Emigre Fonts

In 1985, Berkeley-based graphic design company Emigre, the publisher of the legendary design magazine of the same name, launched one of the first independent digital type foundries to explore the new design possibilities offered by the MacIntosh computer. To announce each of their new typeface releases, Emigre published small booklets displaying the virtues of the fonts and revealing the processes used to design them. By creating specific contexts, many of these so called “type specimens” went beyond being simple sales tools. In fact the Emigre booklets were meant to be enjoyed as much for the typefaces as for their esoteric content.

Emigre broke rules and raised eyebrows, winning them both world-wide acclaim and much criticism. Ultimately, Emigre’s typefaces came to define an era. They were one of the first digital type foundries to sell typefaces online, and they created the model for hundreds of small foundries who followed in their footsteps. Five of Emigre’s digital typefaces were included in MoMAs permanent design collection. The type specimens featured in this book are a selection of some of Emigre’s most memorable productions of the past 30 years.