Custom type design services and typographic research for designers, industry, and institutions

Custom type solutions can range anywhere from a basic set of characters or numerals to expansive corporate font families with multiple masters. Custom type can be designed to work within an existing typographic system or as part of a redesign. The process can begin with a brief, a sketch, or a reference, with a collaborative exploratory phase, or with my own analysis of functional and formal requirements.

Depending on the project, different forms of licensing can be agreed upon. When larger companies and institutions use a font long-term and organisation-wide, a custom typeface with a perpetual, exclusive licence remains distinctive to the brand and avoids the recurring fees of retail fonts. For specific projects or organisations with frequent redesigns, time-limited exclusivity can provide the design benefits at reduced costs.

Not every project requires a typeface to be designed from scratch. Font modification can be an efficient way to adapt an existing design to specific functional or aesthetic requirements. The starting point can be an existing proprietary typeface, an open-source font, or an unreleased design from my own collection. Modifications can involve extending a character set, adding OpenType features, or adjusting details, proportions, or weights, and can range from a small number of characters to more substantial changes across a typeface or family.

A logo or wordmark can have the right concept and still require refinement in its execution. I work with existing designs to resolve details of drawing, proportions, spacing, weight, and optical balance, whether the starting point is a finished digital design or a more provisional sketch.

Working with historical wordmarks that exist as drawings, prints, photographs, or physical objects, I distinguish between characteristics belonging to the design itself and those resulting from the conditions of production, and develop a refined version adapted to its intended use.

I provide historical expertise on questions relating to typography, letterforms, and their authorship, be it in support of design processes or in the context of copyright enquiries, disputes, heritage conservation, or the renovation and restoration of buildings, artworks, or monuments.

Research can include tracing the history of a typeface, wordmark, lettering, signage system, printed artefact, or other typographic object; establishing when and how it was produced; identifying its sources; and investigating the people, technologies, and contexts involved in its development. Depending on the question and the available evidence, I combine close analysis of typographic form with existing literature and primary sources. The outcome can be a concise written assessment or a more extensive report.