The limited-edition screenprint that launched the font is a reworking of a propaganda poster produced by the British Government in 1939. Not only is the poster a good way to get the attention of busy art directors, but it also gives the viewer a good opportunity to have a proper gander at the font at a large size.
The font itself is a humanist sans type that was inspired by Stephenson and Blake types such as Granby and Johnston’s London Transport Sans, which is seen on underground signs across the city.
On the subject of the font’s name, designer Stuart Brown says, ‘After playing with a number of potential ideas to no avail, I realised perhaps that nothing was more suitable that the place where I live. Also, Tooting has a couple of Underground stations, so I guess it’s a nod towards Edward Johnston too.’
It's quite a nice typeface. But do you not think this poster has been pastiched enough now? Not only does this particular version look really really ugly as a piece of design and typography, surely a promotional poster which only really demonstrates its uppercase is failing to promote half of the product? As far as a promotional vehicle goes, this is seriously lazy and poorly executed, in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteI posted this for lots of reasons, partly because it's nice to see a font participating in every day popular culture, the constant re-visiting of this poster only serves to reinforce how good the original is, and partly because one of the first years did an exercise last year whee he combined Gill Sans and Johnson to create a new font - and I thought it was a nice compliment.
ReplyDeleteI had a careful look at the new font and actually I don't like it. The original posters would have been hand drawn by expert typographers who would have modified each letter to suit it's use. This new font looks quite flat and mechanical and has lost the beauty of the original. It's also quite a weak joke - and more of a college project - but perhaps they had a quiet day in the office.
Frankly - anything that brings typography into the conversation and makes the constant evolution of typography a subject of conversation is a good thing
I just don't like the 'G'
ReplyDeleteBeautiful work - I've seen the screen printed original of this poster and it's fabulous. The perfect concept for a very well crafted English humanist sans. The glyph set alone for this font runs to well over a thousand, including extended Latin, Greek and Cyrillic with complimentary small caps. Not to mention that the kern pairs run to over 9000! I look forward to the release of more weights.
ReplyDeleteKeep it up Mr Brown