having a sale of it show cards and advertisements on Monday, March 10, with proceeds going to charity. From the press release:

More than 1,000 of Honest Ed’s previous advertisements and (hand painted show card signs) will be sold (on a first come, first served basis). 

From 50 cents and up!

Since the announcement that honest ed’s will eventually close, many of the public have asked to purchase the colourful show card signs that are produced in the store. Some are now being offered.

Honest Ed’s has been using the method of show card writing since Honest Ed Mirvish founded the store in 1948. Show card writing is now considered a lost art.

Each item sold will be stamped with a “stamp of authenticity” and signed by Ed’s celebrity show card signwriters, or long time managers who will be in attendance at various times during the hours of the sale which will be held monday march 10th from 11 a.m. To 6 p.m. All monies received for the advertisements/show cards will be donated to a charitable cause.

Lino printing workshop

Christopher Rouleau and Tanya Roberts (of Snap + Tumble letterpress) will host a three-hour workshop on the basics of lino printing. During the course of the afternoon, you will learn the basics on transferring your design to lino, carving techniques, and the best ways to ink and press your work. Advanced printmakers may also have the opportunity to print their pieces on the Vandercook printing press, thanks to the help of our friend Kevin King, who works at Coach House.

We will be offering a supplies package at the cost of $25. Your kit will include:

·  one 4" x 6" lino tile (super soft or regular - you will specify in your RSVP) ·  10 sheets of 5" x 7" white printing paper (you may bring additional paper of your own) ·  access to black, water soluble ink and a brayer (roller) ·  1 Speedball lino carving tool (that you get to keep!) ·  access to other basic supplies (paper towels, wax paper, graphite paper, masking tape, envelopes, etc.)

Space for this workshop is limited! Please RSVP here no later than Friday, March 14. An email will follow with payment instructions.

We look forward to bringing your talents together, sharing knowledge with one another, and creating some new typographic work!

Book Review: Type - History of Typefaces

With winter seeming like it's never-ending lately, I've found that curling away with a good design book to be a nice distraction. With that being said, I was given a lovely and thoughtful gift for my birthday the other month: Type - A Visual History of Typefaces and Graphic Styles. Broken down into two volumes, each book explores the dynamics of type from 1628–1938. With beautiful design, the books flow from period to period, giving beautiful examples of the print evolution. I hate to say it but really, this is type-porn at its finest. A great collection of type specimens, with a focus on ornamental type. Another main focus throughout the book is on the artistic printing movement. The books also come with a CD, which allows readers to download hundreds of unrestricted type specimens. Um, awesome? Take a look below for a sneak peek! If anyone wants to take a look at it in person, let me know and I'll bring it along to the next Ligatures meeting :)

Although I found these volumes an enjoyable read, ilovetypography.com, did not. Take a look. It's an interesting read.

On another note, as we've mentioned before in our meetings, we'd love to create a greater sense of community by opening up the blog for discussions, reviews, pictures, etc. for all members. If you're interested in writing something for the site, please feel free to e-mail Chris, Kyle, or myself at ligaturesyyz@gmail.com. We'd love to get as many awesome posts as we can!

Linotype Film screening at Coach House

This event is now full! Please email us to get on the waiting list here.

February Meeting Nº4: Recap

With love in the air, gathering at one of Toronto’s famous chocolatiers seemed fitting. Ligature members came together the eve before Valentine’s Day to share their very own love (of) letters.

As always, it was great to see some old and new faces at this month’s meeting. We are so grateful that members are spreading the word about our little group. The more we get ourselves out there, the more we can plan for great events and activities that benefit all.

As the type enthusiasts took over the back half of SOMA, Chris and myself were able to share some exciting news with some of the new members. With lots of hard work and dedication, we’ve arranged for Type Camp to come to Toronto. This is a very exciting opportunity, as it’s the first time this workshop has come to Toronto. Sessions are being offered on Friday, April 25^th and Saturday, April 26^th with a focus on calligraphy and hand lettering, instructed by Dr. Shelley Gruendler & Carol Fountain Nix. Both classes are filling up fast, so if you’re interested, please sign-up soon! (Early bird pricing ends March 1.)

We had some great show-and-tells this month as well. Not only was it great to meet some new type fanatics, but also see some of the work they were producing. Tanya Roberts (of Snap + Tumble letterpress) brought some über sexy Valentine’s Day cards to share with the group. Another member, JR Lagacé, brought in some of his lino cut prints that he had been working on. Chris brought in further examples of his on going “12 Months of Type,” with some examples of script using acrylic on various mediums. As mentioned earlier, if you come to a meeting bringing work isn’t necessary. We’re just happy to have you there and contributing to the group!

