Aboutype
[Joffre LeFevre]

Aboutype (est. 1991) is Joffre LeFevre's small Boston-based foundry and custom font bureau. LeFevre (b. 1945, Muskegon, WI, d. 2022, Proctorsville, VT) has been making typefaces since about 1970. He studied Fine Arts (illustration) at Kendall College of Art and Design and Fine Arts (graphic design) at Grand Valley State University. He also received an honorary Masters in Fine Arts from Babson College. For twenty years serving as principal type designer and type product designer for Compugraphic/Agfa Corporation before founding Aboutype Associates, Inc., a type design studio and custom digitizing service in 1989. He retired to Vermont in 2009. Joffre LeFevre's 1997 Volkswagen font series is floating around in web space however. As he says, The Volkswagen fonts were hand-drawn by me to a specification based on a long neglected display version of Futura that was developed by a photo composition type foundry in the early seventies. Similar to the type used in the introduction of the first VW Beetle.

LeFevre's fonts include Antique Central (shop sign font), Bitters, Boot Stitch, Capital, Crombury (2006, elegant high-ascendered display family), Cullens Shoes, Downtown, Elongated Roman, Erasurehead, Everett Mill, Free Zone (2001, geometric sans), Granger (2007), Hemmings, Hunter (2001, a slab serif family in the style of Beton), Hunter Poster, Mac Sans Outline Poster, Max Stitch, Merchant, Minernil (2006, slab serif family), Mulsanne (race car font), New Horizon (inscriptional, Trajan), New Horizon Titling, New Prairie (2001, transitional family), Pemberton, Pitch Pipe (2001, modern, bold), Putney (shop sign font), Ravenna, Rays Cafe, Redeye (2001, a religiously condensed and quite unreadable face), Redeye Sans, Revenue, Saloon, Sparrow (2007), Vanquish (2001, geometric sans), Wade Vernacular, Whitingham, and Zone.

Some fonts now sold through MyFonts: Antique Central, Bitters, Boot Stitch, Capital, Crombury, Cullens Shoes, Downtown, Elongated Roman, Erasurehead, Everett Mill, Free Zone, Hemmings, Hunter, Hunter Poster, Max Stitch, Merchant, Mulsanne, New Horizon, New Prairie, Pemberton, Pitch Pipe, Putney, Ravenna, Rays Cafe, Redeye, Redeye Sans, Redeye Serif, Revenue, Saloon, Vanquish, Wade Vernacular, Zone, Sydney, Charles, Merrimac, Willem, Float, Proceed, Salonika.

Klingspor link.

View Aboutype's typefaces. Obituary. [Google] [MyFonts] [More]  ⦿

Adam B. Ford

Adam B. Ford is an author, snowboard instructor, and zipline guide living with his dog Bulo in Vermont. He has published seven children's books and works on a variety of photo, video, and design projects. His first font was designed in 1990 but it was not until 2021 that he started retailing his typefaces. In 2021, he released Hulpy (an informal comic book font), Pleroid (an elliptical stylized sci-fi font), Bezura (a monolinear sans that tries to minimize the number of Bezier points) and Bylum (hand-drawn). [Google] [MyFonts] [More]  ⦿

Alec Julien
[Haiku Monkey]

[MyFonts] [More]  ⦿

Andrew Beebe

Burlington, VT-based designer of Dextra (2017). [Google] [More]  ⦿

Constance Blanchard

Born in 1954 in Athol, MA. Studied at the University of Vermont and the Mass. College of Art. Type designer and type design manager at Compugraphic at some point. The eight weight-Garth Graphic family was jointly designed by Renée LeWinter, John Matt and Constance Blanchard (1979, Agfa / Monotype). Fonshp link. [Google] [MyFonts] [More]  ⦿

Craig Winslow II

Designer of the counterless modular fat typeface Moduli (2010). In 2010, he graduated with a degree in graphic design from Champlain College in Burlington, VT. [Google] [More]  ⦿

David Charles Randolph Rakowski

Type designer and composer, born in St. Albans, VT, in 1958. He was one of the early free/shareware type designers, well-known for creating revivals of 19th century typefaces. He was the Walter W. Naumburg Professor of Composition at Brandeis University, and has previously taught at Harvard University, Columbia University, and Stanford University.

