GridType Vol. 1—Type & Tools

Please note: This is a preorder only, the book gets shipped once published July 2026.

Exploring the relationship between type design and tools, GridType Vol. 1 presents an edition of ten typefaces created with the experimental type tool grid-type.com. With typefaces by Anna Cairns, Boom Promphan Suksumek & Anna Srikitkul, Charlotte Rohde, Hanna Boslau, Julie Werenskjold Sørensen, Miquel Hervás Gómez & César Rogers (fanfare), Studio HanLi, Svatopluk Ručka, Trang Hà and Özgür Deniz Koldaş. With interviews by Lena Weber, studio pointer* and Céline Hurka.

GridType is inspired by historical grid-based type design with stencils, such as the Plaque Découpée Universelle from the 1870s—a single stencil that allows you to draw all the letters of the alphabet. The experimental type tool allows you to create your own stencils by selecting a grid and adjusting various parameters, such as the number of rows, columns, or the level of complexity. There are nine different grid types available, providing insight into the research on grid construction. Some grids are geometric, based on rectangles, triangles, or circles. Others are inspired by how different display technologies, such as pixels and segments, have influenced type design. Additionally, there are references to historical grid-based type design, including Wim Crouwel, the Bauhaus, and the Plaque Découpée Universelle. The project explores how code can be incorporated into the design process, allowing for almost endless variations through different parameters and serendipitous discoveries.

The publication launches GridType Vol.1, an edition of typefaces drawn by 10 designers with the tool. The publication presents the type specimen for the typefaces, which are available for download via grid-type.com. Additionally, it also gives insight into type and tools. Through Q&As and interviews it discusses type design and technology—such as the relationship between type and tech development, or why we should build our own tools.