All-caps Flash for the poster signed by D. Wust-Calame, printing: Imprimerie du «Journal de Genève»

Drawing is a common practice in the field of botany to visually describe a plant. Allowing interpretation, even cheating, a drawer dare said, scientific illustration has didactical advantages over photography. From 1960, when Charles Baehni was director of the institution, and during more than 30 years, the Botanical Garden of Geneva in Switzerland employed a dedicated team of women for the task. Their names appear vertically, often along the stem of each illustrated plant: Line Guibentif, Saskia Pernin-Wikström, Suzanne Van Hove, Danielle Wüst-Calame.

Housed by the lake, on the first floor of the historical building called La Console, the “atelier de dessin et décoration” comprised a complementary team dedicated to decoration (advertising or graphic design nowadays).

The series of posters entitled “Tulipes” announces most likely outdoor “exhibitions” of the tulip flower in bold colours with various typefaces leading to a striking effect. Showcased below, these posters symbolise the porosity of practices, the warmth as well as importance of drawing by hand, from that era.

To conclude, when I was conducting my research for proper dates and names, working in this very institution as an in-house typographer, I spotted this remark in one article by Line Guibentif from 1984: “Made with simplicity and economy of means botanical illustration should be as easy to read as clearly typeset text.” (translated from French by the author).

Acknowledgments: Samuel Anderegg, Pierre Boillat, Patrick Bungener, Martin Callmander, Sylvie Dunant, Mona Mahmoudian, Raoul Palese, Nathalie Rasolofo, Rodolphe Spichiger, Gisèle Visinand

Letraset’s Desdemona for a poster signed “SaskiaW”. Note that the 9 is an upside-down 6.

All-lowercase Baskerville Old Face

All-lowercase Monotype Grotesque and Helvetica for a poster signed “Line G.”, printing: Imprimerie du Journal de Genève

Hand-rendered (?) Cooper Black with non-standard forms for U (inspired by ITC Souvenir?) and P. “Rocailles” is shown in an unidentified wide slab serif. Volta fett with a trimmed R leg and unbracketed serifs would come close [see also the comments]. This poster is signed “SaskiaW” and was printed by imprimeries populaires. Smaller text is in Helvetica.

Zipper and Helvetica for a poster signed “SaskiaW”, printing: Imprimerie du «Journal de Genève»

Artistik for a poster signed “D. Wust-Calame”, printing: Imprimerie du Journal de Genève

More Helvetica, including stacked glyphs for the months for a poster signed “D. Calame”, printing: Blanc-Wittwer SA (not part of the Tulipes series, provided here as a bonus for the eyes)

Footnotes issue E front cover

Footnotes is a type design periodical published biennially by La Police. The fifth issue opens with an article by Florian Hardwig on Permanent drawn by Karlgeorg Hoefer, a seemingly-forgotten German Grotesk that designers worldwide have studied-by-drawing off-grid.

Thanks to Sébastien Morlighem, we're now well aware that Pierre-Louis Vafflard cut types for the Didot dynasty, beautiful ones.

The third essay, from the One-off series – contextual type projects from graphic designers – sheds some light on the Belgian figure of Fernand Baudin through a digital re-enactment of his many (hand)writings by Coline Sunier & Charles Mazé.

The last contribution overlaps theory with practise, past with present. A designer’s journey, from the educational binder of Swiss teacher Walter Käch full of lessons to digital redrawings of his template letterforms by Dinamo and Omnigroup (ABC Walter Neue and ABC Walter Alte).

To conclude, the traditional last page entitled Proofs showcases in-progress typefaces from the contributors: Mercator (Laurenz Brunner), Zero, Ninety, Linus (Charles Mazé), LP Jung, Olympia Manuscript No. 4 (Mathieu Christe), Walter Compressed, Slab, Mono (Dinamo, Omnigroup), and Didot Vafflard and Vafflard (Dávid Molnár).

As with every issue, each article is typeset with the related typeface(s), some in-progress and unreleased. The generous iconography also tries to pleasantly surprise the reader with unpublished material.

