Letterform Archive – Events

Events

Letterform Archive hosts and presents a variety of lectures, workshops, and other events related to letterforms.

Please note the location listed for each event as some take place at a venue other than the Archive. For updates on upcoming events and other news, join the Letterform Archive mailing list.

Surprise Salon: The Wood Type Prints of Jack Stauffacher
Rob Saunders

Salon at Letterform Archive

Thu, Nov 14, 2019
6:30pm–7:30pm
Certificate Core: Experience the Origin of Roman Inscriptional Capitals
John Stevens

Workshop at Letterform Archive
Type West Certificate Program
Sat–Sun, Nov 16–17, 2019
10:00am–5:00pm
Beyond Exemplars and Ductus
John Stevens

Lecture at SFPL Main Library, Koret Auditorium

Tue, Nov 19, 2019
6:00pm–7:30pm
Modern Gothic Need Not Be an Oxymoron
John Stevens

Workshop at Letterform Archive
Type West Public Workshop
Sat–Sun, Nov 23–24, 2019
10:00am–5:00pm
A Crash Course in Type Selection
Stephen Coles, Christopher Slye

Workshop at Letterform Archive
Type West Public Workshop
Sat–Sun, Jan 11–12, 2020
10:00am–5:00pm
Introduction to Modern Type Design
Graham Bradley

Workshop at Letterform Archive
Type West Public Workshop
Wed, Feb 5, – Wed, Apr 8, 2020
6:30pm–9:30pm
Typewriter Art: Typestracts, Artyping, and Constellation Poetry
Amelia Grounds

Lecture at SFPL Main Library, Koret Auditorium

Tue, Feb 18, 2020
6:00pm–7:30pm
Unconventional Type Families
Marta Bernstein

Workshop at Letterform Archive
Type West Public Workshop
Sat, Feb 29, – Sun, Mar 1, 2020
10:00am–5:00pm
More is More, Sometimes. In Defense of Display Typefaces.
Marta Bernstein

Lecture at SFPL Main Library, Koret Auditorium

Tue, Mar 3, 2020
6:00pm–7:30pm
Too Black/Ain’t Black Enough, or Stereotype and Truth: Typography in African American periodicals, popular culture, and artists’ books
Tia Blassingame

Lecture at SFPL Main Library, Koret Auditorium

Tue, Mar 17, 2020
6:00pm–7:30pm
Finding Y
Hope Meng

Lecture at SFPL Main Library, Koret Auditorium

Tue, Mar 31, 2020
6:00pm–7:30pm

Past Events

Letterform Archive Book Sale

Special Event at Letterform Archive

Sun, Nov 10, 2019
12:00pm–3:00pm
Notes on Icons and Design
Susan Kare

Lecture at SFPL Main Library, Koret Auditorium

Tue, Nov 5, 2019
6:00pm–7:30pm
W.E.B. Du Bois’s Data Portraits: Visualizing Black America
Silas Munro

Lecture at SFPL Main Library, Koret Auditorium

Tue, Oct 29, 2019
6:00pm–7:30pm
Morla : Design Book Party
Jennifer Morla, Michael Vanderbyl

Reception at Letterform Archive

Wed, Oct 23, 2019
6:30pm–8:30pm
Certificate Core: Scripsit and Sculpsit
Paul Shaw

Workshop at Letterform Archive
Type West Certificate Program
Sat–Sun, Oct 19–20, 2019
10:00am–5:00pm
Live at the Archive: The Itinerant Printer
Chris Fritton

Lecture at Letterform Archive

Thu, Oct 17, 2019
6:30pm–7:30pm
Designs on Democracy: The Roles and Responsibilities of Graphic Designers in the Trump Era
Sabiha Basrai

Lecture at SFPL Main Library, Koret Auditorium

Tue, Oct 15, 2019
6:00pm–7:30pm
Floating Downscreen: An Intro to Lettering on the iPad
James Edmondson, Tad Wagner

Workshop at Letterform Archive
Type West Public Workshop
Sat–Sun, Oct 12–13, 2019
10:00am–5:00pm
Live at the Archive: The Visual Literature of Warren Lehrer
Warren Lehrer, Dennis J Bernstein

Lecture at Letterform Archive

Fri, Oct 11, 2019
6:30pm–7:30pm
Salon Series 20: Arthur Baker
Carl Crossgrove

Salon at Letterform Archive

Thu, Sep 26, 2019
6:30pm–7:30pm
Pushing Pencils and Pulling Pens: Lettering Fundamentals
Nils Lindstrom

