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Monotype and Lippincott Unveil New York City Edition of “Pencil to Pixel”

Wednesday 08. May 2013 - Exhibit celebrates the past, present, and future of typography, running May 3-9 at Tribeca Skyline Studios

Global design leaders Monotype and Lippincott have come together to launch “Pencil to Pixel,” a comprehensive exhibition of artworks and artifacts representing more than a hundred years of typeface design. The show, which is expected to draw more than 3,000 visitors over the course of the week, offers designers and non-designers alike a new appreciation for the craft of typography and its significance in shaping the art of communication.
About the Exhibit
The exhibition is a follow up to the first installment staged in London last November. It is divided into two sections: pencil on one side, which includes original hand drawings for hot-metal faces such as Centaur, and pixel on the other, featuring the first bitmap designs and the latest digital applications.
“In an era where most people interact with type as a digital experience, our collection of artifacts relating to type history provide a chance for visitors to explore the very physical history of the typefaces they already know,” explained Dan Rhatigan, Monotype’s UK Type Director.
The rare displays include drawings by Eric Gill, creator of Gill Sans; hand-cut films for Neue Helvetica; production drawings for Times New Roman commissioned for The Times of London; as well as concept art, photos, publications, and metal and film master art.
Added James Fooks-Bale, Monotype’s director of marketing, “A lot of designers are familiar with the font tick-down menu in Adobe but aren’t aware of the artistry and precision required to develop those typefaces. This is an opportunity to see the hand of the author.”
Bringing It to Life
To help design and curate a unique experience for the New York show, Monotype turned to Lippincott. Both firms have a rich heritage as forerunners in their respective field – Monotype started to produce type-casting machines back in the late 19th century, while Lippincott pioneered the discipline of corporate brand identity in the early 1940s.
According to Rodney Abbot, senior partner at Lippincott, “Our desire was to create something that could become part of an ongoing series as the exhibit moved from city to city and yet something unique to the New York setting. “
Using only black and white letters playfully applied to the floors, walls, and ceilings of the exhibit to read “Welcome to Monotype One of Kind,” Lippincott relied on the typefaces themselves to build energy, excitement, and anticipation as visitors exit the elevator, loop around the corridors, and enter into the impressive studio space.
“We wanted to create a rule-based approach to designing the exhibit – no graphic devices, no color, only type – but bring it to life in a free-form, almost jazz-inspired way,” continued Abbot. “By having defined those rules, we were able to have a lot of fun within them to convey a quintessential New York feeling – big, bold, lots of different voices, a new surprise every time you turn the corner.”
Added Lippincott partner Fabian Diaz, “We wanted to develop an immersive experience that conveys Monotype’s brand story and incredibly diverse portfolio of fonts. Wrapping the environment in the core message, curating different types of interaction with typography from macro to micro and static to dynamic, incorporating sensory elements like a dedicated playlist as well as a social media component via Tagboard – all of these pieces come together to engage the audience in unexpected and meaningful ways.”
Design Doesn’t Stand Still
For the final evening of the exhibit, Lippincott is hosting an evening of cocktails and conversation on the evolving role of design and brand expression. The invitation-only event, named Logo to Experience, features C-level executives from Coach, Chiptole, eBay, Virgin America, and Warby Parker discussing new ways they are using design to bring their brands to life across an ever-widening range of customer experiences.