The Typography Dojo is a place where we come together to explore the kata (techniques) in the practice of type and typography with training from design Sensei. Join us to learn from the masters.

Display typography is governed by three factors: the size of the available space, the length of the text, and the dimensions of the typeface. When the space and text are fixed, designers can look to type that has been pushed to the extremes of weight and width in order to display their words at maximum size and with maximum impact.

David examines what happens to typefaces at these extremes, when the rules of letter-drawing begin to break down. He will show some historical examples, but will focus on exemplary contemporary designs with extra bold, extra condensed, and extra wide variants. David discusses the design process of his typeface Fit, designed expressly to fill space with panache, and demonstrate the possibilities that OpenType variations offer for the next generation of extreme type designs.

Type designer David Jonathan Ross draws letters of all shapes and sizes for retail and custom typeface designs. David began drawing typefaces at Hampshire College, and joined The Font Bureau in 2007 as a staff designer. In 2016, he became part of Type Network and began publishing typefaces at his own foundry, DJR.

Dojo: EXTRA! EXTRA! The Extremes of Weight and Width with David Jonathan Ross