@Thomas Phinney
Fonts & typography. Type designer, expert witness and consultant. ATypI board member. Dad and spouse. He/his or they/theirs
Relays (1)
- wss://relay.ditto.pub – read & write
Recent Notes
Big consulting firm KPMG’s report on AI usage contained many “facts” that appear to have themselves been hallucinated by AI.
https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/13/kpmg-pulls-report-on-ai-usage-due-to-apparent-hallucinations/
https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/13/kpmg-pulls-report-on-ai-usage-due-to-apparent-hallucinations/
nostr:nprofile1qy2hwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnyd968gmewwp6kyqpqaz06pe0rpdm5nmrw4s4cpn0lfqh6e2tluteq5h5d59dnx0thcz9q228kyx Yeah, I found it funny that their main point of the exercise was that it’s past time...
@nprofile1q... @nprofile1q... This mention of the size of drawers of metal type reminds me that their weight is also a bit scary. A full drawer of type weighs about 35–70 pounds (16–32 kg). A piece of furniture with 20 full drawers is almost immovable.
I vaguely remember the first time I tried to pick up a type drawer, at RIT’s Cary Collection—I had no idea how heavy it was. IIRC, I might have initially simply failed to lift it, because I was unprepared for the weight.
I once estimated that a CD-ROM could hold the scalable-fonts equivalent of 100 tons of metal type. (Depending on how many sizes you take to be equivalent to a scalable font, etc.)
I vaguely remember the first time I tried to pick up a type drawer, at RIT’s Cary Collection—I had no idea how heavy it was. IIRC, I might have initially simply failed to lift it, because I was unprepared for the weight.
I once estimated that a CD-ROM could hold the scalable-fonts equivalent of 100 tons of metal type. (Depending on how many sizes you take to be equivalent to a scalable font, etc.)
nostr:nprofile1qy2hwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnyd968gmewwp6kyqpq86vjxkyvnr7frj50la2u838yl87glhgty580gqvnzsmwz0nh8n6svd05la nostr:nprofile1qy2hwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnyd968gmewwp6kyqpqswgg4y3j4pdqmhglkyayhkape25zgh9...
@nprofile1q... @nprofile1q... @nprofile1q... Depends on your definition of “possible.”
Whether each device has a maximum size, and how you would even get bigger blanks to cut... some interesting questions there.
Whether each device has a maximum size, and how you would even get bigger blanks to cut... some interesting questions there.
$100 reward to anyone who can render a $1 bill on a webpage at actual size (as measured on the screen) without knowing the device. Serious.
(This is a revival of an identical challenge I posed back i...
@nprofile1q... The only part of this that surprises me is that you are not comfortable offering a bigger reward.
😂
😂
If you were teaching typeface design & anatomy, what is the collective term for the baseline, x-height, cap height, ascenders and descenders?
I don’t mean “vertical metrics”, which I regard as...
@nprofile1q... I would go with Edgar’s “vertical proportions,” if I was forbidden to use “vertical metrics.”
The latter term is certainly technical, but does not have to involve digital font files. It implies actual measurement, is all. Certainly there were vertical metrics in hot metal or even foundry metal. Most notably the baseline, but others as well.... No?
The latter term is certainly technical, but does not have to involve digital font files. It implies actual measurement, is all. Certainly there were vertical metrics in hot metal or even foundry metal. Most notably the baseline, but others as well.... No?
Pica, a new (to me) font management app for Mac OS by Josh Puckett looks awesome. Especially the feature to drop in an image and see all of your font samples next to it (for font searching during logo...
@nprofile1q... I will check it out!
I think this will appeal to tons of designers out there! More font management options are a good thing.
(Not sure it is for me, though. At least at first glance I am not seeing the interface/viewing approaches I mostly need. Too bad! But I will check it out when time permits.)
I think this will appeal to tons of designers out there! More font management options are a good thing.
(Not sure it is for me, though. At least at first glance I am not seeing the interface/viewing approaches I mostly need. Too bad! But I will check it out when time permits.)
1
nostr:nprofile1qy2hwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnyd968gmewwp6kyqpqhykucplphuhelaxutcw4jw3vuu7gcg42czhqmk7jhchs8vdga4fschugpy, on page 133 of Enshittification you mention the cadre of Polish mathematicians at Ble...
@nprofile1q... @nprofile1q... Lots of info available online. https://ieee-aess.org/post/blog/history-column-polish-cryptographers-marian-rejewski-jerzy-rozycki-and-henryk-zygalski
https://www.bl.uk/stories/blogs/posts/polish-mathematicians-and-cracking-the-enigma
https://www.nsa.gov/portals/75/documents/about/cryptologic-heritage/historical-figures-publications/publications/wwii/solving_enigma.pdf
See also: Carter, Frank, The First Breaking of Enigma: Some of the Pioneering Techniques Developed by the Polish Cipher Bureau, Report No 2, Bletchley Park Trust, 2008.
Sebag-Montefiore, Hugh, Enigma: The Battle For The Code, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2001.
https://www.bl.uk/stories/blogs/posts/polish-mathematicians-and-cracking-the-enigma
https://www.nsa.gov/portals/75/documents/about/cryptologic-heritage/historical-figures-publications/publications/wwii/solving_enigma.pdf
See also: Carter, Frank, The First Breaking of Enigma: Some of the Pioneering Techniques Developed by the Polish Cipher Bureau, Report No 2, Bletchley Park Trust, 2008.
Sebag-Montefiore, Hugh, Enigma: The Battle For The Code, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2001.
What term do you use to refer to a capital I that looks like this in a sans serif design?
https://typo.social/system/media_attachments/files/116/024/952/634/006/207/original/2869a44da5dec103.png
@nprofile1q... I would call it a serifed I. Because those things are serifs.
Calling these serifs “crossbars” would imply that they either connect two stems (as in A or H,) or cut across a main stroke (as in t or f). They do neither.
Calling these serifs “crossbars” would imply that they either connect two stems (as in A or H,) or cut across a main stroke (as in t or f). They do neither.
@nprofile1q... @nprofile1q... @nprofile1q... This is great, but absolutely does NOT require ignoring all the long-developed principles of optical scaling, when resizing it.
Random fact: salted butter is just fine at room temperatures, indefinitely.
FDA says: “Salted butter. The product is not held hot or cold for safety. However, during commercial handling, storage, and distribution product is held at low temperatures for quality reasons. The ingredients of the product are cream and salt. The product is intended to be stored at ambient temperature. Microbiological hazard: S. aureus, L. monocytogenes. There is no history of safety problems when the consumer does not control time/temperature of commercial salted butter.”
FDA says: “Salted butter. The product is not held hot or cold for safety. However, during commercial handling, storage, and distribution product is held at low temperatures for quality reasons. The ingredients of the product are cream and salt. The product is intended to be stored at ambient temperature. Microbiological hazard: S. aureus, L. monocytogenes. There is no history of safety problems when the consumer does not control time/temperature of commercial salted butter.”