Raw Type

The Umlaut

Posted by Alex | Posted in General, Interview

The Umlaut is a free display type foundry from designer Andy Cooke. The foundry’s website is currently in progress, but is open to submissions. Why The Umlaut, you ask? “An Umlaut is a typographical character used within the alphabet, but lacking a place in the alphabetical order”. Looks promising. Here we are, catching up with Andy.

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AF: What first attracted you to typography?

AC: Graffiti and old hand drawn posters for punk shows. Not only did this get get me into type, but graphic design on the whole. I wasn’t aware of the vast nature of the world of type until i started studying, and looking back it’s crazy some of the things i used to draw and write in such a naive state of mind. I suppose that’s sometimes the best way though!

Any news on a launch date?

It was meant to be May, but it has been pushed back and pushed back. Mainly because i haven’t had to time to meet up with the developer as much (yo Chrish!) so some of the features that i want to install haven’t been made yet. It’s on the cusp of final development, so it shouldn’t be too long.

Do you intend for The Umlaut to continue offering display faces only, or would you be open to submissions for body copy fonts?

The whole idea behind The Umlaut, and calling it The Umlaut, was focusing on display and experimental type.

That’s what’s more fun for me with typography. Sure, a perfectly readable font with spot on kerning settings that takes 18 months to perfect is amazing, but then sometimes an individual might have an idea for one letter and it becomes a full typeface overnight and is just as amazing. It’s spontaneous and fresh, it’s not boring.

Looking at your website and some of the previews of your typefaces, it looks like there has been quite a bit of effort put into it. Why do you believe in giving away your fonts for free?

There has been a lot of effort put into it, and thanks to all involved so far. I believe people should be paid for their work, especially for something that has the potential to be used for other people to make money, but i also believe that typefaces are too expensive on the internet. Like i was saying, why should someone pay £30 per weight for something that took 24 hours to make?

For me, I’d rather give away all of my fonts and see them being used here there and everywhere than charge people and only sell one copy.

So, you could say that The Umlaut is an outlet for people not having to pander to traditional needs. Do you find this means you’re still designing typefaces for a specific need/ concept, or do you want people to find a need for them?

Definitely. A lot of the time the typefaces aren’t being designed for a specific purpose, just the hope that someone could use them. I think anyone would get a kick seeing their work used well in a commercial sense.

Have any of The Umlaut’s typefaces been used commercially yet?

Norm from Waste used a few of his in prints and self promotional publications, and Luke (Velvet Spectrum) used his for some Ministry of Sound work. As far as I know nothing else has been used! Please correct me if I’m wrong!

Speaking of commercial typefaces, give us your top 5 (please).

Bah, so mainstream! I JOKE!

1. Gotham (The new Helvetica)
2. Caslon (Always, always works)
3. Univers (THE greatest font family)
4. Jupiter (Ridiculous ligatures)
5. Akzidenz Grotesk (The original Helvetica, and better)

And if you could receive a contribution from any type designer, living or dead, who would it be?

I was impressed with the typeface that Non-Format did for HFT, and Scandinavian type work impresses me on the whole. As do the Dutch. I could say someone legendary like Wim, or Speikermann (which would be nice), but I’m always one for the underdog. I’d be happier with a contribution from a small unkown studio in somewhere like, nowhere-on-trent (ha) that was different and unique. It’s all about breaking that new talent too!

Are you thinking about any possible future events/ meet-ups/ networking?

That’d be nice, but not a TU–led thing. Maybe just as a feature in someone else’s party! A Glug event feature would be cool, even if it was just to sell some specimen books (more coming by the way).

As a rosy-cheeked venture, what do you hope The Umlaut to eventually become?

Somewhere people will go for quality, experimental typefaces, and a platform where young guns (old guns too) can showcase exciting new creations and letterforms, and give them away for free. Expect more specimen books and more typefaces added as time goes on, and more than likely a re-designed site at some point.