Ace Jet 170

Out of stock

Just lovely, but they say..."Owing to unprecedented demand we are out of stock! We are so sorry about this, but please do place back-orders for late August delivery if you are happy to wait".

Worth the wait.

(via createmake/via core77)

Our Director is missing!

It's the question on everyone's lips. It's 4.30pm. The film starts at 6.30pm. Our director is stuck in traffic between Dublin and Belfast.

Eek!

Found Helvetica Friday: Danger of Death

There's a lot of electricity round by us. Loads of it. It's like everyone wants some.

Consequently, the Harbour Estate, where our studio is, is a hazardous place, as expressed through the gift of Helvetica and some funny symbols.

My favourite is, clearly, "Danger of Death". Don't you think that first one is very Saul Bass?

Issue Eight

Back in March I'd posted some pics of Issue Six and Seven and explained how they'd had quite an effect on me when I first saw them. More recently I re-discovered this, the next issue. Designed to a larger (A3) format, the sense of scale is powerful.

I think (and please, anyone who knows better do feel free to correct me) that Cartlidge Levene only designed these three editions of the Design Museum's magazine.

A nice bit of Helvetica don't you think?

Swiss Graphic Design

By happy coincidence I just happen to be reading this book by Richard Hollis. Jay from Things To look At had recommended it on NDG a couple of weeks ago when Ben had asked what basic typographic advice you'd give to students.

Even though I'd already bought it and it was waiting in the To Be Read pile, I thought it might have been too niche in that context. Now I'm half way through it I realise I couldn't have been more wrong. I can't think of any other graphic style/movement that was/is so inclusive. From the Arts and right through all levels of industry the Swiss style works, with dynamism, sensitivity and a super cool but still accessible sense of style - with clarity, purpose and economy at it's heart.

I don't know what other reviews are out there but, to me at least, I get the impression that Hollis ready knows his stuff, taking an extremely useful analytical approach at times.

The cut a long story short, Jay was damn right. This book should be essential reading.

With a predominence of Akzidenz Grotesk, Helvetica's forerunner, the book is lavishly illustrated with graphic design classics as well as more obscure examples you'll struggle to find anywhere else.

The only thing I find disappointing about the book is the rather uninspired cover but as soon as you open it that's forgotten.

The Penrose Annual 1966

Helvetiweek has given me the perfect excuse to retrieve those dusty Penrose Annuals from our loft. They're now installed within easy reach downstairs. Full of interesting things, for now though all you're getting is this ad from Linotype for the mighty H.

I really like that bit about how the font has, "roused great interest in the United States..."; they're so progressive in the New World aren't they?

My stamp collection

I did say, "Helvetica-related" didn't I. This is perhaps the smallest stamp collection ever. It's very focused, the criteria being: a) Swiss, and b) Nice.

Wikipedia explains the use of that word, "Helvetia is the Roman name for an ancient region of central Europe occupying a plateau between the Alps and the Jura Mountains. Helvetia corresponded roughly to the western part of modern Switzerland, and the name is still used poetically." The font's name is, of course, a derivative.

Ironically, very few of these actually feature Helvetica. But then, why should they?

I have posted a few of these before, individually, but I thought they might warrant a collective post of their own. My entire collection fits neatly into a Moleskin Pocket Book. There's a few more on Flickr.

It's Helvetica Week!

Here we are then; this Friday Gary Hustwit is popping up the road to show us his film: Helvetica: The Greatest Story Ever Told. And oh, we're so excited!

But if you think we're excited now, just wait until we're at the other end of Helvetiweek.

If anyone's got any amusing Helvetica-related anecdotes or dramatic Neue Haas Grotesk stories, do tell; following last week's request for stuff I've had next to naff-all, except for the rather exciting promise of Neue Grafik spreads from Joe Kral.

So this week I'm going to feature just Helvetica-related stuff and nonsense, with the emphasis on "related", meaning it's not necessarily going to be just a load of Helvetica. I'm hoping it's going to be OK.

Found Type Friday #24

This weeks FTF comes to you courtesy of the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum.

Ever since our oldest boy was able to go, "toot, toot!" we've been going to the Transport part of this museum. I've lost count of how many times we've been but he and now his little brother never tire of the place. It's also only about ten minutes away from where we live.

It's not huge but the road and rail collection is very well formed and brilliantly layed out. There's plenty of things to see, climb on and fiddle with. And of course, what makes it for me is all the lovely, lovely vintage type. Typical of probably every transport museum, it's everywhere.

For once, I thought to take my camera and here are some of the results. The rest are on Flickr.

If anyone would like to contribute to FTF please feel free to email me here.

Helvetica and Fairchild Semiconductor

This is from another poster we're printing for the Helvetica screening. It's by Fairchild Semiconductor. I don't know Mr Semiconductor, or at least I don't think I do, and don't know his work intimately but I really like this poster. I think it's really interesting.

I like it because it's for the screening that we're very excited about and I actually like the look of it. And I like the idea. The message is coded. It's literally coded and it's conceptionally coded in that you have to work out what the hell it's all about and I like that. But it is all there if you look hard enough. It's cunning too but I won't say why, I'll let you work that out (you'll have to download the pdf to see it properly). It's its cunningness that I really like.

Download fairchild_semiconductor.pdf

I should actually say a big public THANK YOU to Northside, our digital printer, for sponsoring the event by taking care of the posters for us. Specifically to Maria for looking after it.

Thanks Maria.

If anyone's interesting in coming to see the film, you can register and buy tickets here.

