Fonts In Use: Veer Picks PowerStation

Today I was surprised to see that Veer, one of my font resellers, had selected one of my fonts—PowerStation—to use throughout it’s current online and print promotion “The Super‑Incredible Activity Book for Creatives“.

They actually used PowerStation as the basis for major graphics on over 15 pages throughout the 100 page book.

Veer selected both PowerStation Solid and PowerStation Solid Wide to feature in this promo.

I was pleased to see that they used this font in a variety of different layouts, demonstrating its flexibility—despite the fact that PowerStation’s layered typesetting features or faceted letterforms weren’t used.

Thank you Veer . . . and thank you Joe Newton!

Back to the Future

My friend Jed Davis, for whose recording company Eschatone Records I had designed a vinyl record label, recently asked me to design packaging for an unusual project. While most people in the recording industry are trying to figure out “what’s next”, Jed was asking the question: how can I get back to basics? What came before MP3s, before CDs and Casettes, before 8–Tracks, and before 33, 45 and 78 RPM records? The answer: wax gramophone cylinders, of course!

So Jed decided to release one of his own recordings not only as a digital download but, hoping to reach the untapped centenarian demographic, also as a limited edition, signed wax gramophone cylinder. But unfortunately, as Jed was to learn from The Vulcan Cylinder Record Company, it had to be made of hard plastic instead of the traditional wax. Undaunted, Jed decided to move ahead declaring that since it would be hard plastic “it will never degrade, no matter how many times you play it on your family Edison”. He also decided to accommodate all those without gramophones by including a free digital download together with the purchase of the cylinder.

When Jed asked me to design the labels for the cylinder, I thought “Well, I’ve designed covers for LPs, for cassettes and for CDs. This may very well be my last opportunity to design a gramophone label.” The title of his release was “Yuppie Exodus from Dumbo”, and Jed gave me free reign to design both the wraparound label and the round label for the top of the cylinder container:

When the labels were finally printed by Vulcan, the colors came out a little differently from what I had designed, but I have to say that I’m pretty much OK with it. I think it does give it a slightly more vintage feel that’s appropriate for this project:

This is a signed (by Jed and by me) and numbered edition limited to 50 cylinders. Hear the song and purchase the cylinder/download HERE—before it’s too late!

Talk at the Type Directors Club

If you’re going to be anywhere in the vicinity of New York City in late July, then I’d love to invite you to the talk I’ve been asked to give by the Type Directors Club. I’ll be talking about my work, both new and old—and more specifically about all the influences I’ve had over the years that helped form my aesthetic sensibility, especially those that worked on me as kid growing up on the streets of Brooklyn. So is it “Nature or Nurture”? You be the judge!

I’ll be in New York to attend the opening night festivities at Cooper Union on July 20th for TDC² 2010 – the show which honored my Deliscript fonts.

My talk will be held on Thursday, July 22nd, 6:00–8:00 PM at the Type Directors Club: 347 W. 36th St, #603, NYC.

Please RSVP to the TDC by Email or call them at (212) 633-8943 to reserve your spot.