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A Mystery Font That Took Over New York

nytimes.com

11–20 of 74 posts

Re: A Mystery Font That Took Over New York

#11
Almost all the shops in the sign photos are Asian. Because the font simulates brush strokes, it adds an Asian element, since Western writing doesn't use brush strokes.

Brushes may be used in painting letters onto a sign, but only as a tool to fill an area, whereby brush marks are regarded as artifacts to be avoided.

The font doesn't look quirky to someone whose native writing system's canonical form is rooted brush strokes.

Basically this remark in the article nails it:

> This could have to do with what Choc evokes. For some it bears a resemblance to the calligraphic forms of Asian writing systems.

But then:

> However, it’s disputed as to whether Choc was a direct homage to these styles. According to Ms. Chamaret, José Mendoza, Excoffon’s assistant at the time of Choc’s production, said that the letterforms were drawn in outlines. “Never with a brush!” she said.

That hardly counts as an effective dispute. Obviously, the font painstakingly captures the appearance of brush strokes in exactly the same manner that Asian fontographers do in certain fonts. They also don't use brushes, but rather vector graphics: precisely specified outlines or strokes.

Choc is undeniably Asian influenced. Look at the C in Choc; it starts with a little right tick and then reverses. The roman letter C doesn't have anything like that; this is reminiscent of the top stroke in the Japanese こ (ko).

Re: A Mystery Font That Took Over New York

#12

> “There’s an unmistakable energy in all the designs that [Roger Excoffon] does,” said Tobias Frere-Jones, a Brooklyn-based typeface designer. “They project their personality so clearly. And it’s very obviously not Helvetica or not Times or any other generic thing that might be on the awning next door.” Excoffon’s most popular typeface is probably Mistral, which was modeled after his own handwriting. Both this passag…

Funny! Reminds me of the old Honest Ed's signage here in Toronto (since shut down).

https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2016/04/01/8-of-honest-eds-...

https://toronto.citynews.ca/2016/10/19/iconic-honest-eds-sig...

Re: A Mystery Font That Took Over New York

#13

> “There’s an unmistakable energy in all the designs that [Roger Excoffon] does,” said Tobias Frere-Jones, a Brooklyn-based typeface designer. “They project their personality so clearly. And it’s very obviously not Helvetica or not Times or any other generic thing that might be on the awning next door.” Excoffon’s most popular typeface is probably Mistral, which was modeled after his own handwriting. Both this passag…

[1] link opens up to a Dutch "Accept My Cookies" modal that covers 75% of the screen.

That tab got closed without me even knowing what the page looked like. Just shot up into the top 5 of my personal most offensive while being most useless list.

Sad, because I was actually curious to see what the page said.

Re: A Mystery Font That Took Over New York

#17

> “There’s an unmistakable energy in all the designs that [Roger Excoffon] does,” said Tobias Frere-Jones, a Brooklyn-based typeface designer. “They project their personality so clearly. And it’s very obviously not Helvetica or not Times or any other generic thing that might be on the awning next door.” Excoffon’s most popular typeface is probably Mistral, which was modeled after his own handwriting. Both this passag…

[1] link opens up to a Dutch "Accept My Cookies" modal that covers 75% of the screen. That tab got closed without me even knowing what the page looked like. Just shot up into the top 5 of my personal most offensive while being most useless list. Sad, because I was actually curious to see what the page said.

You could have clicked through the modal. In incognito mode if cookies bother you that much. Get over yourself.

Re: A Mystery Font That Took Over New York

#18

> “There’s an unmistakable energy in all the designs that [Roger Excoffon] does,” said Tobias Frere-Jones, a Brooklyn-based typeface designer. “They project their personality so clearly. And it’s very obviously not Helvetica or not Times or any other generic thing that might be on the awning next door.” Excoffon’s most popular typeface is probably Mistral, which was modeled after his own handwriting. Both this passag…

[1] link opens up to a Dutch "Accept My Cookies" modal that covers 75% of the screen. That tab got closed without me even knowing what the page looked like. Just shot up into the top 5 of my personal most offensive while being most useless list. Sad, because I was actually curious to see what the page said.

> Just shot up into the top 5 of my personal most offensive while being most useless list.

You could maybe do with experiencing more adversity in life

Re: A Mystery Font That Took Over New York

#20

Paul Boegemann was trained as one such sign painter — he is the proprietor of Paul Signs Inc., in Greenwood Heights, Brooklyn — and has been in business for over 35 years. “I learned how to hand letter signs and trucks,” Mr. Boegemann said. “We started with a simple pencil and paper. We designed what we wanted and used the styles we wanted and knew how to apply...” Asked if he’s ever made a sign in Choc, Mr. Boegeman…

AFAIK the term is how brushed typeface are called in the industry.
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