Footnotes issue E: article 19

Footnotes issue E: article 19: This spread showcases six digital versions of Permanent drawn by (from left to right): Laurenz Brunner, Fabian Harb, Mathieu Christe, Lorenzo Mason, Connor Davenport, Alberto Malossi.

Footnotes issue E: article 20

Footnotes issue E: article 21

Footnotes issue E: article 22

Footnotes issue E: Proofs: On the left a real offset printing testing space to the authors and previously unseen designs to the readers. On the right, the index to navigate the dense content.

Foootnotes issue D front cover

Footnotes is a type design periodical published biennially by La Police. The fourth issue opens with an article on Telefont and the last Dutch telephone book along with all the methodology behind it by Martin Majoor. Sourced from the author’s archive (edition February 1996), an original sample was inserted manually by the editor into each copy.

The second essay dives into Ikarus, a digital tool that describes letterforms, studied in-depth at the University of Reading and beyond by Ferdinand P. Ulrich.

Then, from the One-off series – contextual type projects from graphic designers – Joost Grootens tells us about the genesis of the myriad of symbols that makes Ceremony, one book design at a time.

In the fourth and last text, Pierre-Pané Farré explores the material qualities of 19th century stereotyped poster type.

To conclude, the usual last page entitled "Proofs" showcases in-progress typefaces from the contributors: Film, Exécutif Moderne, HB Items, Waggis, and BALI.

As with every issue, each article is typeset with the related typeface(s), some in-progress and unreleased, including Reform-Grotesk FSL, Breite fette Information, LL Unica77, Demos Next, and LP Jung. The rich iconography also tries to pleasantly surprise the reader with unpublished material.

Worth noting, this issue marks the beginning of articles from out-of-print issues being published online under "Stories" on La Police.

Footnotes issue D: article 15

Footnotes issue D: article 15. Sourced from Martin Majoor’s archive, an original sample was inserted manually by the editor into each copy.

Footnotes issue D: article 16

Footnotes issue D: article 17

Footnotes issue D: article 18

Footnotes issue D: Proofs. On the left a real offset printing testing space to the authors and previously unseen designs to the readers. On the right, the index to navigate the dense content.

2wBOX with silkcreened letters in yellow along with a stamped Y, inside “Cut Up, Random Fragments 1977–1979” by Charles Burns, published in 2012 (2[w] collection, 2wBOX Set Y)

In 1996, two colleagues in Geneva published a fanzine entitled Sûre, one as the author, the other as the publisher. The simply produced comic, a silkscreened cover with xeroxed inside pages, was a success. It sold out prior to the launch party. The team shook hands and parted ways.

A year later, the “dummy” publisher took the opportunity of his visual communication diploma to turn the one-off experience into a fully functional publishing house under the imprint B.ü.L.b comix. Following a thorough economical study of the illustration & comic branch, a pragmatic approach to resources, thus financial means, developed under the influence of hardcore music and DIY (do-it-yourself) spirit. The DIN ISO 216 norm (series A paper formats) and constraints had to be embraced and collections defined systematically, from very small to big: 2[w], 25[w], 40[w], and X[w]. Using a photocopier, five 2[w] mini-comics could be printed on an A3 sheet of paper, 8 pages of a 25[w] book on A4 or 4 pages of a 40[w]. To welcome special editorial projects, such as a skateboard deck, the format of the X[w] was free, or not defined. For bigger-yet-reasonable print runs – allowing covers to stick to silkscreen – offset printing was used.

A light bulb being part of the logotype, watts [w] that usually define the power of light, symbolise sizes in this editorial context. On a historical note, Post tenebras lux is the motto of the city of Geneva in Switzerland.

Typographically speaking, the logotype is also a system. Made of boxes, the two parts can be stacked or horizontally tucked when space is limited, typically on the spine of books. The main typeface used logically from cover to colophon is DIN 1451 Engschrift. Just one weight, no italic. Often the elongated letters were hand-redrawn to give it a craft and lively feeling in tune with the surrounding drawings.

