Team members in the FontShop San Francisco office have been trekking the globe this winter. Of course, even on our vacation, type is never far from our mind. Designer Anna Eshelman and Meghan Arnold, Communications Manager, recently visited El Salvador and India, respectively. Below are a couple typographic highlights from their travels.
El Salvador
I found that the city of San Salvador offers many interesting and beautiful displays of lettering and typography, especially in its graffiti art and storefront signage.
But at the summit of Izalco Volcano, 6,398 feet in the sky, were surprises aplenty – besides the heat under my feet from the steaming rocks, this rough blackletter lettering on stone captured my attention.
Whether it be initials carved into a tree or artful scrawl on a bathroom wall (or letterforms painted atop a mountain of fire!), stumbling upon interesting lettering in places where we least expect it is a treat.
India
This was my second trip to India and visually it’s a bit like being stuck on hyperdrive in the space-time continuum. Ultra-modern and classic design swirls in a sea of shapes and colors – typography doesn’t escape this whirlpool. Sanskrit and Roman lettering co-exist, just as English, Hindi and regional languages are verbally intermixed.
The signs above were spotted in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, where I traveled for a friend’s wedding. Not surrounded by the crowds of tourist destinations, wandering through the bazaar on a weekday allowed me time to scavenge for handmade signage. The timeless feel of these two signs really popped out at me. I love the flourishes on the misspelled sign. On the other, the word “Tailors” is so whimsically painted, in such a bright yellow, it brought a smile to my face.
Have you had any great letterform encounters on your travels? Share your story in the comment.
Want to learn how to make your own handmade signs? Register for TYPO San Francisco and take the Friday workshop from New Bohemia signs.
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We know you’re busy and the Internet is a crowded place, so we’ll try to give you a little reminder on Fridays of what’s going on out there. Please find below five recent FontShop-related threads that you may have missed.
