Bee’s Knees: Typefaces

Calligraphy goes back to the Middle Ages, but though it is undeniably beautiful, it takes a long time to learn and to do it well. One of the advantages to living in the age of computers is that anyone can make a piece of writing look good by simply scrolling down a word processor’s list of fonts. From the easy to read Times New Roman to the barely decipherable Edwardian script, there is a font for every occasion. Several artists like to take this a step further, and make letters their own.

The first typeface that you see here is called the India typeface, and it was designed recently by Geetika Alok and Henrik Kubel. While it would be nearly impossible to read a document written in this script, it is undeniably beautiful and exotic to look at as you let your eyes trace through the blue mazes of letters.

The colorful letters you see below are part of a children’s alphabet called Elephabet, and for a very good reason—every letter is an elephant, stretched into a different pose. It was designed by Yusof Gaja, whose bright artistic flair shows in each letter.

Finally, we have an alphabet that is off the page. This typeface, created by the Butler Bros. for HFH (High Fashion Homes) is made up entirely of furniture and home décor.

Of course, there are many more examples of amazing typefaces out there, and more are always being created. It’s also very easy to come up with your own. Many sites are dedicated to helping users turn handwriting or made up typefaces into actual computer fonts, and there’s no end to the options out there!

Amazing typefaces are the bee’s knees, and I hope you’ve enjoyed taking a look at what some very talented artists have done with their abilities. Please come back next week for another look at what can happen when words and pictures join forces!