Buffet Script is based on fantastic calligraphy by Alf Becker, arguably the greatest American sign lettering artist of all time.The series of nameless alphabets created by Becker and published by Sign of the Times magazine in 1941 have attracted typeface digitizers for years. It’s a wonder that several of these alphabets are still undigitized. It’s also understandable that the basis for Buffet Script was not attempted in digital form until now. The page presenting the original Becker alphabet shows a jumble of letters running into each other, swashes intertwined. There is a massive amount of work involved in digitizing such lettering and scanning is not an option. If anyone was going to attempt this particular alphabet, it would have to be redrawn stroke by stroke, and curve by curve.
And don’t we love a challenge! But seriously, the challenge was not the main attraction. In a way, the Becker approach to lettering is so far and away from digital that you are forced to work out the possibilities and letter combinations on your own. Part of the process is solving problems presented by the scant typographic showings. However, after a few imaginative visualizations, the digital potential becomes clear in the mind. The eye and hand follow. The end result with the Whomp typeface (another Alf Becker-inspired work) was an enormous font with a lot of alternates and ligatures. With Buffet Script, the process was no different. But, the end result particularly shines because it includes some of the most fascinating, flowing calligraphy ever seen. Calligraphy is where all of the extra touches - such as alternates, swashes, and ligatures - raises the typeface to a higher aesthetic level.
Buffet Script’s OpenType programming contains discretionary ligatures, stylistic and contextual alternates, all interacting with each other to allow the composition of just the typographic look and feel. This font is best used where lush elegance is a design requirement.
Buffet Script was one of the Letras Latinas 2006 selected fonts.
About the designer:
Ale Paul is one of the founders of the Sudtipos project, the first Argentinean type foundry collective.
Ale’s career as an art director landed him in some of Argentina’s most prestigious studios, and handling such high-profile corporate brands as Arcor, Procter & Gamble, SC Johnson, Danone, and others. With the founding of Sudtipos in 2002, Ale shifted his efforts to typeface design, creating fonts and lettering for several top packaging agencies, along with commercial faces.
In 2006 he was a speaker at TMDG06, the largest Latin American graphic design event in history - more than 4,000 designers were in attendance. He has also taught seminars and spoken at the TypoBerlin, TypeCon, and AtypI conferences, at the Type Directors Club in New York City, and at events in Portugal, Chile, Brazil, Ecuador, Uruguay, Mexico and Canada.
His work has been featured in publications around the globe, including Print, Step, Creative Review, Visual, Creative Arts, Novum, and many others.
He has walked away with awards from numerous design competitions. He has received two Type Directors Club TDC2 awards, in 2008 for Burgues Script and in 2009 for Adios Script.
He teaches a postgraduate typography program at the University of Buenos Aires, where he previously taught graphic design.
This package contains:
Buffet Script
Copyright © Alejandro Paul
Subscribe:
Contact Us
