Firmin Didot and Herb Lubalin

Firmin Didot 

Parisian Firmin Didot (1764 – 1836) was a French printer and type finder, he was responsible for cutting letters and casting them while his brother Pierre Didot printed them. Together they created typefaces in their successful print shop in the early 1800’s, which was described as an essential aspect to France and their role in modern typography. All printed typefaces were hand cut by the Didot family and printed by the family using traditional letterpress and block printing. The major features that separated the work of the Didot family from modern post digital type is the block formation and restrictions of traditional letterpress. 

  

Herb Lubalin

Herb Lubalin (1918-1981) was an American Graphic designer. Best known for his collaborative work on typeface ITC Avant Garde, a typeface based on the Avant Garde Magazine typography which he designed with Ralph Ginzburg.  He created three of Ginzburg's magazines: Eros, Fact, and Avant Garde that used this type.  Lubalin used combinations of graphic design application and typeface design to create revolutionary type. “In U&lc, he tested just how far smashed and expressive lettering might be taken. Under Lubalin’s tutelage, eclectic typography was firmly entrenched” Heller, Steven. “Herb Lubalin: Type Basher.” U&lc 25 (Summer 1998): 8-11