4. Typographic Portraits

Type in our environment is so commonplace that most people don’t really see it. Sure, they may read it, but they don’t see it in all its glory: its history, the choices that went into making it, the juxtapositions, intentional or otherwise, with its surroundings.

Once you start to notice type and signage — and letter forms in general — type spotting becomes a fascinating obsession. It’s geeky for sure, but it gives you a new perspective on the familiar. If the pursuit of type in the wild is new to you, it won’t be long before you’re spotting it everywhere — and wondering how you hadn’t seen it before. Letter forms will become subjects for expressive art and communication. After reading this chapter you’ll no longer be like most people.