Tooting my own horn: Creating an Open Source Font (Video)
I have to admit it was an honor to make this video for my font designer hero, Chank Diesel. It chronicles his session on creating an open source font at FontConf last month. The result of that session is a cool OpenType font based on photos of arranged flower parts. The “T” is my work by the way.

CoCo Flowerfont (free download at chank.com), comes in three weights (Highlights, Shadows and Midtones) that allow you to create multi-color effects by using overlapping text layers. You can get even deeper behind the scenes and peruse the Flickr set of the photos used to create the characters. Check it out!

Around the Globe: The end of movable type in China
Graphic designer Cheryl Yau writes a fascinating piece at IDSGN on the declining state of letterpress in Hong Kong. (via Felt & Wire)

Weird News: Contest winner creates symbol for Indian rupee
India’s national currency, the rupee, was never represented by a symbol. That is until designer Udaya Kumar submitted his wining contest entry. Now his creation (shown above) joins the ranks of $, £, and €. The New York Times describes it as “a legless ‘R’ with two horizontal lines at the top. It’s very cool”. Kumar tells us the symbol is a blend between a letter from Devnagiri calligraphy and the letter “R.” More here.

Have you come across something amazing and typography-related online? Let me know!
If I include it in an upcoming edition of TypoTh, I’ll gladly give you credit.

Via Laughing Squid.

I’m blown away by this short film by Patrick Jean (of Paris-based One More Production).

Mykl Roventine chats with SocialWendy at MIMA09 from Gage Group on Vimeo.

Part 2/3 Mykl Roventine chats with SocialWendy at MIMA09 from Gage Group on Vimeo.

Part 3/3 Mykl Roventine chats with SocialWendy at MIMA09 from Gage Group on Vimeo.

This is not just any notebook, mind you. These notebooks are known for their hipness (they even have their own Facebook fan group) and are prized additions to schwag bags at other local conferences and events. Seeking only the best for UnSummit attendees, and a little excited to break in my new Flip cam, I accepted the challenge. Joined by fellow Unsummit co-coordinator, Meg Canada, you could say the results were…  moving.

Clockwork Dance – UnSummit3 from Mykl Roventine on Vimeo.

To their credit, the folks at Clockwork Active Media Systems have been so complimentary of our little video on their blog and on Twitter. I’ve even started contemplating a different career path. If only I looked better in a leotard…

Thanks to Mitchell Hislop.

My contribution for the first ever Ignite Minneapolis. Thanks to videographer Brian Stemmler for making me look good.

The Ignite challenge: Any topic, 20 slides, 15 seconds per slide, 5 minutes total.  This was so much fun. It helped to be talking about a subject I’m passionate about. Remember, friends don’t let friends use bad fonts.

If you’re interested, you can find my presentation slides here. I’ve also set up a Flickr group of the same name to collect even more great photos of bad fonts in action.