By: Neil Macmillan

My mention in the last issue of The North Star gastropub brought an interesting response from one Max Franosch. Max, who has a typeface on Linotype Library's TakeType 4 CD , is also a painter with some of his work, by co-incidence, on show in The North Star. LT Franosch is a cleverly quirky geometric sans in several weights contrasting considerably with the abstraction of free-flowing colour in Max's paintings (www.maxfranosch.com).

Walking towards Highbury Islington Underground station, a sign outside a refurbed bar/restaurant on the other side of the road caught my eye. Looked a bit like Jeremy Tankard's latest release, Aspect. Further and closer inspection, at the cost of a half pint of Stella (an expensive one, too), confirmed this early use of Aspect. A vertical script in three weights, Light, Regular and Bold, this novel and 'highly creative' typeface was designed using OpenType technology. Aspect, utilising the almost limitless character set of OpenType, offers an abundance of ligatures, swash characters and alternates. Jeremy's excellent specimen booklet for Aspect doubles as equally excellent intro to the OpenType format. In his branding of The House restaurant & bar in Aspect, Simon Manchipp at design company No One makes brilliant use of every aspect (oops) of this typeface.

A spoof red top poster and press campaign for Birds Eye Potato Waffles in HTF Knockout (or is it HTF Champion Gothic?) offers tabloid editors fixated with Tempo Heavy Condensed food for thought in more ways than one.

Noted for his introduction of new types to the UK newspaper environment, of which Gerard Unger's Coranto to The Scotsman is a prime example, newspaper design consultant Ally Palmer has chosen Matthew Carter's Rocky as a seriffed accompaniment to FF DIN in a recent redesign of the other Scottish national daily, The Herald. Palmer says, 'as you know I'm a great fan of Miller so when Matthew Carter told me he had a new family, I jumped at the chance to use it. I think it works really well as a functional news font but with enough personality to make it distinctive. When I first saw it I thought there was a bit of Mr Unger in there somewhere'. Rocky is also used in a newspaper in Colorado, hence the name.

I was pleased to receive a copy of his newly designed RSA Journal (October 2002 Issue) from art director Wayne Ford. Wayne's choice of Cyrus Highsmith's Stainless, for display and some text, works well with the dominant text type, Proforma Light (Petr van Blokland). Stainless, a sans alternative to Highsmith's slab serif Despatch, is a 16 font family which includes 4 weights in regular, condensed, compressed and extended styles. Great description of these related families in Font Bureau's release intro; 'In both, taut curves signal action as they build compact word shapes. Their letterforms originate in typescript, on engineering blueprints and on shipping labels. They bring surprise, power and an energetic excitement, foursquare typefaces with a syncopated beat'. Wow. The RSA Journal, which this year celebrates its 150th Anniversary, is now published for the RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce) by Redwood. The October issue, the first by Redwood, is fronted by a splendid Alan Kitching illustration and is brimful of interesting articles amongst which Wayne Ford writes of an interview with Royal Designer for Industry Mike Dempsey.

News recently received that highly respected anglo art director Andy Cowles has replaced Fred Woodward (now with American GQ) at Rolling Stone prompted me to inspect current type use at this doyen of music/style mags. I'd recently spied Alias's Elephant on a Rolling Stone cover so no surprise to see some of that foundry's Metsys being used inside for intros. The cover of this issue (911) is dominated by David Berlow's Berlin Sans (Font Bureau) which is supported by Frantisek Storm's Regent Italic. Much more evidence of the Storm Type Foundry's exciting letterforms inside with Antique Ancienne Modern and Farao adding to the flavour achieved by a strong, quirky sans (display & text) I'm currently unable to ID and Goudy's Kennerley (text). Completing a much varied palette of types is a distressed sans I don't know, a stencil version of the same, Petr van Blokland's Proforma and an occasional appearance of Giza (both Font Bureau).

Oz Cooper fans will love the use of Cooper Black in a press campaign for Argento Argentinian wines. The use of this much-abused typeface in a high profile advertising campaign can only be justified by a good idea, good writing, complementary photography and a well considered layout. All are in evidence here.

Finally, apologies for some misinformation in the last issue. Chris Cleary of London-based electronic studio, Comma, has rightly pointed out that there is no unicase version of Mrs Eaves. Of course there isn't, Chris. These crafty krauts at Designbüro Strichpunkt Stuttgart confused me with their subtle use of lower case and small caps. The Emigre revival with a unicase version is Filosofia.

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