Workshop at Letterform Archive
Type West Public Workshop
Sat–Sun, Sep 21–22, 2019
10:00am–5:00pm
Japanese Typography, Lettering, and Commercial Art in the Early Twentieth Century
Florence Fu

Lecture at ATypI Conference

Thu, Sep 5, 2019
9:30am–10:00am
Restaurant Branding
Christine Celic Strohl, Eric Strohl, Roberto de Vicq

Workshop at Letterform Archive
Type West Public Workshop
Wed, Sep 4, – Wed, Oct 9, 2019
6:30pm–8:30pm
Salon Series 19: Wood Type
Stephen Coles

Salon at Letterform Archive

Thu, Aug 29, 2019
6:30pm–7:30pm
The Book Is Not a PDF
Irma Boom

Lecture at SFPL Main Library, Koret Auditorium

Tue, Aug 27, 2019
6:00pm–7:30pm
Exhibition Reception for 2019 Type West Graduates

Exhibition at Dependable Letterpress
Type West Certificate Program
Fri, Aug 9, 2019
6:00pm–8:30pm
Touchy Feely
Ellen Lupton

Lecture at SFPL Main Library, Koret Auditorium

Tue, Jul 30, 2019
6:00pm–7:30pm
Branding w/Type
Ellen Lupton

Workshop at Letterform Archive
Type West Public Workshop
Sun, Jul 28, 2019
10:00am–5:00pm
Salon Series 18: Fashion
Florence Fu, Priscilla (Skilla) Zaccalini

Salon at Letterform Archive

Thu, Jul 25, 2019
6:30pm–7:30pm
A Font and the Search for One Man’s Fate
Carolyn Porter

Lecture at SFPL Main Library, Koret Auditorium

Tue, Jul 16, 2019
6:00pm–7:30pm
Look Closely: Elevate Your Typography
Carolyn Porter

Workshop at Letterform Archive
Type West Public Workshop
Sun, Jul 14, 2019
10:00am–5:00pm
BEEF PORK LAMB VEAL & TYPE
Tobias Frere-Jones, Nina Stössinger

Lecture at SFPL Main Library, Koret Auditorium

Tue, Jul 2, 2019
6:00pm–7:30pm
Certificate Core: Introduction to Python for Type Designers
Nina Stössinger

Workshop at Letterform Archive
Type West Certificate Program
Sat–Sun, Jun 29–30, 2019
10:00am–5:00pm
Typography & Neon: Tenderloin Historical Ephemera Project
Stephen Coles

Panel Discussion at Tenderloin Museum
A San Francisco Design Week Event
Thu, Jun 27, 2019
6:30pm–8:30pm
Salon Series 17: DADA and Surrealism
Hank Smith

Salon at Letterform Archive

Thu, Jun 27, 2019
6:30pm–7:30pm
Digital Revolution: Designing in the ’90s

Exhibition at Astro Studios
A San Francisco Design Week Event
Thu, Jun 27, 2019
5:00pm–8:00pm
The Chinese Typewriter: A History
Tom Mullaney

Lecture at SFPL Main Library, Koret Auditorium

Tue, Jun 18, 2019
6:00pm–7:30pm
Type West Open House

Reception at Letterform Archive

Sat, Jun 1, 2019
5:00pm–7:00pm
Salon Series 16: Judging Books By Their Covers
Rob Saunders

Salon at Letterform Archive

Thu, May 30, 2019
6:30pm–7:30pm
Live at the Archive: The Life and Design of Abram Games
Naomi Games

Lecture at Letterform Archive

Thu, May 23, 2019
6:30pm–7:30pm
Floating Downscreen: An Intro to Lettering on the iPad
James Edmondson, Tad Wagner

Workshop at Letterform Archive
Type West Public Workshop
Sat–Sun, Apr 27–28, 2019
10:00am–5:00pm
Salon Series 15: CCA Students Present Type History

Salon at Letterform Archive

Thu, Apr 25, 2019
6:30pm–7:30pm
Survey of Korean Calligraphy, Typography, and Print
Lars Kim

