Poster & Booklet

Ambroise Specimen

Promotion for Porchez Typofonderie’s Didot revival.

Process

Using European standards—a B5 book and an A1 double-sided poster—and French typographic rules, I created a type specimen for the 2001 Didot revival Ambroise. Created by French type foundry, Porchez Typofonderie, Ambroise revives a commonly misinterpreted French tradition of modern typography (it’s not Italian).

In the book, I display the many alternate characters and unique strokes of Ambroise through the lens of The Count of Monte Cristo, a classic French tale of revenge. One spread of the book shows the characters of the story in different sizes, widths and weights of Ambroise (see blue spread). Another spread shows an alternate ‘g’ on one side and highlights those alternates in the text on the opposing page.

The double-sided poster, which results from unfolding the book cover, extends the ideas behind the book. Bodoni, shown in different weights and widths of Ambroise on one side of the poster, is crossed out with words like “redemption,” “revenge,” and “rebirth” written beneath as expressions of the passion for revenge from The Count of Monte Cristo. The other side of the poster takes a more light-hearted, contemporary approach, mocking an amusing short-lived American phrase about French fries and tying it into myths about French typography in the accompanying copy.

Details

Year: 2009

Size: A1 (Poster), B5 (Book)

More Views

Fold-Out Book Cover (Front): From a great distance the viewer may only be able to read the strikethroughs and the color red. From this distance, the viewer can now see that Bodoni is being crossed out, and upon closer analysis, that the Didot family names are not. (All of the letters, shapes, ornaments and strikethroughs are characters in the Ambroise typeface.)

Fold-Out Book Cover (Front, Detail): From close up the viewer can now read the various emotions expressed as a result of the strikethroughs and also have a more clear read that the color layovers combine to make a subtle reference to the colors of the French Flag and the opposing side of the poster.

Fold-Out Book Cover (Back): Playing on a short-lived, amusing American phrase grabs the attention of the reader and showcases various sizes and weights of Ambroise.

Fold-Out Book Cover (Back): Subtle ornamental details and the text become clear when near the poster.

Specimen Booklet: Characteristic alternate characters from Ambroise—‘A’, ‘i’, and ‘s’—are displayed within the title on an introductory page of the booklet.

Specimen Booklet: Characters of The Count of Monte Cristo are shown in different sizes, widths and weights of Ambroise decorated by an ornaments from Ambroise.

Specimen Booklet: A chapter opener shows off an alternate ‘O’ among Ambroise decorative characters.