List of Rakowski's fonts: 3-DWedgie, Aarcover, AdineKirnberg-Script, Ann-Stone, Beachman, Beffle (1991, after Fry's Ornamented No. 2 from Stephenson Blake), Bizarro, BrailleFont, BunnyEars, ChristensenCaps, Crackling, DaBigKeyCaps, DavysCrappyWriting, DavysDingbats, DavysKeyCaps, DavysNewOther, DavysOtherDingbats, DavysRibbons, DeBalme Initials, DieterCaps, Diner-Fatt, Diner-Obese, Diner-Regular, Diner-Skinny, Dobkin-Script, Dragonwick, Dubiel (1991), Dupuy-Light, DupuyBALloon, Eileen, EileenCaps, EileensMediumZodiac, Elizabeth-Ann, Elzevier, EraserDust, Firecat, Gallaudet (a sign language font), Garton (1993), Gessele-Script, GriffinOne, Harting (an old typewriter font), Headhunter, Holtzschue, Horst, Ian-Bent, Jeff-Nichols, Jumble, Kinigstein, Konanur, KoshgarianLight, Kramer, Lassus (1993), LeeCaps, Lemiesz (a free version of Publicity Gothic, 1916), Lilith-Heavy, Lilith-Initals, Lilith-Light, Lintsec, Logger, LowerEastSide, McGarey-Fractured, Multiform, Nauert, NixonInChina (oriental simulation), ParisMetro, Pixie, Pointage, Polo, Rechtman-Script, ReliefDeco, ReliefInReverse, Reynolds, Rockmaker, Rothman [note: poster by Lauren Buroker], Rounded, Rudelsberg (a Munch Jugendstil style font), Salter, Shotling, Showboat, Shrapnel, Starburst, TejaratchiCaps, TenderleafCaps, ToneAndDebs, Tribeca, Uechi, UpperEastSide (1990), UpperWestSide (lettering from the New Yorker magazine), VarahCaps, Wedgie, Wharmby, WhatA-Relief, Will-Harris, Zaleski, and Zallman-Caps.

Some downloads: Uechi, Rothman, Tejaratchi, Eileen Caps and Elzevier Caps, Paris Metro, Davy's Dingbats (see also here).

With Klaus Herrmann, of Intecsas in Düsseldorf, he started updating his fonts from 1992-1999. Those fonts can be bought at Will-Harris.

Here is an interview with David.

Download 120 of his fonts here.

And finally, a text file with the names of most of his fonts.

Mark Johansson explains the history of Rakowski's fonts. Dafont link. MyFonts page. Abstract Fonts link. Font Squirrel link. Fontspace link. Klingspor link. [Google] [MyFonts] [More]  ⦿

Gahlord Dewald

Punchcutter at the Golgonooza Letter Foundry (New Hampshire), run by Dan Carr. At one point associated with Weeds Media Consortium in Burlington, VT. [Google] [MyFonts] [More]  ⦿

Haiku Monkey
[Alec Julien]

Commercial foundry, est. 2007 in Burlington, VT, by Alec Julien (b. 1965). Fonts sold through MyFonts include Doctor Cyclops (2009), Grundlagen (2009, retro display sans), I Am A Bird (2009), Yacht (2009, a 1930s movie poster style family), Predicate (+Rounded) (2008, sans), Steel Sedan (2008, a condensed slab serif family), Monumint (2008, comic book style), Aerohop (2008, a sans family), Chittenden (2008, an artsy blackboard math style face), Rany (2008, hand-printed), Ashbery (2008, Asian jungle look stick font), Banyan (2007, brush typeface with a jungle look), Loge (2007, a high-contrast sans), Joules (2007, hand-printed family, whose development is described here), Tara (2007, a jungle-look face), Sinn (2007), Set Theory (2007), Bad Marker (2007), Counterfact (2007), Sharp Nine (2007), Good Robot (2007), Groovin Up Slowly (2007), Fractal Caps (2007), Classy Diner (2007), Anthem (2007), Zooey (2007), Imagination Theory (2007), 89 (2007), Skrawl (2007), Zerega (2007), AJ Hand (2007), Scandal (2008), Zone 52 (2008, techno), Gno (2008, techno), Gno Serif (2008), Abbott (2008, a cool hand-printed script). Most of these fonts resulted from drawing or doodling experiments.