Lecture at SFPL Main Library, Koret Auditorium

Tue, Apr 2, 2019
6:00pm–7:30pm
Salon Series 14: Design and Music
Kate Long

Salon at Letterform Archive

Thu, Mar 28, 2019
6:30pm–7:30pm
Certificate Core: Tools For Prototyping and Proofing
Graham Bradley

Workshop at Letterform Archive
Type West Certificate Program
Sat–Sun, Mar 23–24, 2019
10:00am–5:00pm
Designing for Musicians
Mary Banas, James Edmondson, Jason Munn, Kate Long

Panel Discussion & Pop-up Exhibit at Astro Studios
Co-presented by Astro Studios
Thu, Mar 21, 2019
5:30pm–7:30pm
Inventing the Adlam Script / Designing Type for a Society in Flux
Abdoulaye Barry, Ibrahima Barry, Mark Jamra, Neil Patel

Lecture at SFPL Main Library, Koret Auditorium

Tue, Mar 19, 2019
6:00pm–7:30pm
Letters: A Code System
Lynne Yun

Lecture at SFPL Main Library, Koret Auditorium

Tue, Mar 5, 2019
6:00pm–7:30pm
Designing Flourishes
Lynne Yun

Workshop at Letterform Archive
Type West Public Workshop
Sun, Mar 3, 2019
10:00am–5:00pm
Certificate Core: Calligraphy as a Tool for Prototyping Letterforms
Lynne Yun

Workshop at Letterform Archive
Type West Certificate Program
Sat, Mar 2, 2019
10:00am–5:00pm
Salon Series 13: 1990s Design
Elise Carlton

Salon at Letterform Archive

Thu, Feb 28, 2019
6:30pm–7:30pm
Between Measures: The Intersection of Design and Music

Exhibition at Astro Studios

Thu, Feb 21, 2019
5:30pm–7:30pm
Calligraphy in the Digital Age
Rick Paulus

Lecture at SFPL Main Library, Koret Auditorium

Tue, Feb 19, 2019
6:00pm–7:30pm
Certificate Core: The Truly Flexible Pointed Pen
Rick Paulus

Workshop at Letterform Archive
Type West Certificate Program
Sat, Feb 16, 2019
10:00am–5:00pm
From forms to alphabets: Sketching and investigating experimental letterforms
Sun Helen Isdahl Kalvenes, Maria Doreuli

Workshop at Letterform Archive
Type West Public Workshop
Sat–Sun, Feb 9–10, 2019
10:00am–5:00pm
Letterform Archive Open House: CODEX and the ABAA

Reception & Pop-up Exhibit at Letterform Archive

Thu, Feb 7, 2019
5:00pm–8:00pm
Certificate Core: The Lexicon of Power

Lecture at Letterform Archive
Type West Certificate Program
Tue, Feb 5, – Tue, Apr 9, 2019
6:30pm–8:30pm
Certificate Core: Foundations of Original Type Design
James Edmondson, Christopher Slye

Workshop at Letterform Archive
Type West Certificate Program
Mon, Feb 4, – Mon, Apr 8, 2019
6:30pm–9:30pm
Salon Series 12: CODEX Artists
Hank Smith

Salon at Letterform Archive

Thu, Jan 31, 2019
6:30pm–7:30pm
Introduction to Modern Type Design
Graham Bradley

Workshop at Letterform Archive
Type West Public Workshop
Wed, Jan 30, – Wed, Apr 3, 2019
6:30pm–9:30pm
History of Type

Exhibition at Oklahoma Christian University

Tue, Jan 15, – Thu, Feb 14, 2019
12:00pm–5:00pm
A Crash Course in Type Selection
Stephen Coles

Workshop at Letterform Archive
Type West Public Workshop
Sat, Dec 8, 2018
10:00am–5:00pm
Salon Series 11: Type Specimen Ephemera
Stephen Coles

Salon at Letterform Archive

Thu, Nov 29, 2018
6:30pm–7:30pm
The Graphic Vocabulary of Modern Kinetic Typography
Greg D’Onofrio

Lecture at SFPL Main Library, Koret Auditorium
Co-presented by Type@Cooper West
Tue, Nov 13, 2018
6:00pm–7:30pm
Certificate Core: Calligraphy → Type → Calligraphy (→ Type)
Carl Rohrs

Workshop at Letterform Archive
Type West Certificate Program
Sat–Sun, Nov 10–11, 2018
10:00am–5:00pm
Children’s Books: A Type Story
Kate Long

