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Type Tales - A FairyType Catalogue

Type Tales - A FairyType Catalogue

From the traditional to the most unconventional, typographic specimens are, at the end of the day, promotional products. A showcase of the most beautiful characters, the most standout details, and the technical prowess necessary to bring a typeface to the market. Let there be no mistake: we love them for that. We are letter enthusiasts and are just as culpable of decorating our bookshelves with more captivating books than will ever fit.

However, given the niche nature of the typography business – and of font purchasing – the majority of them may only seek validation from professionals and do not desire to appeal to a broader public.

In creating Type Tales, we set out to design a type specimen to be truly read from cover to cover by anyone, insider or not. Type Tales is a collection of 15 original illustrated stories aimed at children and grown-ups, showcasing Collletttivo’s full Open Source catalogue through the magic of storytelling. Each tale is exclusively set in a single, different typeface, allowing the reader to experience the story through one font’s distinct characteristics and, likewise, discover the essence of one typeface through its narratives.

Original or inspired by folklore, the tales – much like typography itself – draw from our culture and collective heritage to find contemporary meanings and build new shared legacy. At the heart of the Open Source philosophy is the belief that knowledge is a collaborative, ever-evolving common good. That is central to all we do at Collletttivo, and often extends beyond typography and font publishing. We want Type Tales to feel as open and accessible as our typefaces; a way for everyone – especially those who are generally uninvolved in the field – to interact and contribute to the design conversation.

Collaboration is a fundamental element in our approach to type design; we believe that type design is a discipline that requires constant dialogue and exchange. This same approach was at the heart of how we developed Type Tales. The stories were written by different authors, paired with typefaces by different designers, laid out by others, and finally illustrated by a fresh hand, in a chaotic and unpredictable exchange of files. This method allowed us to achieve something unexpected, richer, and better than what we would have reached on our own.

Donate to support our Open Source font catalogue

Collletttivo is an independent type practice that lives on thanks to the work of its members and the support of the many downloading and using their typefaces. If you like any of our fonts, please consider donating to the collective. Your support helps us keep the website running and offloads some printing, distribution and travel expenses.

As a warm thank you to all our donors, following is a list of our contributors:

  • Companion Studio
  • Daniela Burger
  • MAKEBARDO
  • Swantje Engels
  • Edda Rumpel
  • Sheila Ehm
  • Maximiliane Schmid
  • Het Nieuwe Instituut
  • DR.ME
  • Michèle Fischhaber
  • Toni Tajima
  • Riccardo Perello
  • Blake House Productions Ltd
  • Jenny Chan
  • Walaa Al Muhaiteeb
  • Les formes associées
  • Christopher Smith
  • Floriane Misslin
  • Isaline Moulin
  • Gabriele Ghisalberti
  • Cesar Avila Morales
  • Fernanda Braun Santos
  • Daniel Rubio Arauna
  • Matthieu Litt
  • Randall Stagg
  • Panagiotis Tsironis
  • Raydene Salinas
  • Henrique Folster
  • Helena Jaramillo
  • STB
  • Igor Petrusev
  • Alun Carr
  • Alison Dyer
  • Paschalis Zervas
  • Fanny Luor
  • Marleigh Culver
  • Igor Petrusev
  • Max Beyer
  • Tyler Hathaway
  • Nancy Ng
  • George Monje
  • Kristian Kutschera
  • Louis Charron
  • James Hillier
  • Tugce Ozmen
  • Primary Foundry
  • Madeleine Sanchez
  • Lam Cheuk Wang
  • Martha Hipley
  • Alexander Bruno
  • Maria Rodriguez
  • Treva Winslow
  • Andreea Lisievici Nevin
  • Haider Ahmad
  • Chelsea Fullerton-Jones
  • Dora Baumann
  • Christina Vetesnik
  • Cameron Cook
  • Cheyenne Oswald
  • Sina Hassene
  • Colin Derrer
  • Melina Paulli
  • Balla Kristóf
  • Nick Maggi / VHSverified
  • Samantha Garcia
  • Francesca Perra
  • Oliver Lindsay
  • Anastasia Melandinou
  • Massimo Bertoldo
  • Marc Oxborrow
  • Keywon Chung
  • Ray Oranges
  • Lisa Cecchi
  • Whitney Smith
  • Mathias Reisigl
  • Andres Moreno
  • Caylan Hallows
  • Amanda Croy
  • Avalon Preisendorfer
  • Mario Šimić
  • Gaetano Giuzio
  • Fernanda Tapia
  • Gabriel Vigorito
  • Seth Moherman
  • Ambria Daye
  • Wong Hao Jie
  • Ashley Peters
  • Lucia Schmidt
  • Antonio Maria Caporale
  • Angelina Liu
  • Irina Kulkova
  • Kevin Moll
  • Zeina Muhtadi
  • Matteo Bonaccorso
  • Bianca Ponciano
  • Simon Emge
  • Knoto
  • Elise Marquet
  • Leif Niemczik
  • Johanne Furuseth
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