Lekton

The monospace font of choice in Colombia

2011-07-09T22:57:00.000-07:00

Not sure what caused it, but it looks like Lekton became all of a sudden extremely popular in Colombia. It’s now up at 18 million views from the Google Web Fonts directory, most of them coming from South America.

한글

2011-03-24T20:11:00.000-07:00

This and the next few posts are overviews of our work in progress around the Korean way to compose vowels and consonants in a given space. We hope that this can motivate someone into help us developing the next version of Lekton.

Writing and numeracy tools for all world languages

2011-03-24T15:39:00.000-07:00

The history of Olivetti got virtually complete within a century, but are still worth mention the specialized activities of the Characters Department, which drew up the tools of literacy and numeracy that have characterized the communications throughout the last century.

In the '60 Olivetti's factories were pretty everywhere, with over 120,000 employees all over the world.
That's why Olivetti started producing tools for writing and calculation serving countries far away and with very different cultures.
Before starting the manufacturing process, each language was carefully studied in order to successfully transfer the different signs and their use in the mechanical design of the instrument.
Today this activity is annulled by the global size of the Group, the fact remains that a great work has been done on the side of the dissemination of media.

We found out that, among others, a Korean type system has been developed by Olivetti's Characters Department. It was intended to work overlapping vowels and consonants, but still keeping the fixed-width system.

About the korean type system

2011-03-23T18:58:00.000-07:00

It was created in the mid-15th century, and is now the official script of both North Korea and South Korea. It is a phonemic alphabet organized into syllabic blocks, which are written horizontally from left to right and vertically from top to bottom.
Each block consists of at least two of the 24 Hangul letters (40 with diphthongs and double consonants), with at least one each of the 14 simple consonants and 10 monophthongs vowels.

Vowels: 10 monophthongs + (11 diphthongs)

Consonants: 14 simple + (5 double)

Vowels are built from vertical or horizontal lines so that they are easily distinguishable from consonants. Consonants are based on the shape of the mouth and tongue in the production of that sound (labial, coronal, velar, or glottal), sometimes with extra marks showing features such as plosive, nasal, sibilant or aspiration.
The placement of a unit (vowel or consonant) in the block follows set patterns based on the shape of the medial.
Medials are written under the initial, to the right, or wrap around the initial from bottom to right, depending on their shape: if the medial has a horizontal axis like ㅡ, then it is written under the initial; if it has a vertical axis like ㅣ, then it is written to the right of the initial; and if it combines both orientations, like ㅢ ui, then it wraps around the initial from the bottom to the right (first line in the picture).
A final unit, if there is one, is always written at the bottom, under the medial (second line in the picture).
A complex final is written left to right (last line in the picture).

(I) initial (M) medial (F) final

2011-03-23T18:19:00.000-07:00

We believe that the basis for the reproductions that follow were taken directly from the Olivetti's archive. We'll just post pieces of them not to infringe reserved rights.
The pictures were taken at the exposition at "Politecnico di Torino" on May 2010, during Thype!, a workshop hosted by Nicolò Brusa, Francesco Carletto and Matteo Pont.

The first table showed the typing sequence for the composition of the graphic syllables.

The mechanism was better illustrated in the second table where each key of the keyboard refers to a unit, and actioning levers determines where to place units, this to compose each graphic syllable. Keys in blue are showing the arrangement of the vowels, grouped on the left to maintain high the usability.

Mixed Korean keyboard

2011-03-22T15:47:00.000-07:00

In the next three tables it is shown more in particular how the proportions of the various units act within the syllabic blocks.

Also in this case, the structure of the presentation tables resumes the structure of those seen at the "Politecnico di Torino".

From the analysis of both: a Korean system font (non-monospaced) and the solutions studied by Olivetti, we succeeded in getting two different types of basic constructions: the first one consists of a grid three by three and the second it's a division of six blocks vertically by three horizontally.

In this process of composition, the simplicity of the forms used, however, will not compromise the readability of the syllabic unit, even if it presents a quite complex construction.
Obviously this is just a preliminary study, but we hope to collect real mono-spaced solutions and find collaborators interested in developing the project in order to replicate the method used on Korean typewriters.

Here are some interesting links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_language

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hangul

http://www.hangeulmuseum.org/

http://blog.naver.com/PostView.nhn?blogId

http://www.fontclub.co.kr/Magazine/MagazineView

http://www.fontclub.co.kr/Magazine/MagazineView.asp

http://www.fontclub.co.kr/Magazine/MagazineView.asp?