Lecture at SFPL Main Library, Koret Auditorium
Co-presented by Type@Cooper West
Tue, Nov 6, 2018
6:00pm–7:30pm
New Light on Old Types: A History of Type Design – Revisited
Stan Knight

Lecture at SFPL Main Library, Koret Auditorium
Offered by Type@Cooper West
Tue, Oct 30, 2018
6:00pm–7:30pm
Certificate Core: Pen to Punch
Stan Knight

Workshop at Letterform Archive
Type West Certificate Program
Sat–Sun, Oct 27–28, 2018
10:00am–5:00pm
Salon Series 10: the Occult
Elise Carlton

Salon at Letterform Archive

Thu, Oct 25, 2018
6:30pm–7:30pm
Typographic Systems: Analog to Algorithm
Jon Sueda, chris hamamoto

Workshop at Letterform Archive
Type West Public Workshop
Sat–Sun, Oct 20–21, 2018
10:00am–5:00pm
Time to Spare: Type and Tectonics
Doug Clouse

Lecture at SFPL Main Library, Koret Auditorium
Co-presented by Type@Cooper West
Tue, Oct 16, 2018
6:00pm–7:30pm
Live at the Archive: Aaron Marcus Presents Universal Visible Languages
Aaron Marcus

Lecture at Letterform Archive

Thu, Oct 11, 2018
6:30pm–7:30pm
Restaurant Branding
Roberto de Vicq, Christine Celic Strohl

Workshop at Letterform Archive
Type West Public Workshop
Wed, Oct 10, – Wed, Nov 14, 2018
6:30pm–8:30pm
Certificate Core: Fundamentals of Typeface Design
James Edmondson, Graham Bradley

Workshop at Letterform Archive
Type West Certificate Program
Mon, Oct 1, – Mon, Dec 10, 2018
6:30pm–9:30pm
Archive Salon Series 09: Jacob Jongert
Rob Saunders

Salon at Letterform Archive

Thu, Sep 27, 2018
6:30pm–7:30pm
Archive Salon Series 08: Rudolf Koch
Oriol Miró Genovart

Salon at Letterform Archive

Thu, Aug 30, 2018
6:30pm–7:30pm
Save Your Work
Amelia Grounds, Karson Shadley

Lecture & Pop-up Exhibit at Astro Studios

Thu, Aug 23, 2018
5:30pm–7:30pm
Exhibition Reception for 2018 Type@Cooper West Graduates

Reception at Dependable Letterpress
Co-presented by Type@Cooper West
Fri, Aug 10, 2018
6:00pm–9:00pm
Live at the Archive: Underware
Underware

Lecture at Letterform Archive

Thu, Aug 9, 2018
6:30pm–7:30pm
Type in Film
Louise Sandhaus

Lecture at SFPL Main Library, Koret Auditorium
Co-presented by Type@Cooper West
Tue, Jul 31, 2018
6:00pm–7:30pm
Archive Salon Series 07: Travel Ephemera
Tânia Raposo

Salon at Letterform Archive

Thu, Jul 26, 2018
6:30pm–7:30pm
Designing Identity Systems
Richard Danne, Alejandro Chavetta, Leslie Cheng, Kate Long

Panel Discussion & Pop-up Exhibit at Astro Studios

Tue, Jul 24, 2018
5:30pm–7:30pm
Everything’s in Progress: Redefining the Way Type Design is Released
Lizy Joy Gershenzon

Lecture at SFPL Main Library, Koret Auditorium
Co-presented by Type@Cooper West
Tue, Jul 17, 2018
6:00pm–7:30pm
Typographic Testing Grounds: Job Printing, Small-scale Web Projects, and Innovative Typeface Design
Nick Sherman

Lecture at SFPL Main Library, Koret Auditorium
Co-presented by Type@Cooper West
Tue, Jul 10, 2018
6:00pm–7:30pm
Shapeshifting Typefaces: Designing and Producing Variable Fonts
Nick Sherman

Workshop at Letterform Archive
Offered by Type@Cooper West
Sat–Sun, Jul 7–8, 2018
10:00am–5:00pm
Font Production for Typeface Families
Frank Grießhammer

Workshop at Letterform Archive
Offered by Type@Cooper West
Sat, Jun 30, – Sun, Jul 1, 2018
10:00am–5:00pm
Archive Salon Series 06: Ladislav Sutnar
Rob Saunders