Strangely enough and Gutenberg knows why, Erbar Condensed appears here and there as ISBN and books' reference numbers. Other fonts were featured such as Bryant, FIG Script, Lingua by Eric Olson and released by Process Type Foundry, as well as Nanoscopics Alphabet (turned 3D) by designer Matius Gerardo Grieck, published by T-26. These typefaces are not shown in this post.

Inside the books, illustrators and comic artists, when using words simply drew the letters, ultimately fitting well as a cohesive whole. Worth noting, in 1999 Henning Wagenbreth from Berlin (home of FontFont and -Shop) used one of his digital typefaces, FF Prater Sans, for his 2[w] mini-comic leporello among the 2wBOX Set D.

Over the years B.ü.L.b comix has published 157 books with contributions from 122 authors from 22 countries, often printed in-town, if not, always locally to support the trade.

“Ma rue” by Henning Wagenbreth, published in 1999 (2[w] collection, 2wBOX Set D)

“Invaçion del mar” by Christophe Lambert, published in 1998 (25[w] collection)

“King-Cat collection” by John Porcellino, published in 1998 (40[w] collection)

“catalogue B.ü.L.b comix 1996–2011”, published in 2010 (goodies)

“La librairie furtive de la constellation CX BB LP” poster by Nicolas Robel, Thomas Perrodin, Mathieu Christe, published in 2023 (posters)

Footnotes is a type design periodical published yearly by La Police. The third issue opens with the second part of an article by Alice Savoie about Ladislas Mandel, initiated in issue B. Following this link with the second issue, issue C includes contributions by Coline Sunier & Charles Mazé, Nicolien van der Keur, Alaric Garnier, and Dan Reynolds.

In order for the reader to discover the typeface(s) presented in each contribution, every essay is typeset with the related typeface(s). Some are unreleased, here’s their detailed list in order of appearance:
LP Jung is an in-progress typeface by La Police.
Minuscule by Thomas Huot-Marchand, released by 205TF.
LARA & BALI by Coline Sunier & Charles Mazé, two in-progress typefaces at CAC Brétigny.
Marcin Antique & Typewriter by Mário Feliciano, available at Feliciano Type Foundry.
Antique No 525 Expanded by Alaric Garnier, an unreleased revival.
Akzidenz-Grotesk, sold by Berthold Types.

Footnotes is a type design periodical published yearly by La Police. The second issue opens with the 2nd part of an article by Brigitte Schuster about The Haas Typefoundry Ltd. initiated in issue A. Following this link with the first issue, issue B includes contributions by Optimo, François Rappo, Christian Mengelt, Adrien Vasquez, Frank Grießhammer, Alice Savoie, Dorine Sauzet & Sébastien Morlighem.

In order for the reader to discover the typeface(s) presented in each contribution, every essay is typeset with the related typeface(s). Some are unreleased, here’s their detailed list in order of appearance:
LP Jung is a still-in-progress typeface by La Police.
Detroit was available at Optimo between 1998 and 2000 in MM format.
Swiss Gothic is an unreleased revival of Gerstner/Mengelt’s Programm by François Rappo.
Antique is a private version of Helvetica by François Rappo.
Theinhardt Mono is an in-progress variation of the Theinhardt family by François Rappo to be released by Optimo.
AA Files Display Initials are a mix of styles drawn by Adrien Vasquez for the layout of the AA Files magazine.

Detail from page 57: “Sans Plomb” by Optimo, set in Detroit.

Detail from page 62: “The 2002 Typographic Agenda” by François Rappo, featuring Antique, Theinhardt, Plain, Apax, Theinhardt Mono, and Swiss Gothic.

Detail from page 68: “Typeface Redesign” by Christian Mengelt, pairing Mengelt Basel Antiqua (body text) with Sinova (captions).

Detail from page 71: “A Note on the AA Files Display Initials” by Adrien Vasquez, set in Arnhem Fine and Arnhem.

Detail from page 77: “Cogitating Vectors: The Hershey Fonts” by Frank Grießhammer, featuring Minotaur Beef, Minotaur Sans, and Minotaur.

Detail from page 85: “Everyday type” by Alice Savoie, Dorine Sauzet & Sébastien Morlighem, set in Minuscule 6.