Another very cool event that we discussed was a lino carving workshop, hosted Chris Rouleau & Tanya Roberts (of Snap + Tumble letterpress). On Sunday, March 23^rd or Sunday, March 30^th, these two talented individuals will host a three-hour workshop on the basics of lino printing. During the course of the afternoon, you will learn the basics on transferring your designs to lino, carving techniques, and the best ways to ink and press your work. The cost of this afternoon will be $25 and will include materials to get you through the afternoon. If you’d like to participate in this awesome event, please e-mail us at ligaturesyyz@gmail.com by Friday, February  21^st!

Next month, we’re looking forward to screening the Linotype film at Coach House Press. If you made it to the January meeting, you’ll know what a great location this place was, and how fitting it would be to screen this film. We’re still working on final date for the screening, so please watch for updates on the blog, site and social media. We’re super pumped about showing this film (you should be, too!).

All in all, it was a very successful meeting. Despite missing one of our co-founders (we miss you Kyle!), it was great to come together. Thanks again to all that came out to SOMA and we look forward to seeing you next month for our Linotype screening!

Lots of love to all of our members,

Chris & Leslie

Linocut workshop

Due to popular demand, we have decided to try out our first Ligatures workshop. Next month, we would like to host a lino carving & printmaking afternoon. At this point, nothing is set – we are trying to assess initial interest. Here are a few details:

-on either Sunday, March 23 or Sunday, March 30, Christopher Rouleau and Tanya Roberts (of Snap + Tumble letterpress) will host a three hour workshop on the basics of lino printing. During the course of the afternoon, you will learn the basics on transferring your design to lino, carving techniques, and the best ways to ink and press your work. -for the sake of consistency, we will offer a supplies package at the cost of $25. Your kit will include:

· one super soft 4" x 6" lino tile · 10 sheets of 5" x 7" white printing paper (you may bring your own paper if you'd like extra) · access to black, water soluble ink and a brayer (roller) · 1 Speedball lino carving tool (that you get to keep!) · access to other basic supplies (paper towels, wax paper, tape, etc.)

If you are interested in participating, please contact us no later than Friday, February 21st with:

· your preferred workshop date (if you can attend either date, please say so). We will choose whichever date is better for the majority of attendees. · any potential venue ideas - anywhere central with lots of natural light, big tables, and access to a sink.

Once we have this information, we will finalize the date, and then figure out the best way to set up the payment (which we would like to collect before the event to ensure attendance). We will have more details next week.

Please RSVP, and we'll get this rolling!

p.s. If you already have your own lino tools/supplies and would like to participate, please let us know, and we can make special pricing arrangements.

January Meeting Nº 3: Recap

With the craziness of Christmas behind, all of us here at Ligatures wanted to start the New Year off just right. With that in mind, Coach House became the spot for our first meeting of the year. Having only heard of CH, it was a great opportunity to check out one of Toronto’s historical printing houses.

Chris, Kyle, and myself arrived earlier and got a sneak peek at our new meeting spot. When various forms of printing machines surround you, how can you not feel inspired? An original Linotype machine shadows you as you enter the building and despite it not being in working order (unless you want to have hot metal shot at you), was pretty fantastic to see in person. Kevin King, who also works at CH, was kind enough to give everyone a tour of the building as well as demonstrations of some of the printing devices that are currently in use. Seeing the evolution of type through these machines was quite amazing. Moving from the wooden and metal type casts to the use of printing plates gave you a sense of how far we’ve come and further appreciation for lettering itself.

I must say, Ligatures had its best turn out yet! It was amazing to see some reoccurring faces but as well as some new type lovers. A majority of the evening was spent discussing people’s work and sharing some of our current projects. Paul Dotey, an illustrator, was kind enough to bring in samples of his family’s Christmas cards from decades past. Words cannot describe how beautiful these cards were. From the delicate illustrations to the intricate lettering, it gave most of us at the meeting inspiration to have the coolest Christmas cards next year.

One of the biggest moments from the night was some great news that we’ve been keeping hush-hush for the last little bit. With some hard work done on our end (especially by Chris), we’ve convinced Type Camp (typecamp.org) to make a visit to Toronto! This will be its’ first time hosting a meeting in this city, which is pretty awesome. This is a wonderful opportunity for all of us type lovers to get together and learn from the pros! If you’d like more information head to either ligatures.ca or check out www.typecamp.org/camps/toronto-2014/

Thank-you to all the people that made it out! It was wonderful to see such dedication to getting this group going and making a real impact on Toronto’s type scene.