Lecture at Letterform Archive

Thu, Jun 28, 2018
6:30pm–7:30pm
Erik vs James
Erik Marinovich, James Edmondson

Workshop at Letterform Archive
Offered by Type@Cooper West
Sat–Sun, Jun 23–24, 2018
10:00am–5:00pm
Micro & Macro Typography
Tânia Raposo

Workshop at Letterform Archive
Offered by Type@Cooper West
Wed, Jun 20, – Wed, Aug 1, 2018
6:30pm–9:30pm
Owning It: Type Design and Intellectual Property
Jeremy Mickel

Lecture at SFPL Main Library, Koret Auditorium
Co-presented by Type@Cooper West
Tue, Jun 12, 2018
6:00pm–7:30pm
Reimagining the Future: Visual Style Beyond Identity

Exhibition at Astro Studios
A San Francisco Design Week Event
Tue, Jun 12, 2018
6:00pm–9:00pm
Archive Salon Series 05: Artists’ Books: Makers and Materials
Amelia Grounds

Lecture at Letterform Archive

Thu, May 31, 2018
6:30pm–7:30pm
Preserving Graphic Design Process
Rob Saunders, Stephen Coles

Exhibition at TYPO Berlin

Thu–Sat, May 17–19, 2018
10:00am–8:00pm
Dwiggins and Hingham
Bruce Kennett

Lecture at Hingham Public Library, Hingham, MA

Thu, May 3, 2018
7:00pm–8:45pm
Dwiggins at HOW Design Live
Bruce Kennett

Lecture at HOW Design Live, Boston

Thu, May 3, 2018
10:00am–10:45am
Dwiggins at the BPL
Bruce Kennett

Lecture at Boston Public Library

Wed, May 2, 2018
6:00pm–7:30pm
Archive Salon Series 04: Advocacy and Activism
Kate Long

Lecture at Letterform Archive

Thu, Apr 26, 2018
6:00pm–7:30pm
Dwiggins at Left Bank Books
Bruce Kennett

Lecture at Left Bank Books, Hanover, NH

Tue, Apr 24, 2018
7:00pm–8:00pm
W. A. Dwiggins and the Serious Business of Fun
Bruce Kennett

Lecture at University of Southern Maine

Wed, Apr 11, 2018
7:00pm–9:00pm
Archive Salon 03: New Uses for Old Type
Stephen Coles

Salon at Letterform Archive

Thu, Mar 29, 2018
6:30pm–7:30pm
Dwiggins Publication Party
Bruce Kennett

Reception at Letterform Archive

Fri, Mar 23, 2018
6:30pm–8:30pm
The Multi-Faceted W. A. Dwiggins
Bruce Kennett

Lecture at Arts and Letters Club of Toronto

Tue, Mar 20, 2018
6:00pm–7:00pm
Indigenous Font Design and the Ripple Effect
Juliet Shen

Lecture at SFPL Main Library, Koret Auditorium
Co-presented by Type@Cooper West
Tue, Mar 20, 2018
6:00pm–7:30pm
Super-Veloz: Modular Modern
Alexander Tochilovsky

Lecture at SFPL Main Library, Koret Auditorium
Co-presented by Type@Cooper West
Tue, Mar 13, 2018
6:00pm–7:30pm
Typography: Essentials
Alexander Tochilovsky

Workshop at Letterform Archive
Offered by Type@Cooper West
Sat–Sun, Mar 10–11, 2018
10:00am–5:00pm
Roma e Italia — Then, Since Then, & Now
Carl Rohrs

Lecture at SFPL Main Library, Koret Auditorium
Co-presented by Type@Cooper West
Tue, Mar 6, 2018
6:00pm–7:30pm
Modular Lettering
John Downer

Workshop at Letterform Archive
Offered by Type@Cooper West
Sat–Sun, Mar 3–4, 2018
10:00am–5:00pm
Introduction to Python Programming for the Type Designer
Andy Clymer

Workshop at Letterform Archive
Offered by Type@Cooper West
Sat–Sun, Feb 24–25, 2018
10:00am–5:00pm
Archive Salon 02: Piet Zwart

Salon at Letterform Archive

Thu, Feb 22, 2018
6:30pm–7:30pm
Typefaces You Can Write With A Pen & Brush
Carl Rohrs

Workshop at Letterform Archive
Offered by Type@Cooper West
Sat–Sun, Feb 17–18, 2018
10:00am–5:00pm