TYPEFACE REVIVAL
Post specimen showcasing náhuatl, a language spoken in Mexico dating back to the 5th century.
ABOUT
The assignment for Type @ Cooper class of 2014, was to revive a specimen. Reviving, under this specific context means to to bring to life (trace, create, space, export as a font file) an upper and lowercase set of the given specimen. The resulting set is considered a revival, given that the type foundry industry ceased print of these specimen books by turn of the century.
Process
After researching and sorting through type specimen books containing hundreds of typefaces designed 100+ years ago, each student was able to choose one to work on and expand. We had the option to work on an original design (for which much talent is needed), or to revive a sample. I of course was drawn to Post, which was reminiscent of the ubiquitous hand-painted signage often found in small towns throughout Mexico.
Post Character Set
When given a specimen, often only some of the characters in the set are represented. It’s important to note these are based on cast type, as in metal. The metal changes with point size, both of which are often included in the specimen. For this specific revival, I found there was ample variation in proportion as it concerned point size, which I attempted to reconcile into a design with harmony and rhythm.
Post, as used to depict several cities in Mexico, note how the tail in both Q and R add a nice grounding flair to balance the robust vertical stress in the uppercase set.
Exploring a non-linear baseline seemed to extend well to a circular layout of the Himno Nacional’s opening verse (Mexican National Anthem).
A verse from the Himno Nacional Mexicano.
Tightly kerned verticals creating a well-balanced space in the consecrated acronym.
Paragraphs & Verses in Spanish
Excerpts from La Bikina, a popular Mexican song, and Manifiesto Zapatista en Náhuatl, 1996.
Post has been on the shelf for more than I’d like to admit, but I would like to continue to use it offline in personal print projects. If you’d like to use Post for a project, please do feel free to get in touch.
Credits: Jesse Ragan, Instructor
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