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Monotype Imaging Adds the Elegy Script Family to its ITC Typeface Collection
Wednesday 04. August 2010 - Design Inspired by International Typeface Corporation Logo now Available as a Typeface
Monotype Imaging Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: TYPE), a leading global provider of text imaging solutions, has added the Elegy typeface to the companys ITC font collection. An ornate script design, Elegy is based on the original International Typeface Corporation logo, drawn by the legendary typeface designer, Ed Benguiat. Elegy can be licensed and downloaded from the companys Fonts.com, ITCFonts.com and Linotype.com e-commerce sites.
“For 40 years, one of the most frequently asked questions about ITC has been, how can I get the font of the script used in the ITC logo?,” said Allan Haley, director of words and letters at Monotype Imaging. “Now you can. The design brings out the grace, verve and remarkable elegance of the original logotype.”
With permission from Benguiat, Jim Wasco, senior type designer at Monotype Imaging, undertook the Elegy design project, which spanned two years. “I felt strongly that Eds hand lettering of the ITC logo deserved to be captured as a complete typeface that graphic communicators could finally enjoy.”
Wascos approach during the design process was to maintain the spontaneity and flowing attributes of the letterforms and their hairline strokes. Characters were drawn evenly in weight to aid readability, while letterspacing was fine-tuned to achieve high-quality representation at various text sizes. The resulting design incorporates Benguiats drop caps, flourishes and details from the original ITC logo. Elegy also supports old style ?gures, arbitrary fractions, proportional numbers, tabular numbers, discretionary ligatures and contextual alternate characters.
“Jim Wasco has done a magnificent job of turning my logo into a great typeface design,” Benguiat said.
Benguiat, who teaches at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, has designed more than 600 typefaces, including widely used designs such as the ITC Bookman, ITC Souvenir, ITC Edwardian Script, and the self-titled ITC Benguiat and ITC Benguiat Gothic faces. He has also created logotypes for major publishing brands such as “The New York Times,” “Playboy” and “Sports Illustrated.” In 2000, Benguiat was inducted into the Art Directors Club Hall of Fame.
The name, Elegy, was chosen as a tribute to Aaron Burns, one of the original founders of ITC, which Benguiat also helped to establish in 1970. In addition to designing typefaces, Benguiats role at ITC included art direction for the companys quarterly U&lc publication (Upper & Lowercase), which covered design and typography.