TYPE DESIGN INFORMATION PAGE last updated on Wed Nov 20 11:43:30 EST 2024

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OPD

Polish foundry, which existed from 1969-1976. Its history was told by Adam Twardoch: OPD was founded in Warsaw in 1969 under the direction of the Polish type designer and long-term Association Typographique Internationale (ATypI) board member Roman Tomaszewski. Until 1976, it existed as a research center of the state printing industry, gathering a group of Polish designers involved in lettering with a goal of creating a series of new typefaces for use in printing. Before OPD, very few original typefaces were designed in Poland. A major moment in the existence of this typeface development center was a font design contest held in March 1971 in Dresden, East Germany, where several Polish fonts designed at OPD specifically for that event received awards. One of the most interesting typefaces developed under the auspices of OPD is Alauda, designed by Jerzy Desselberger, who is a world-renowned specialist for Middle European birds. As a member of international ornithological associations, Desselberger writes about birds, supplementing the texts with beautiful illustrations. He occasionally deals with type, and Alauda (Latin for lark) is one of his typographic creations. This intricately drawn, beautifully clear typeface bears a strikingly modern appearance which remains fresh after 30 years. Although slightly slanted, Alauda retains its balance by using half-serifs. In essence, Desselberger follows Poltawski's design postulates, but does so far better and more consistently than Poltawski himself has ever done. Initially, Alauda has been meant for release on photosetting, with Desselberger having prepared three styles (roman, italic and bold), with over 350 characters each. Unfortunately, the typeface has never been released, and OPD has ceased to function in 1976 due to a financial crisis.

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INTERNAL LINKS
Extinct 20th century foundries ⦿ The Polish type scene ⦿