Hello My Name Is… Most Likely Not Futura — Amy Redmond
Channel: TypeCon
Date: 2022-06-27

Recorded during TypeCon2018: Xx in Portland, Oregon

The Panama Papers made waves as “Font Gate” in mainstream media last year, illuminating how forensic typography can authenticate documents in the digital age. But for letterpress printers working with analog type collections, an entirely different set of forensic techniques are needed to identify imposters.

In this reverent tale of an apprentice continuing the work of her mentors, Amy Redmond shares how a routine inventory review of Stern & Faye Printer’s metal house face, Futura, uncovered questions about its accuracy. Learn the techniques she used to unearth the true identities of its family members, and why she felt compelled to embark on an adventure in conscientious type stewardship.

Connecting the dots between Portland and Seattle’s living letterpress history, Amy shows how each generation bears the responsibility of custodianship and shares how amateur type-sleuths can help ensure these treasured collections get passed forward with their ancestry intact.