This early morning (local Belgian time) the news finally came in – Typographica announced it published their annual Our Favorite Typefaces. A fine gathering of type users and type creators each selected a typeface released in the past year and reviewed it. Free up half a day and take the time to read through it all, because it is very much worth your time.
In some ways Our Favorite Typefaces is better than an awards show. There is no filter because type designers or foundries don’t have to submit their typeface(s) to be included. Stephen Coles does provides an overview, listed in handy categories, of what he thinks are worthy releases from the past year. Yet anyone who is invited to write a review is free to select something else. Case in point, Makula – the typeface I reviewed last year – was so recent it had not been included in the overview yet, so it truly was my personal choice.
Does everything worthwhile get reviewed? No, of course not. Michaela Schuett for example observed “Not one single slab serif among them. It had to end eventually.” Having to eliminate so many good typefaces to end up with a single one to review is half reasoning, half gut feeling – for me this year it even was more the latter than previous years. But that is not the point of this list. This is more about discovering how type connoisseurs flex their typographic vocabulary and articulate their opinion. More than simply listing nice faces, it makes you understand why someone likes a typeface. This fosters a greater understanding of this still rather arcane discipline. And make sure you also go through the Other Notable Releases of 2013.
So get over to Typographica and start reading what I think is the most valuable yearly overview in the industry.
