Alan Kitching’s A-Z of Letterpress: Founts from The Typographic Workshop

posted by Anna Chayasatit October 9, 2015

Legendary graphic designer, typographer, and letterpress practitioner Alan Kitching has released his latest publication dedicated to the huge wood-letter fount collection from his Typography Workshop. In collaboration with Angus Hyland, every letter featured in this publication was originally hand-printed. Flipping through a beautiful hardback is always a good experience, and you will not be disappointed by this hardback because it features a total of 1,352 illustrations, displayed letter by letter, with an intro by John L. Walters of the highly-acclaimed Eye Magazine.

Known for his inventiveness and the Typographic Workshop, Alan Kitching is a highly-esteemed typographer, designer, and letterpress practitioner whose typographic journey spans over four decades. He also owns a workshop in South London which was once described by his former student, Anthony Burrill, as an ‘Aladdin’s cave’ of typographic treasures.

For those who have no previous letterpress experience, Alan Kitching’s A-Z of Letterpress is not a book for you to grasp the very essence of letterpress in just one sit. On the other hand, it offers a wealth of boundless inspiration for anyone interested in gaining an understanding of the organic nature of these fonts. In the age where old printing techniques are enjoying something of a renaissance, this 272-page publication is just perfect for all-pleasure loving readers who want to compare and contrast type design and gain access to a wide range of founts to reference in their own work.

All in all, this is a beautifully illustrated hardback filled with wood-letter founts printed on heavy-textured paper. Alan Kitching’s A-Z of Letterpress is aesthetically brilliant. It might be regarded as a design/type history book, but it definitely gives readers valuable insight into the future of type design.

Published in April 2015 by Laurence King.

www.thetypographyworkshop.com
www.laurenceking.com