Category Archives: Design and typography

Church administration, Design and typography, Hymns, Open, TeX-LaTeX

TeX and LaTeX for chants

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Be prepared children: we’re heading for heavy church-geek waters.

The Rev. Chris Tessone (Even the Devils Believe) has typeset some public-domain chant settings using a TeX-derived application, OpusTeX. TeX (pronounced with a Greek chi) is a venerable typesetting system, still widely used through template packages and even graphic interfaces.  In computing terms, there’s something foundational and powerful about TeX, like Latin itself, even though I put off exploring it more than a year ago as too esoteric for most producers of church-related documents. (Readers with advanced degrees in the hard sciences and mathematics may remember LaTeX with love or hate, as its use in creating theses and disserations is still robust and its ability to set mathematical formulae is unexcelled.)

I’ll be interested where Fr. Chris goes with this.

Design and typography, Mission and Polity

Geek it yourself

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Perhaps it’s the kind of blogs I get syndicated, but I’ve now read about three nifty and geek-cred-enhancing craft projects in two days.

There’s something very appealing about this inventive and whimsical kind of domesticity. Not sure what this says about theology or church administration, but there is a wry and ironic bent to people roughly my age that most churches don’t seem to get. Chutney refers to ironybrow as an alternative to high-, middle- and lowbrow culture. I think he’s on to something and that certainly does affect how churches attract and incorporate Gen X and Y leadership now and later. (But don’t bet on it being in committee.)

Church administration, Design and typography, Right living

NYT: making palms greener, fairer

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A little story in today’s New York Times about farmers in the Chiapas state of Mexico who grow, select and process palm fronds for U.S. churches who use them on Palm Sunday. These “eco-palms” keep the forests in better shape and because the farmers add value in improved quality and packaging, make a better income. U.S. churches seem to sponsor the economic activity, or at least promote it: the article is unclear. Lutheran World Relief, which has other fair trade projects, has some connection and an informative slideshow. Ditto the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

But there’s a problem. The variety of palm — sago, I think; again, some detail would be nice — doesn’t have the long ribbony fronds you need to make palm crosses. An opportunity for palm growers in other regions, I’m betting.

“U.S. Churches Go ‘Green’ for Palm Sunday” (New York Times)

Design and typography

How to be an extra in a mid-century themed film (in your imagination)

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Living in Washington, I figured I need to wear glasses that had some character, and so opted retro-period glasses because they are a prime example of classic (debuted 1949) American design and manufacture. They help, I think, with my geek cred, too.

I’ve mentioned them before but today, I’ve seen them in three movie ads, a bourbon whiskey ad, and a promo for a new kind of television set. Both Malcolm X and Colonel Sanders wore them. The model is the Ronsir Zyl by Shuron.

See more here. You know you want them. (As I ease back into post-Thanksgiving blogging.)

Church administration, Design and typography, United Church of Christ

Rudolf Koch for typefaces in UCC publications

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detail from UCC logoOne of the reasons I love typography is that it is one of the sources of art and design that nearly everyone sees and at some level appreciates. I was looking at the work of German calligrapher and typefounder Rudolf Koch (1876-1934) and recognized the hand (or at least the influence) behind the the legend on the United Church of Christ “cross and orb” logo. See a detail of this logo to the right. (Official UCC logo page)

Which makes me think that we might go back to Koch’s work to find concordant typefaces and art for some UCC churches, associations and conferences, especially now that the intellectual rights on Koch’s work has expired in Germany and homages and memorials (like this one) have been made to him. Why go back, rather than find faces that are currently popular? Because your works will look dated very fast.

The legend typeface looks quite a bit like, but is not a perfect match to, Koch’s “Neuland” face, which itself had several versions. A German type foundry still has rights to the name “Neuland” so Manfred Klein issued his interpretation under the anglicized name “New Country.” A sample of this is seen below, and the face may be downloaded here.

New Country face sample

But perhaps that’s too Jurassic Park or American Spirit cigarettes for you. (Both drew on Neuland.) Koch’s Holla face, again interpreted by Dieter Steffmann, might suit better. I confess I like its retro feel. Perhaps for some nice Midwestern Evangelical Synod-heritage church? (Download here. Check out Claudius, too.)
Holla face sampleEither way, I’d also get Koch’s dingbats and symbols fonts — his work on the subject of symbols is still in use and in print.

Koch Dingbats face sample

Rudolf Koch was a devout Christian, and he drew a number of Christian symbols that he asked be made available for public use after his death. His publisher complied and may be seen and downloaded here. I like the ones drawn with broad strokes, and I think would complement the UCC logo in locally-produced pamphlets.

Church administration, Design and typography

Manfred Klein dingbats for church newsletters

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Sometimes Manfred Klein makes really good typefaces, and some are not so good. Some are great for German, and so-so for English. I use bunches — in part because his licensing is so loose that you can use them without worry — including the one that makes the nameplate above. Until recently, I’ve stuck to the text typefaces, but now I’ve examined some of his dingbat faces for use in church newsletters. A few I like after the jump.
Continue reading Manfred Klein dingbats for church newsletters →

Design and typography, Religious education, Sustainable living

100 sq ft living in Hong Kong: can pictures cultivate empathy?

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I have been long fascinated about people who manage to live in unusual or tiny dwellings. Where we live deeply shapes how we live, and to draw a biological metaphor, those who can or must live in extraordinary situations.

Michael Wolf made a photo exhibit called 100×100 depicting residents of (one of) Hong Kong’s oldest public housing developments. Continue reading 100 sq ft living in Hong Kong: can pictures cultivate empathy? →