Free fonts: Lavoisier (2009, sans), Skritch (2008, handwriting), Geekium (2008, a math symbols font based on Gentium), 36 Dots (dot matrix face), Teacher Sez (2007, blackboard script). Devian Tart carries these free fonts/demos: Skritch, Rany, Teacher Sez, Steel Jalopy (2008, based on Steel Sedan), Insolent (2009), I Am A Bird (2009, slab serif family), Myrna (2009). Lavoisier (2009) is a free monoline font, later cyrillicized by Sergey Tkachenko. Working on Modus (2009).

Additions in 2010: Lockwood (a strong all-caps sans display face), m7 (a slab serif typewriter face), Blues Vity (condensed display face), m13 (fat slab serif), Mineola, Hunk (fat all-caps display face).

Creations from 2011: Zurdo (hand-printed).

Typefaces from 2012: Shockproof (a tall display face).

Typefaces from 2013: Arcation (techno).

In 2014, Alec Julien published the skyline typeface family Lexave.

Typefaces from 2015: Gilmour (a sturdy slab serif, +Cyrillic).

Typefaces from 2016: Gama (octagonally cut Star Trek font).

Typefaces from 2018: Syd, Sid.

Interview by Seven Days. Fontsquirrel link. Klingspor link. Kernest link.

View Alec Julien's typefaces. [Google] [MyFonts] [More]  ⦿

Jessica Castillo

During her graphic design studies at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) Jessica Castillo (Swanton, VT) created the upright frilly script typeface Bellaluna (2013). [Google] [More]  ⦿

Joffre LeFevre
[Aboutype]

[MyFonts] [More]  ⦿

John Arnst

Jericho, VT-based designer of Pixie Talon (2004). [Google] [More]  ⦿

Jordan Davies
[Wooden Type Fonts (was: American Wood Type and, Wooden Type)]

[MyFonts] [More]  ⦿

Jory Raphael

Jory Raphael is a designer and entrepreneur living in Vermont. Founder of Sensible World. Designer of icon sets such as Elements, Forecast, Air, Symbolicons Block and Symbolicons Line. His work is available from Symbolicons.com and Symbolset. [Google] [More]  ⦿

Kacie Cotter-Sacala

Graphic designer and illustrator in Burlington, VT, who created the display typeface Billiards in 2015. [Google] [More]  ⦿

Mary Trafton

Mary Trafton lives in Montpelier, Vermont, where she creates marketing, promotional, and website graphics for the Hunger Mountain Co-op. She received a BA in Italian at Smith College, an MA in Design and MFA in Drawing at the University of Iowa. She also studied at the Boston Museum School with fellow student, Charles Gibbons.

Designer at Bitstream of Full Moon BT (with Charles Gibbons). This hand-printed family won an award at the TDC2 2003 competition. It includes FM Black Cherry Moon, Alternate, Ligature, and Doubles (all with Charles Gibbons).

FontShop link. [Google] [MyFonts] [More]  ⦿

Ronald Arnholm

Professor of Art Graphic Design at Lamar Dodd School of Art, part of the University of Georgia, Athens. Born in 1939 in Barre, VT, Arnholm designed the lapidary typeface ITC Legacy Sans family (1992, a 51-font remake of the 1960s Arnholm Sans), and the ITC Legacy Serif family (1992, Venetian). In 2009, ITC Legacy Square Serif and ITC Legacy Serif Condensed were added. ITC Legacy Square Serif won an award at TDC2 2010.

His early fonts were released at VGC, the Visual Graphics Corporation: VGC Aquarius (2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, Outline) (1967) (this was digitized in 2007 by Steve Jackaman as Aquarius), VGCArnholm Sans Bold (1965), VGC Fovea (1977).

