Culture
Words by Dan Reynolds
Letterproef van Joh. Enschedé & Zonen, Deel II: Fantaisie-Letter, 1889
In 2003, type specimens were not such formal objects as we expect them to be nowadays, as we can see with these printing proofs from Enschedé.
In 2003, type specimens were not such formal objects as we expect them to be nowadays, as we can see with these printing proofs from Enschedé.
With the advent of digital type design and the popularization of the Internet, type foundries who saw this transition were still a bit cautious about showing their typefaces online, due to piracy. For this reason, Enschedé decided to display only low resolution typefaces on its website, but when asked, was ready to send A3 format printing proofs, out of 1200dpi printers.
While he was still a student, Jean-Baptiste got an interest for the typeface Arnhem by Fred Smeijers: responding to his request, not only did the Enschedé font foundry send him the printing proofs, they also added a page from the Nederlandse Staatscourant, the daily newspaper of the Dutch state for which the design was made. This authentic document has an archival and affective value, for a foreigner whose access to Dutch press was limited.
The A3 pages and the newspaper leaflet come with a handwritten postcard by Peter Matthias Noordzij. Receiving this kind of note by the director of Enschedé Font Foundry as a student is a moving experience: it is not a coincidence if Jean-Baptiste still has these proofs, that are some of the first objects to be part of his early collection.
Documents: Biblioteca Produzione
