In 1985, Berkeley-based graphic design company Emigre, the publisher of the legendary design magazine of the same name, launched one of the first independent digital type foundries to explore the new design possibilities offered by the MacIntosh computer.

To announce each of their new typeface releases, Emigre (founded by Rudy VanderLans and Zuzana Licko) published small booklets displaying the virtues of the fonts and revealing the processes used to design them. By creating specific contexts, many of these type specimens went beyond being simple sales tools. Meant to be enjoyed as much for the typefaces as for their esoteric content, the Emigre booklets preceded the explosion of finely crafted type specimens that now circulate.

Emigre broke rules and raised eyebrows, winning them both worldwide acclaim and harsh criticism. Ultimately, Emigre’s typefaces came to define an era: they were one of the first digital type foundries to sell typefaces online, and they created the model for hundreds of small foundries who followed in their footsteps.

The type specimens featured in this book are a selection of some of Emigre’s most memorable productions of the past 30 years.

Designed and edited by Rudy VanderLans

Published by Gingko Press, 2016

Hardcover, 752 pages, with 600 color images, 5.25 × 8.25 inches

ISBN: 978-1-58423-620-7