Arnholm also designed WTC Veritas for the World Typeface Center, New York, 1981-85.

He created these headline typefaces for the Los Angeles Times, 1980: L.A. Times Regular, L.A. Times regular italic, L.A. Times Bold and L.A. Times Bold Italic.

MyFonts page. Linotype bio. FontShop link. Klingspor link.

View Ronald Arnholm's typefaces. [Google] [MyFonts] [More]  ⦿

Rudolf Ruzicka

Rudolf (Rudolph) Ruzicka was a Czech type designer (1883-1978), wood engraver and designer, who worked for 50 years as a consultant for the Mergenthaler Linotype Company. He had a farm in Vermont. Designer of these typefaces:

• Fairfield (1940-1947). Fairfield was revived as Transitional 551 at Bitstream (Alex Kaczun, 1991) and by Linotype as Fairfield LT Std. A free version was done by Barry Schwartz, and is called Fanwood Text (2011, roman and italic). Mac McGrew: Fairfield is a contemporary, modernized style of type which retains oldstyle characteristics, moderately compact, with long ascenders. It was designed for Linotype by Rudolph Ruzicka and released in 1940, with Fairfield Medium following in 1949. Italics are especially well designed to conform to the slug machine's mechanical limitations. Compare Electra. The Fairfield Medium swash characters, shown here in 12-point, have not been found in any Mergenthaler literature, but the mats are marked like the rest of the font.
• Lake Informal.
• Primer (1949, for Mergentaler Linotype). In 1984, Mergenthaler launched Primer54. Primer was copied/emulated by Bitstream as Century 751 in the early eighties. Mac McGrew: Primer was designed by Rudolph Ruzicka for Linotype and introduced in 1953. A half-dozen years earlier Linotype had commissioned this noted artist and engraver to design a typeface to replace Century Schoolbook. Legibility was the primary consideration, along with more contemporary styling. It is designed for a crisper feeling, and offers a choice of either long or short descenders, as well as lining or oldstyle figures. The italic is specifically drawn within the mechanical restrictions of slug-machine matrices. Although a great many typefaces increase their proportionate width in small sizes, Primer carries this reproportioning a little further than most, resulting in an unusually legible and stylish face, even in 6-point. It is popular for advertising and general book work as well as for educational materials. In the specimen shown here, the characters shown immediately above the small caps are those normally combined with these letters. These figures and other characters are also made in combination with their italic counterparts for insertion of matrices by hand, or can be cut to replace small caps on the keyboard.
• Ruzicka Freehand (1939; FontShop states 1936 though). The Linotype version is by Alex Kaczun. The Adobe version in 1991 (Linotype states 1993) is by Mark Altman and Ann Chaisson.
• Ruzicka showed several alphabets in Studies in Type Design (1968). In 2018, Jesse Ragan digitized a few of these and expanded them into a sturdy 12-style typeface family, Study (XYX Type). License Study from Type Network.

Ruzicka was also known for his engravings: see this wood engraving example.

Bio. FontShop link. An alphabet drawn in 1950 on his farm in Vermont (taken from PAGA, vol. 1, no. 1, page 12, 1953).

Klingspor PDF. FontShop link. Klingspor link.

View digital versions of Rudolf Ruzicka's typefaces. View Rudolph Ruzicka's typefaces. [Google] [MyFonts] [More]  ⦿

Timothy Mueller-Harder

American landscape photographer who made Pixel Alphabet (2011). [Google] [More]  ⦿

Vermont

The Government of Vermont showed some map symbol fonts: Warning Signs, Regulatory Signs, Guide Signs #90, and Guide Signs #91. No downloads. [Google] [More]  ⦿

Vrest Orton

Vermont-based author (b. 1897) of Goudy, Master of Letters (Black Cat Press, Chicago, 1938; published in 1939; see also here), about the life of Frederic Goudy (1865-1947). The book has quite a bit of historic detail such as a vivid description of the fire that destroyed Goudy's workplace at Deepdene. But there are virtually no type specimens or typographic images. [Google] [More]  ⦿