Uso Mano

2011-02-17T13:00:00.000-08:00

Travelling exhibition on DIY paper stuff / curated by Zabar

first stage >
in collaboration with Arci Stand By / from 28/12/2010 to 7/1/2011 / Genia, libreria Libriamo, bar Pasador, ottica Sharingan / Santeramo in Colle (Italy) / progetti di Eleonora Aquili, Chiara Bitetti, Alberto Bolzonetti, Serena Caldarozzi, Patrizia Capriotti, Francesca Casartelli, Chiara Cavanna, Stefania Fucci, Pina Grieco, Akina Hanano, Paola Iacobellis, Lalalab, Samantha Nuzzi, Ivano Troisi, Zabar, Xiao Zhuoyun

second stage >
in collaboration with Cartastorie / half March / Crepes&Books / Altamura (Italy) / do you want to partecipate? send your project no later than 06/03/2011

things are getting better

2011-02-05T00:59:00.000-08:00

Hi! I am a type designer consulting for Google on their Web Fonts project
- http://code.google.com/webfonts - and we are publishing Lekton :-)

Cyrillic

2011-01-29T10:36:00.000-08:00

Something is going on,

so... keep tuned.

Infor-veuvage

2010-12-25T07:11:00.000-08:00

Infor-veuvage
poster by
Laura Fanelli

Futuroscopio

2010-12-08T12:55:00.000-08:00

Codice IBAN

2010-11-11T07:52:00.000-08:00

Download

2010-11-02T00:42:00.000-07:00

Finally, we've got the download section working!

Hi Luc

2010-11-01T04:03:00.000-07:00

I was told that you were able to host typefaces that were under
open font license.

We had worked on Lekton with Luciano Perondi some time ago
(I've seen you've posted something about it in your site).
Well, now we are tring to figure out a way to collect the "historical
archive" of the typefaces, from the oldest to the latest version.
We tried some free ways to upload, but all of them were usless since, both
altervista and freeuploading sites needed an 'additional click'.
We are writing you because we would like to made Lekton avilable to a larger
additional audience, in order to get the project growing.
If you are interested please tell us something so that we can send you the
entire archive.

Thanks in advance

Bari, Città Culturale

2010-10-17T11:46:00.000-07:00

Tesi di laurea in progettazione grafica al Politecnico di Bari
Facoltà di Architettura - CdL Disegno Industriale
A.A. 2007/2008

Relatore: Mauro Bubbico
Studenti: Giuliano Chimenti, Silvio Lorusso, Filippo Taveri

Candidamente

2010-09-17T02:45:00.000-07:00

Designers:
www.mintea.org
www.infotipo.it
www.saraferraris.com

About the logo:
here

Dear Lekton

2010-08-07T16:04:00.001-07:00

Thanks a lot for submitting your procect for Slanted magazine #11 dedicated to typewriter and monospaced fonts.
We received many interesting submissions and have now chosen the most suiting ones.
Unfortunately we cannot present your project in this issue.
But we are always looking for interesting projects and hope that you're going to take part again.
Slanted Magazine #11 will be released on the 27th of August and will then be available at www.slanted.de/shop and in selected shops worldwide.
The next call for entries starts soon at www.slanted.de.

Kind regards, Julia

Hello

2010-05-02T05:21:00.001-07:00

I am typedesigner and found because of you the Lekton project.
For an association which is involved in sustainable design (a sort of German no profit organisation).
I developed the Lekton type for our purposes. I attached my work and I think I did some improvements. I didn’t found a possibility to send it to the lekton page.

Thanks for your work, Jan

Spaghetti grafica

2010-04-22T05:59:00.000-07:00

View some photos of Exhibition

and Download the Lekton layout template

Latest lekton version

2009-07-27T07:57:00.000-07:00

Improvements by Riccardo Lorusso, Sabrina Campagna, Elisa Ansuini, Raffaele Flauto, Mariangela Di Pinto, Elena Papassissa and Luciano Perondi.

Multiple Master + otf.

Posted by Luciano Perondi on Lunedì, Luglio 27th, 2009

Updates 24 march

2009-03-24T07:56:00.000-07:00

Lekton 24 03 2009.

Posted by Luciano Perondi on Martedì, Marzo 24th, 2009

Bold version by Papassissa

2008-12-02T07:50:00.000-08:00

Bold Multiple Master.