Seth's favourite Current Affairs Magazine

The second thing that stood out was what a good looking publication the New Statesman is. Apparently it's "Current affairs mag of the year"; I'd say, "Bloody best looking current affairs mag of the year"...

...and my 20 month old son agrees; he kept swiping it while I was trying to snap it.

Free is good!

I was at Belfast City airport yesterday, seeing off my folks who were flying back to Blighty and I took the opportunity to take half an hour off and sit in Costas with a large espresso and one of their lemon and banana muffins. Nice.

Browsing the mag rack in the newsagent's beforehand a couple of things stood out. One was the cover of the Indy which was reporting on some Tory faux pas about the possibility of re-introducing entry fees to national museums. I thought Steve Sinnott, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, was spot on with his reaction (see first snippet) while Dino Chapman, Controversial Artist, was, perhaps predictably, controversial (second snippet).

Free entry is ace. There was only the Ulster Museum over here (that I know of) that we could get into for free but it's undergoing a massive refurbishment right now so it's closed for a few years. It may not have been up to London standards but it was pretty good, had dinosaur bones and a mummy, and was/is well positioned next to the Botanic Gardens so you could get a good, free day out (especially with the kids).

If I lived in London or was visiting (as we hope to soon) I'd take full advantage of this freeness.

Octavo: 88.5/90.7

What with all the Helvetica talk lately and then Vernon's Flickr set I've felt the urge to dig out my copies of Octavo.

If you don't know: just 8 issues of Octavo were produced by London-based design studio 8vo between 1986 and 92. All but the final issue were printed magazines of the finest quality (the last was a CD ROM produced at a time when such things were "cutting-edge").

The contents often had a distinct leaning towards matters of modernist typography: Zwart, Schuitema, Burchatz et al, alongside more contemporary exponents and theorists.

They were quite expensive and I was a poor studio junior at the time so could only afford these two. But even now I take them out occasionally and marvel at their beauty. You can read more about 8vo here or you could buy the book of course.

Now disbanded the partners - Mark Holt, Hamish Muir and Simon Johnston - are working independantly and are still doing interesting things.

Coming soon: Helvetica Week

To whip us all up into a frenzy of Helvetica-ness, in anticipation of the imminent screening of Helvetica Strikes Back (or should that be The Fontom Menace?!?), starting on Monday 25th June it's going to be Helvetica Week on Ace Jet. So if anyone's got any Helvetica-related nuggets of interest please send them my way.

The images used here are stills taken from the Helvetica Film website without permission but with the very best intentions. Hope that's OK.

All quiet on Ace Jet

Well we've been extremely busy lately. You see, we have lots and lots of clients. I'm not boasting, we're at a level where it's not necessarily a good thing.

Lots of them are small: one man bands, start-ups, that kind of thing. On the up side, it means we're dealing with owner/managers who have come to us because of our reputation and who tend to be trusting and make snappy decisions. That combination means projects often get off to a flying start. The problem comes next when we're waiting for more info/material, waiting to arrange photography/illustration and/or organising out-sourced services/supplies - we find ourselves juggling loads of different, small projects. It's really, really time consuming; we don't have accounts staff so do all this stuff ourselves. Consequently, right now, we're stuffed!

That's why I've been struggling, no failing, to find time to blog. But thankfully, I've been forced out of my silence by some rather good news. Actually, very good news indeed.

Thanks almost entirely to the efforts of Chris Murphy (of Fehler, Fällt and the University of Ulster) the Helvetica Film is coming to Belfast. For one night only, on Friday 29th June Gary Hustwit is bringing it up the road from the Dublin screening to introduce it at the University of Ulster. I for one am dead pleased and can't wait.

As I've said before, I'm not aware that I have many local readers but if there's anyone out there who'd like to go: Go, go, go! Register and buy tickets here.

And we've been doing some posters. These are mine. We're going to print the middle one:

Who is Ken Campbell?

Over on the We Made This blog, there's an account of Alistair's trip to the St Bride Conference. Now it's times like this I miss old Blighty; if only I could just jump on a train like I used to...

Amongst the many interesting things he saw/heard was Ken Garland talking about Ken Campbell. Ever since I picked this booklet up in the Museum of Modern Art in Oxford in 1990 I've wanted to know more about Mr Campbell.

And now, partly thanks to Ken G but mostly Alistair and his link, I know more. So if you're reading this Alistair: Thanks!

All links courtesy of We Made This.

London 2012 Logo

I hereby announch that Ace Jet 170 is a London 2012 logo free zone. And that's the last I'll say on the matter. (Here anyway).

Found Type Friday #23

Regular contributor Loïc has discovered a 70s gem: a French Letragraphica catalogue from 1977, about which he says, "...for those who may not know, Letragraphica was the avant-garde label from Letraset, started in 1971. As you can see, each type is accompanied by a picture and the result goes from ridiculous to boring, through strange. But anyway, a big piece of work for a catalogue, designed by the french in-house graphic design dept., hardback, 125 pictures by 4 photographers, 260 pages, and only for a one-country market. You don't see such kind of promotional expense these days, do you?"

I really like the sinister hooded figure with Fat Shadow. Scarey biscuits!

Can only hazard a guess at what's going on here...

But the very, very best is the oh so literal interpretation of American Typewriter. Everytime I look at it I chuckle.

But let's not pass over the fonts themselves. Largely forgotten and of little use today, American Typewriter is, however, right up there with Clarendon and Lubalin Graph as iconic character fonts, well up my list of favourites.

Many, many thanks Loïc! Send more!