William Hagar

New York-based typefounders who published their work in Specimen of printing types and ornaments, from the type and stereotype foundry of William Hagar (New York, 1850). William Hagar was born in 1798 in Rutland, VT. He moved to New York in 1816 where he worked with Elihu White at the White Type Foundry. In 1823, he took over George B. Lothian's part of the foundry of Lothian&Pell to form Hagar&Pell, who were the first to introduce Scotch to American printersi (Hagar had asked David Bruce Jr. to cut the punches for the lightface series). This company was dissolved in 1830. Hagar's Scotch never sold well---the first successful Scotch family was credited to James Conner, who had bought the original punches and a few more cuts by Edwin Starr. In 1835 Hagar returned to typefounding to buy an interest in the foundry of his friend, Elihu White. This became White&Hagar. White died in 1836, and Hagar continued until 1839. From 1840 until 1842 he was a partner of George B. Lothian, who had a legendary temper. The company William Hagar was established a bit later thanks to the purchase by Caleb Bartlett, Hagar's friend, of the machinery of James Conner who had financial problems. In 1845 Hagar purchased his partner's interests, and he was the sole owner until 1852 when he sold the foundry to his sons, William and John. He died in 1863. The business declined due to the inexperience of the children and the mounting competition and would later become ATF. In 1887, the business was sold to three other New York typefounders.

Among digital revivals of its typefaces, we cite Apple Pie (2009, William Hagemann, FontMesa), an extension of an ornate Bodoni all caps typeface by Hagar, ca. 1850. See also AWT Hagar Concave Tuscan Shade (2013, Dick Pape. [Google] [More]  ⦿

Wooden Type Fonts (was: American Wood Type and, Wooden Type)
[Jordan Davies]

Wooden Type Fonts (was: American Wood Type) is founded and run by Jordan Davies from South Hero, VT: Historically accurate reproductions of wood type produced in the 19th century in a variety of styles. This is a work of passion and dedication by Jordan Davies. Jordan's other passion is painting. His (digital) wood typefaces include these original designs: Bevan Condensed, Bevan Medium (based on Melior), Inline Regular, London Light, London Heavy, Neo Geo Block, Quirk, Slab Four Rounded (+Ext), Slab Four Rounded Italic, Slab Four Rounded Revised, Slab Four Rounded Super. MyFonts link. Digital revivals:

• 20th Century ExtraBold Extended (2017). A very wide version of Futura.
• Aetna Bold.
• Alpine Mtn (2021). a display sans with some stencil glyphs.
• Antique 6 (based on Stevens, Shanks), Antique Condensed Bold, Antique Light, AntiqueRegular (saloon font), Antique Five, Antique Sans, Antique Shadow, Antique Six, Antique Three, Antique Tuscan 1, Antique 7 (2011), Antique Tuscan 8 (2008), Antique Tuscan Condensed, Antique Tuscan Heavy, Antique Wells Medium (2005), Antique Wells Expanded (2011, based on Wells&Webb), Antique Two (2008), Antique XX (2008).
• Bernhard Gothic Medium (2017, after Lucian Bernhard).
• Blobbing (2013, a fat finger typeface), Bodoni Ultra (2015, based on a Bauer Types original).
• Cassjor (2011): an angular face.
• Cheltenham (2019), (2019).
• Churchward Ultra Bold (2018).
• Clarendon Condensed, Clarendon Condensed Bold (2007, based on a 1859 design by William Hamilton Page), Clarendon Extended (2005, after W.H. Page), Clarendon Heavy, Clarendon Extra Condensed (2007), Clarendon 618 (2010), Clarendon 617 (2010), Clarendon Semi (2011), Clarendon Jordan (2015).
• Columbian (2015) and Columbian Slab (2015). Heavy classical Egyptians.
• Concave Tuscan X Condensed.
• Craw Clarendon (2013), Craw Clarendon Extended (2015), and Craw Clarendon Bold (2014).
• Davies Serif (2014): a great wide wood-inspired wedge-serifed display didone.
• Devendra (2021). A counterless stencil typeface.
• DeVinne Wood, DeVinne Wood Italic.
• Doric Condensed, Doric Expanded.
• Egyptian Bold, Egyptian Ornamented (+Bold), Egyptian Regular, Egyptian Slab (2007), Egyptian Two, Egyptian Wide (2006, based on a Miller&Richard original, ca. 1850), Egyptian Bold Expanded (2011), Egyptian Extra Bold Condensed (2011), Egyptienne75 Black (2020).
• French Antique Condensed.
• French Calrendon (2015) and French Clarendon Expanded (2015).
• Gallatin Light (2021), Gallatin Bold (2019) and Gallatin Medium (2020). A slab serif.
• Girder Heavy (2008, based on a design of W.H. Page, ca. 1900), Girder Super (2014, a slab serif based on William Hamilton Page).
• Gothic Bold, Gothic Bold Extended, Gothic Extra Extended, Gothic Extended (2009), Gothic Medium, Gothic Nesbitt (2011), Gothic Leavenworth (2015), Gothic Number Sixteen (2019), Gothic Special Condensed Bold (2005), Gothic Special Condensed Medium (+Italic, 2013), Gothic Special Normal (+Italic, 2013), Gothic Special Thin, Gothic Tuscan, Gothic Tuscan 9 (+Narrow), Gothic Tuscan 8 (+Pointed), Gothic Tuscan Condensed, Gothic Tuscan Round, Gothic Tuscan Concave, Gothic Tuscan Pointed Narrow, Gothic Unique (2007).
• Grecian Bold Condensed, Grecian XX Condensed, Grecian Bold Expanded (2014).
• Grotesque (2010), Grotesque Bold Italic (2013).
• Jensen Old Style.
• Jordan Calligraphy (2015).
• Kurilian (2015). After a 1879 spurred wod type design by Heber Wells.
• Lettres Angulaires (2010): based on Textura.
• London Heavy and London Medium (2017). A revival of Johnson Underground.
• Mansard. This revives a wood type from 1878 by Heber Wells.
• Martin Bold (2018), Martin Medium Regular (2018).
• Masterman (2017). After a typeface by Boston's Hansen foundry.
• Mementor Bold (2018) and Mementor Medium Regular (2018).
• News Gothic Bold (2017) and News Gothic Light (2017). After Morris Fuller Benton's original at ATF.
• Number5 Reg (2010). A variation of the William Page 500 font.
• Number 154 (2006, based on a 1887 design by William Hamilton Page), Number 515 Black, Number 514 (2011).
• Octagon.
• Peerless (2008). Peerless 131 Bold (2012) is a wedge serif design based on William Hamilton Page.
• Penny (2007, a gorgeous didone headline font based on a 1838 wood type font by George Nesbitt).
• Roman X Condensed (a great didone font), Roman X Expanded, Roman Wells Bold.
• Rubens Regular (2005) and Rubens Expanded Regular (2018).
• Sainted Medium, Sainted Extra Bold (2018). Two slab serif typefaces.
• Skeleton Antique (2005-2012). Based on a William Page original from 1865.
• Slab Four Rounded (2010, +Bold, +Super).
• Stymie Extra Bold (2018).
• Teniers Regular.
• Teutonic.
• Thorowgood (2010): a relatively low-contrast Clarendon based on a wood specimen sheet. Thorowgood Wide was done in 2013.
• Times Gothic (2009).
• Trenton, Trenton Condensed (2005, based on an 1889 typeface by James Edward Hamilton), Trenton Ornamented.
• Trooper Roman Black (2020).
• Tuscan Egyptian, Tuscan Italian.
• Video Black (2020).
• Venusian Bold Extended (2018). The name refers perhaps to the classic Bauersche sans typeface Venus.
• William Page 500, William Page 506.
• Wood Regular (2005).

Showcase of his most popular fonts at MyFonts. Klingspor link. [Google] [MyFonts] [More]  ⦿

Zak Crapo

Graphic designer from Burlington, Vermont, who, during his studies at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, created Espresso Alphabet (2014). Behance link. [Google] [More]  ⦿