Established in Uruguay seven years ago, TipoType is a company managed by Fernando Diaz, Martin Sommaruga, and Vicente Lamónaca with a goal of producing, distributing, and marketing typefaces to graphic designers around the world. “It was not easy to quit our jobs or start working without any secured income, but there is the attractiveness of this profession,” Vicente said of their bold decision to create TipoType.
“Our work will be transformed by others; it is not the end of something but it is only the beginning, an important supply for others to use and produce something incredible.”
Working closely with Fernando and Martin, the trio shares responsibilities within the company, evaluating and discussing every project that receives TipoType’s participation. “We believe in this company and we want to continue improving our knowledge about typography,” Vicente said. “For instance, we design fonts, we teach in the university, we participate and attend conferences and workshops.” This hands-on approach has allowed TipoType to thrive in the world of typography.
For Vicente, the most exciting aspect of typography is the “possibility to create a new universe with many self-related symbols, which allow us to communicate with each other in a particular and specific tone of voice,” as he explained. Graphic designers seek coherence and strength in the messages they wish to communicate, two vital characteristics whose roles rest heavily on solid type design.
In Vicente’s opinion, every type design has equal potential to be incredibly great or incredibly subpar, based wholly on its implementation after the fact. “I am convinced that we as designers just provide a raw material,” he said. “Our work will be transformed by others; it is not the end of something but it is only the beginning, an important supply for others to use and produce something incredible.” While it’s true that the technical aspects of a type design’s unique characteristics undoubtedly play a role in its overall appeal, the end user takes on the responsibility of its final application — for better or for worse.
One of TipoType’s latest releases is Economica Next, a clean sans serif designed by Vicente Lamónaca and José Perdomo, a former student. “By the end of 2016, it was the 10th anniversary of the design Economica, the first typography designed in Uruguay to be internationally commercialized,” Vicente told us. “Economica Next was created to celebrate this first ten years of digital typography in our country.”
Economica Next offers a broader range of weights than its predecessor, sixteen in all, making it more adaptable to modern web design. While Economica was originally intended for print, it saw an unexpected success in digital application, a key element that Economica Next sought to represent. “Some ink settings were eliminated and some others were added for more alternatives of application,” Vicente explained, adding that the adaptation was a welcomed challenge.
Economica Next saves space without sacrificing legibility, a powerful attribute that makes it exceedingly appropriate for web design and mobile applications. Its clarity also makes it a compelling choice for magazine layouts, news publications, labels, recipe cards, business cards, menus, and any other application that requires absolute coherence.
Available in eight weights that range from Thin to Fat with corresponding italics for each, Economica Next offers multilingual support for Basic Latin, Western European, Euro, and Pan African Latin.
Right now through March 10, 2017, Economica Next is on sale for 80% off of its regular price so it’s a fantastic time to add this one to your font cache!
TipoType currently offers 34 products through YouWorkForThem. Don’t miss out on their portfolio if you’d like to see the rest of their work and bookmark it to watch for future additions. Arya Rounded is a fresh update from Vicente, and he continues to develop new designs including a sans serif family related to Johnston Underground. He is also involved in collaborations with fellow Uruguayan colleagues, his former professor Ariel Soane, and his wife, Fernanda Nuñez.
In addition to their type products, TipoType is also publishing a book dedicated to the history of typography in Uruguay, documenting the most relevant events throughout its narrative. Economica and Economica Next both represent two important milestones during the maturation of typography in Uruguay, an undertaking that remains close to Vicente’s own heart. With every new release and their upcoming publication, TipoType continues to raise Uruguay’s efforts to leave a positive mark on the typographical world’s map.
