This is the Figma file with all the vectors in case you’re interested in engaging this way:https://www.figma.com/file/MNtvZ9k1tSIW4wf499uMUN/Segmented-type-to-share …
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With great help from patent detective
@obra, we now have five new experimental segmented fonts that were never produced or very rare, most recreated from patent drawings. They are REALLY cool. https://aresluna.org/segmented-type/Show this thread -
1. A *six* segment font, made for a *pocket typewriter* 155 years ago. The typewriter had six keys, too – not unlike Braille, you would actually key in segments!pic.twitter.com/ITb7AM8YaE
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2. A wild 1896 font meant to be lit by… lamps. Only one letter, M, was in the patent, so I extrapolated all the rest.pic.twitter.com/WNbTPfN5Gm
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3. A recent font developed for e-ink displays, sent to me by its authors, Dave Vondle and Nicholas Zambetti.pic.twitter.com/x9E9PWN6BH
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4. An asymmetric font from 1958. Only digits were specified – check out that “4”! – so I extrapolated to the entire alphabet.pic.twitter.com/ktwTY6Ohf5
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5. And, lastly, an amazing discovery: A 1956 font by Fred P. Brooks, Jr. – the author of “The Mythical Man-Month”! It’s actually a bit of a cross between Nixie and segment font (overlapping segments), and it is an absolutely GORGEOUS art deco font. Look at those digits!pic.twitter.com/TTadostDMC
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As expected from a programmer, all the glyphs were specified as data, which I keyed in. As expected from a programmer, there were bugs. :·]pic.twitter.com/tQGTWgDwzY
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If I’d want to turn either of these into a real font, this would be it.
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There’s something really thrilling about bringing these long forgotten (155 years!) entities back to life. Thanks again to
@obra and others who helped in finding those!Show this thread -
My friend
@julesforrest found a brilliant example of a different kind of segmented typography: digits made out of pipe fragments and connectors.pic.twitter.com/tQvy9ufA3s
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End of conversation
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