Plain Text is a printed publication for exploratory type design, edited and designed by Lucas Descroix and Benjamin Dumond, and published by type foundry Plain Form.

From fiction to theory, from mystical analyses to visual works, Plain Text aims at exploring typographic imaginaries, moving beyond a strictly historical and technical framework, with a taste for the unknown and the dormant potential of writing.

The third issue launched in March 2026 and includes contributions by Alex Balgiu, Eugénie Bidaut, Mathis Borel, Gabriele Čepulytė, Lucas Descroix, Johanna Drucker, Benjamin Dumond, Mankun Guo, Hélène Marian, Luther R Marsh, Ariel Martín Pérez, Laurent Mbaah, and Mălin Neamțu.

The texts of this black-and-white, bilingual publication are all set in the unreleased duo Basically Serif for the English and Basically Sans for the French. Additional information is set in Baskemo, also Serif and Sans, an automatically monospaced-and-skelefont’ed companion to Basically.

A number of display typefaces designed by Lucas Descroix and/or Benjamin Dumond are used throughout, for the title of each contribution as well as various emphasis moments. These include: Michaux, Nostra, Paraiso Sans, Jester (in several styles), Ready Active, and an early version of the upcoming Ferro. Some unreleased display typefaces, either old or future, are also used but not shown here in the pictures.

Several typefaces are also showcased as part of contributions by their respective designers (shown here are Bye Bye Binary’s BBB ReadMe and Mălin Neamțu’s Segmentor).

• English and French
• 80 pages, 210×297mm
• offset print on Munken Print White
• 750 copies, March 2026
• ISBN 978-2-9597254-3-2

This third issue of Plain Text was kindly supported by Abyme, Blaze Type, Dinamo, DJR, Klim Type Foundry, Rosetta, The Designers Foundry, and XYZ Type.

Each issue starts with a few spreads showing a condensed, somewhat chaotic trip through the whole content of the publication (each contribution is represented by its title and an image, in order of appearance). It’s like wetting your neck before diving.

The title set in squeezed Michaux Bold.

The left page shows BBB ReadMe (Eugénie Bidaut, Ludi Loiseau & Clara Sambot) with its inclusive ligatures. The right page shows Eugénie Bidaut working on preparatory drawings.

This spread showcases the typeface Segmentor (Mălin Neamțu), together with hand-drawn sketches by the designer.

The title set in Paraiso Sans and Michaux Regular. Illustration by Anne Zeum.

The title set in heavily squeezed Ferro Mono. The image is taken from Émile Javal’s research.

Both titles are set in Jester, stretched and blurred on the left page, squeezed and outlined on the right page.

The title set in Ferro Black, with additional ‘organic’ letters based on Michaux.

The title on the right page is set both in Paraiso Sans (black) and Ready Active (white).

The left page shows the work of Mankun Guo. The title on the right page is set in Nostra Stream (with a bunch of blur and grain effects), with a little Grandmaster cameo for “and”. Subheads use Michaux Light.

The title set in various versions of Ferro Mono. The book cover is the one for Missing sign, another printed publication from Plain Form.

Plain Text is a printed publication for exploratory type design, edited and designed by Lucas Descroix and Benjamin Dumond, and published by type foundry Plain Form. The second issue launched in July 2025.

From Plain Form:

From fiction to theory, from mystical analyses to visual works, Plain Text aims at exploring typographic imaginaries, moving beyond a strictly historical and technical framework, with a taste for the unknown and the dormant potential of writing.

This second issue includes contributions by Hervé Aracil, Tim Brookes (Endangered Alphabets), Aliona Ciobanu, Lucas Descroix, Benjamin Dumond, Mardi Forestier, Inscript festival, Elenor Kopka, Marcus Leis Allion, Pierre Pané-Farré (with HAW Hamburg students), Simon Renaud and Alec Vivier-Reynaud.

The texts of this black-and-white, bilingual publication are all set in the unreleased duo Basically Serif for the English and Basically Sans for the French. Additional information is set in Baskemo, also Serif and Sans, an automatically monospaced-and-skelefont’ed companion to Basically.

A number of display typefaces designed by Lucas Descroix and/or Benjamin Dumond are used throughout, for the title of each contribution as well as various emphasis moments. These include: Michaux, Grandmaster, Disc, Jester (in several styles), Ready Active and Clouded and an early version of the upcoming Ferro. Some unreleased display typefaces, either old or future, are also used but not shown here in the pictures.

