Typography of Puerto Rico

Nice.

Considering the vast numbers of earthlings photographing this stuff, I thought it might worthwhile to build an internet place where if you take a picture, whoever you may be, you can submit to a vast archive of photos. The archive could be searchable, like for instance, if wanted to see Pittsburgh hand-lettering, you could do so. The data would be attached to the photo that you submit, through a form of some sort.

It would not be meant as a "gallery", but sort of modeled after digital libraries. Meant for "research". Simply because that sounds cooler, or maybe because a set-up like that might be more user-friendly... I'm going too far.

Actually, I don't have time, but I'm going to try nonetheless. Blog posts are good ways of cornering yourself into doing something. Maybe folks would like to help or have ideas? Actually, I recall that there is a European version…

I like this bitmap thing:
http://www.hdmdesigns.com/signage.htm

Reminds me of my pumpkin last year:
http://www.themicrofoundry.com/other/bitpumpk.jpg

hhp

Jon, I've actually thought the same thing. After Stephen's post I even registered a couple of domain names.

It would be pretty impressive to see a large collection of user-submitted type photos from all around the world.

Graham, that's great. I love your photos, along with all the others that have been mentioned!

I'm going to start thinking of the inner workings first… I'll let you know what I come up with and perhaps you can critique. Considering that folks have galleries, which are important to them, I wouldn't want something like this to take away from those sites, or offer an alternative. That's sort of why I thought of it as just an archive. Like a filing cabinet for all the galleries. With a handy little lightbox next to it. Or even like a research thing, in the sense that connections are made between the photos and the info attached to them. or something.

I think you have to be very careful with purity: the most relevant thing about what I myself would call "found type" is that it's type that's not where it's supposed to be. Like a funky shop sign doesn't cut it. A degraded bit of stencil lettering is borderline. But a boat tie in Amsterdam that looks like an "H" (I have a photo) is just it.

You'd be restricting the content greatly, but the focus will be much sharper.

Or you can have different sections.

hhp

Really, Hrant? I wouldn't consider that type since those things aren't intended to be letter(s), its more like coincidental type.

I agree with you Jon, I don't think it should take away from other sites, but it could be a good place to gather all of the photos from people who don't quite take enough pictures to warrant their own site.

Yet again this might be a terminological issue.

To me "found type" has to:
1) Somehow be typographic.
2) Be somewhere it doesn't belong, as in lost and then found.

So maybe you're right about the boat-tie thing. Maybe it has to start as type.

It might be better to call it "found lettering", or maybe "found letters".

hhp

"The Daily Glyph" That's the name I dreamed up. Technically correct???

I found a pretzel stick that was a nice J recently. Is that a "glyph"? Can you eat a glyph?

Is the wheelchair icon a glyph? Is a glyph a single character, or can it be a group of characters? A word, or phrase. Am I a glyph?

It looks as though Typophile has already gotten into the Found Type biz.

2) Be somewhere it doesn't belong, as in lost and then found.

You can find something where it belongs, or is that called "discovery."

Here's what I see as being essential:
- it is a photograph of letters (or letter)
- the letters were not created by the photographer
- the letters are interesting (in texture, letterform, context, content, attitude, kerning, color, etc.).

> You can find something where it belongs,
> or is that called "discovery."

Not sure what to call it, but it's certainly less interesting, no?

> Here's what I see as being essential:
> ....

Isn't that way too broad? I mean, a photo of a Starbucks storefront would qualify.

hhp

I don't think it's any less interesting to discover type as opposed to finding it where it's not supposed to be.

If there's interesting type on the front of Starbucks then, sure I'd think it would qualify.

As "found type"?! Come on, dude.

hhp

Hrant, relax with the semantics for a moment. The idea is that people could find a large gallery of photographs depicting interesting street typography beautiful and inspiring.

The judgment of what is interesting could be the responsibility of a group of gallery editors/curators who have proven they know what is of value to designers and type lovers.

Sounds great. But don't confuse the term "found type" - you might need it later.

hhp

K.

Hrant and others, I'd be interested in your explanation of the term "glyph". I have a general understanding of what it refers to, but perhaps you have the scoop.

John (Hudson)?

hhp