
Show Notes
Copperplate Gothic is probably already on your computer. It comes pre-loaded on many. It has been there this whole time, quietly convincing people it's elegant. It is not elegant. In this episode, we examine why Copperplate has become the go-to typeface for business cards, law firms, and anyone who wants to seem serious — and why designers have described it as a "hodgepodge," a "pastiche," and, memorably, "like bad cherries." Along the way you'll learn more than you strictly needed to know ab...
More from The Type Pod
You’ve seen Mrs Eaves everywhere—even if you’ve never known her name. In this episode, we uncover the story behind one of the most familiar typefaces around, and its designer, Suzanna Licko—a woman who gets credit for her work (well, mostly… it’s complicated). Anitra dives into the research with plenty of side-eye and a healthy distrust of design history, informed in part by having gone to design school with private school boys. Along the way, we detour into the HR relations of early 18th-cen...
An emergency podcast. Ripped straight from the headlines of a couple weeks ago. When Calibri was unceremoniously replaced by Times New Roman under the Trump administration, we chose to process our feelings—potential travel ban be damned. Yes, this episode is about fonts. And no, it’s really not. In a looser, more unscripted conversation than usual, we turn rage into humour while exposing how typography has always been political: shaping authority, enforcing norms, and quietly excluding p...
This episode we talk about Transport, which is not a typeface. We know this for sure because designer Margaret Calvert said so in an email to us. If you have ever driven anywhere you will know the (not a) typeface Transport, as it was purposefully designed for roads. What you may not know is that the typeface is just one part of an extensive information system designed to help us all get where we want to go. Hopefully without hitting deers or pedestrians along the way. In this episode A...
Originally Anitra thought this typeface was designed by a woman, and because she is the only person authorized to speak about typefaces designed by a woman Anitra did the research for this episode. Sure, Jason is in touch with his feminine side, but not enough to be brave enough to speak (and he is too young and pretty to be canceled). Turns out Anitra was almost completely wrong, this typeface was created by a bunch of women — maybe. Although kind of no one designed this typeface too? ...
Our book Back to Font is finally out! You can buy it in bookstores and everything! If you are in the UK you can get a 20% discount by going to laurenceking.com and entering the code TYPEPOD20. In the grand tradition of this podcast we messed up the original "producer produced" version of this into, so we did it again using finger puppets and bits of string, without the ThesisWhisperer. (She would want us to say the sound quality is not her fault, which is true it isn't.) Tune in to learn abou...