Canada Type is a Toronto-based type studio that has worked with a number of global corporations including New York Times, Disney, ABC, BBC, Pixar, the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, and Wall Street Journal. Established by Rebecca Alaccari and Patrick Griffin in 2004, Canada Type has built an incredibly extensive and varied portfolio of work over the last thirteen years, a library that includes a large selection of their own lettersets in addition to revivals of beloved classics.
Rebecca and Patrick are passionate about their work and as evidenced through their series of revivals over the years, they are passionate about the history of typography, as well. Press Gothic, for instance, rediscovers Aldo Novarese’s 1967 Metropol, a typeface released by Nebiolo and designed to compete with Impact.
While Impact ultimately stood the test of time to a far greater degree than Metropol, Canada Type’s digitization stands to remedy that. Solidly-built condensed letterforms make a bold statement in small spaces, giving designers the ability to craft a clear message in spite of tight constraints. Press Gothic is clean and while it recalls the aesthetics of 1970s design, it claims a definitive contemporary appeal that makes it appropriate for a wide range of design applications.
Branding, corporate identity, and headlines will demand attention, carrying a subtle air of warmth and affability that invites the viewer to take a closer look without feeling pressured to do so. Book covers, posters, and vinyl album designs will openly embrace the vintage atmosphere set by Press Gothic. This type design is also well-suited to advertising, product packaging, and any project that needs to make a bold impression without aggressive posturing.
Press Gothic extends multilingual support to Basic Latin, Western European, Euro, Baltic, Turkish, Central European, and Pan African Latin languages for worldwide accessibility.
Canada Type currently offers 164 products through their portfolio on YouWorkForThem, however there are always new projects underway. Patrick told us he’s working on a set of fonts based on lettering by Alex Colville, a famous Canadian painter, as well as a set of fonts based on the work of a Dutch book designer and another set based on signage from the 1930s.
No matter what comes next, we’re looking forward to seeing what Canada Type has in store for us in the future!
