Welcome to The World of Type. While the title is audacious, it reflects exactly what we intend to discuss — nothing more, and nothing less.
Over the past 40 years, the digital font business has both evolved and remained remarkably the same. Type designers continue to create fonts on personal computers, licensing them directly or through various distribution channels with diverse pricing structures across a vast array of scripts and languages.
In the coming years, we will share stories about new typefaces, foundries, and platform updates. We will also explore the broader industry, covering distribution, sales, marketing, font engineering, usage trends, and fonts in use.
While the pace of change is exhilarating, it can also be daunting. Many designers feel a sense of unease regarding the potential of Artificial Intelligence in type design. Whether this represents the dusk or the dawn of a new era remains to be seen, but I remain optimistic that it is the dawn. AI will likely make type development more efficient and usage smarter, though I do not believe it will replace type design as a craft or a business.
We invite you to stay tuned for upcoming articles, impressions, and opinions. We encourage thoughtful debate and friendly comments as we explore the future of typography together.
Best regards,
Sam Berlow