Love letters

I make no apologies for this posts sentimental tone and ‘old skool’ subject!

Today the very well-thumbed Letraset catalogue was being used (and has pride of place on our shelves in the studio) as a reference tool to quickly flick through for typographic inspiration as a one-stop-shot of letters. Even though obviously online you can view and download thousands more typefaces nowadays.

Indeed without Letraset I can 100% say I would not be graphic designer today, which sounds incredibly dramatic, but it’s totally true. I vividly remember Martin Smith and I competing with one another in our third year of secondary school to see who had the most exotic and unusual sheets of transfer letters. And in turn, using our collection to show-off to girls by writing their names in a fantastic font like Brush Script, or maybe trying to impress your mates by faking a bus pass or disco ticket.

For me, ever since typefaces have become a source of fascination and daily joy. Even now I find myself looking at a font on the street or on TV and trying to remember the name and weight. Some might say it’s sad. But for me Letraset was an essential entry point into what I do for a living.