The fiction work by Mardi Forestier is set in Exposure by Federico Parra Barrios. Imagined together with the author, the layout is an attempt at using an experimental typeface to underline and augment narration, its variations manifesting the idea of breath.

• English and French
• 80 pages, 210×297mm
• offset print on Munken Print White
• 1000 copies, July 2025
• ISBN 978-2-9597254-1-8

This second issue of Plain Text was kindly supported by Commercial Type, CSTM Fonts, Dinamo, Future Fonts, XYZ Type, and 205TF.

Title is set in Disc Heavy, while subheads use Michaux Light.

Left page shows works from Aliona Ciobanu (image in the center is a collaboration with designer Stefaniia Bodnia). Right page shows the work of Alec Vivier-Reynaud (featuring mushroom-printed ABC Camera).

Title is set in a early version of Ferro Fraktur IV. Images show works from Bettina Comte, Rüdiger Schlömer and Jonathan Mak.

Title set in Jester Fool (squeezed, tracked and slightly blurred).

Title set in Ready Active Regular (condensed and thinned).

Title set in Grandmaster Thin. The right page shows both designs and inspirations from Simon Renaud.

Left page shows designs and inspirations from Simon Renaud. Right page’s title is set in generously stretched Exposure.

A piece of fiction by Mardi Forestier, making use of Federico Parra Barrios’s typeface Exposure to manifest breath.

Title on the right page is set in heavily warped Jester Judgment (in black) and Jester Sun (in white).

Left page features Ohno’s Swear. Right page features Bureau Brut’s Totentanz.

Title set in Michaux Bold, for a conversation with French professor Hervé Aracil.

Left page shows student projects from HAW Hamburg, done under the direction of Pierre Pané-Farré (here the collective typeface Octagon Variable and A Type of Image by Fabian Stenzel). Right page’s title is set in Ready Clouded Bold.

Plain Text is a printed publication for exploratory type design, edited and designed by Lucas Descroix and Benjamin Dumond, and published by type foundry Plain Form in January 2025.

From fiction to theory, from mystical analyses to visual works, Plain Text aims at exploring typographic imaginaries, moving beyond a strictly historical and technical framework, with a taste for the unknown and the dormant potential of writing. The first issue of Plain Text features voices from various backgrounds and generations, many offering a personal, even intimate or spiritual, approach to letters.

With contributions by Anne-Dauphine Borione, Lucas Descroix, Benjamin Dumond, Kirsten D. Dzwiza, Stefan Ellmer, Ayasha Khan, Zuzana Licko, Arman Mohtadji, William Skeen, Verso Wurm and Eager Zhang.

The texts of this black-and-white, bilingual publication are all set in the unreleased duo Basically Serif for the English and Basically Sans for the French. Additional information is set in Baskemo, also Serif and Sans, an automatically monospaced-and-skelefont’ed companion to Basically.

A number of display typefaces designed by Lucas Descroix and/or Benjamin Dumond are used throughout, for the title of each contribution as well as various emphasis moments. These include: Jester (in several styles), Michaux, Nostra Sett and Stream, Ready Active, Bygone and Clouded. Some unreleased display typefaces, either old or future, are also used but not shown here in the pictures.

The page numbers are set in Jester Hermit.

The publication opens with a number of dense pages showing hints of all upcoming contributions in their order of appearance.

Title set in largely squeezed Jester Hermit. The illustration on the right page shows Bonjour Monde’s Syne.

Title set in several layers of Ready Clouded Light. The article showcases the work of Anne-Dauphine Borione a.k.a. Daytona Mess, including her typefaces Sichem and Baleze Display, visible on the left page.

Title set in Michaux Bold. Left page shows a piece of lettering by Eager Zhang, part of her series “Family Portraits”.

Quote from Eager Zhang’s essay set in Michaux Bold for the English and Michaux Light for the French.

Title set in a generously squeezed Jester World. On the left we can spot bits of Ellmer Stefan’s asemic writing research.

Quotes from a conversation on asemic writing with type designer Stefan Ellmer ( The Pyte Foundry)

Title set in all-caps Nostra Sett

Title set in warped Ready Bygone Light, with a few floating outlined glyphs from Michaux Bold

Title set in all-caps Nostra Stream, together with works from Zuzana Licko

Title set in Ready Active Bold, with illustration by Arman Mohtadji. Left page shows bits of Tangly by Zuzana Licko / Emigre.

“Express Exegesis”, set on a circle in Jester Sun with a whole lot of negative tracking. The right page features the work of Julien Priez, a.k.a. Boogy Paper, with the unreleased Montreuil, his diploma project from Estienne ESAIG back in 2011.