Posted by Luciano Perondi on Martedì, Dicembre 2nd, 2008

Updates

2008-09-08T07:48:00.000-07:00

New glyphs by Marco Comastri, Daniele Capo & Galacticus.

vfb

otf

Posted by Luciano Perondi on Lunedì, Settembre 8th, 2008

New glyphs from Daniele Capo

2008-07-07T07:38:00.000-07:00

New ligatures fi, fl and eszet for the trispaced lekton. Thanks! As soon as possible on line.

Comments Off Posted by stefano faoro on Lunedì, Luglio 7th, 2008

New glyphs from Antonio Cavedoni & from Riccardo Lorusso + trispacing from Galacticus

2008-07-02T07:39:00.000-07:00

Thanks a lot to Antonio Cavedoni for new glyphs £@@@@æœ and so on

and to Riccardo Lorusso for new: &!
I added some new features and some new glyphs (ss02 + ss03).
The glyphs are “trispaced”. It means that the space are modular, 250, 500, 750, this allow a better spacing between characters, but allow also a vertical alignment similar to the one possible with a monospaced font.
We were thinking it was a bright new idea, but we discovered that was usual for Olivetti typewriters working with “Margherita”.
Posted by Luciano Perondi on Mercoledì, Luglio 2nd, 2008

word, thinking machine

2008-06-21T02:29:00.000-07:00

Ivrea, Italy, ‘Fiera della Parola’, june 2008.
A nice place, an old park, where the Historical Archive of Olivetti stages each year an event dedicated to celebrate ‘word’. Invited by the organization to present a project, the ISIA students of the 1st year MA, have setted up an installation designed to experience what the word ‘identity’ should mean if related to a place. Big white metal pages disposed through the park, where the visitors should compose sentences or little poems, freely, using magnetic words. Those words, were given to each visitor wright at the entrance of the park. Everyone was able to be part of the process, walking up the hill. Each word was composed in ‘lekton’, the typeface specifically designed to support all the graphic materials for the project.

Posted by Marco Tortoioli, Sabato, Giugno 21st, 2008

A basic shape for &

2008-06-12T02:31:00.000-07:00

I've added a new source file of Lekton.
I designed a basic shape of &.
I hope that it will be a good starting point for new ideas.

Comments Off Posted by Luciano Perondi on Giovedì, Giugno 12th, 2008

lekton on stage

2008-06-11T02:30:00.000-07:00

Some photos from “Fiera della Parola” in Ivrea, awesome.

Comments Off Posted by Stefano Faoro on Mercoledì, Giugno 11th, 2008

Glyphs in red

2008-06-10T02:30:00.001-07:00

The glyphs in red have never been made. We hope that somebody someday somewhere…

Comments Off Posted by Luciano Perondi on Martedì, Giugno 10th, 2008

Really monospaced, at last!

2008-06-10T02:30:00.000-07:00

I checked all the spaces and now the font is really monospaced in each glyph…

Download

Posted by Luciano Perondi on Martedì, Giugno 10th, 2008

we need @ and &

2008-06-04T02:30:00.000-07:00

I uploaded a newer .vfb file. Some (spacing/hinting) problems were fixed.
Will somebody submit a @ and &? We are looking for bright ideas.

Download

Comments Off Posted by Luciano Perondi on Mercoledì, Giugno 4th, 2008

License!

2008-05-27T06:29:00.000-07:00

It is allowed to use and modify the font, but not to use it for commercial purpose.
If You want to take part to the project, You should contact us (stefanofaoro at gmail dot com)
and if Your contribution will become part of the project we will include You among the authors.

Comments Off Posted by stefano faoro on Mercoledì, Maggio 28th, 2008

Lekton

2008-05-27T02:30:00.000-07:00

This is Lekton and this is the .vfb source file. The typeface has been designed at Isia Urbino by the students Luna Castroni, Stefano Faoro, Emilio Macchia, Elena Papassissa, Michela Povoleri, Tobias Seemiller, and the teacher Luciano Perondi (aka galacticus ineffabilis).
Lekton is inspired by some of the typefaces used on the Olivetti typewriters. We thanks a lot Gianmaria Capello for his precious support.

Creative Commons Licens Lekton by students Luna Castroni, Stefano Faoro, Emilio Macchia, Elena Papassissa, Michela Povoleri, Tobias Seemiller, and the teacher Luciano Perondi (Isia Urbino) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribuzione-Non commerciale-Condividi allo stesso modo 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at http://lekton.blog.isiaurbino.it.
This typeface has been designed in 8 hours.

Comments Off Posted by Luciano Perondi on Martedì, Maggio 27th, 2008