Showing & Selling Type 2025

image

A workshop for type designers preparing to enter the font market.

After months of learning, sketching, designing, and refining, you’re finally finished with your typeface (or at least it’s near a stage worthy of release). Now what? A typeface isn’t a typeface until it gets used. This class will survey the ways type was shown and sold in the past, as well as tackle the complexities of the current market. We’ll talk about how to present your typeface in its best light and get it out into the world — including topics like specimen design, promotion, distribution, and an introduction to marketing and licensing. Drawing inspiration from historical specimens, exercises will include: writing a typeface description, choosing and setting specimen text, and designing in-use samples.

Showing (Day One)

🕑
10:00am PT / 1:00pm ET / 6:00pm GMT

🧑🏻‍🏫 Lecture: Historical Type Specimens 30 min

Online Resources

🧑🏻‍🏫 Lecture: Current Type Specimens 10 min

Online Examples

🧑🏻‍🏫 Lecture: Elements of a Specimen 20 min

Glyph set
Glyph details
Size samples (waterfall)
Phrase or One-line sample
Text sample
In-use sample
🕑
11:00am PT / 2:00pm ET / 7:00pm GMT

✍️ Exercise: Design Three Type Specimen Elements 75 mins

Explore the Online Archive and select a specimen to riff on. Analyze what makes it work, and apply to your own typeface, along with a text sample that includes your typeface bio.

Requirements
🕑

12:30pm PT / 3:30pm ET / 8:30pm GMT

💬 Crit: Present Specimen Elements 30 mins

Selling (Day Two)

🕑
10:00am PT / 1:00pm ET / 6:00pm GMT

👨‍🏫 Lecture: State of the Mart 30 mins

💬 Discussion: A Type Designer’s Options 30 mins

Option 1: Signing with a Foundry

Examples: 205TF, Colophon, Darden Studio, Emigre, Fontwerk, Grilli, Letters from Sweden, Order, Original Type, Production Type, Typotheque, TypeTogether, Typofonderie

Pros
Cons
Warnings

Option 2: Signing with a Retailer

Examples: Adobe, Creative Market / Fontspring, Fontstand, Future Fonts, MyFonts (Monotype), Type Network, Type Department, YouWorkForThem

Pros
Cons

Option 3: Go it Alone (Create your own foundry and shop)

Pros
Cons
Responsibilities
Real-World Case Studies
🕑
11:00am PT / 2:00pm ET / 7:00pm GMT

👩🏻‍🏫 Guest Expert on Writing a EULA: Joyce Ketterer 45 mins

Joyce is Principal and Chief Executive Officer of Darden Studio, one of the most respected indie foundries. Joyce is pretty much the only foundry owner who I would also call an expert in licensing. She will briefly introduce the concept of a EULA and tell you what you need to know when writing your own.

Five things you need in a EULA
BREAK

🧑🏻‍🏫 Guest Expert on Running a Foundry: CJ Dunn 45 mins

CJ Dunn will talk about his experience working at an established foundry (Font Bureau) and then establishing his own brand. Think about your own questions to ask CJ.

Questions I asked in advance:
🕑
12:45pm PT / 3:45pm ET / 8:45pm GMT

💬 Discussion: Closing Thoughts & Lingering Questions 15 mins