Book designer, illustrator, engraver, and educator Barry Moser commissioned this bookface for his Pennyroyal Press in 2017â18. Sparkling, spacious, and bright, it was drawn in the tradition of typefaces created for British & American private presses throughout the early decades of the twentieth century.
Over the course of the next year, Barry Moser and I met up for lunch every once in a while and looked at proofs togetherâhis preference was to use Moby-Dick as our sample text.
Designed for his Pennyroyal Press, he wanted the text to be sparkling, spacious, and bright. Within a couple weeks, we quickly settled on a design with long, wedge-shaped serifs that are softened by sweeping curved brackets.
We kept things pretty loose, reference-wise, relying instead on Barryâs preferences and whatever felt right to me in the moment. Of course we discussed private press faces like the Doves Type, but I tried not to look too closely at them.
This was a dream commission for me, and Barry has been an incredible partner. He first used the typeface in Pennyroyalâs 2020 printing of Frederick Douglassâs autobiography, accompanied by his engravings. Because the book was printed letterpress from photopolymer plates, we actually ended up producing a slightly lighter version to compensate for the inkspread.
Recently, Iâve been working with Linh Nguyá» n to expand the typeface into a full series of weights, from Light to Black, each with a companion Italic. Iâve toyed with a titling style as well. And I have been thinking about what else (if anything) should change as this transitions from a custom typeface to a retail one.
I like the idea that a typeface can simultaneously be so personal and specific in origin, but general and versatile in functionâsomething made to address one need can take on a second life solving other typographic problems. Iâm excited to see what happens in Pennyroyal DJRâs second life, now that it is travelling out of our hands and into yours.