Typography School

Veteran graphic design/typography and letterpress teacher from the London College of Printing/London College of Communication: David Dabner talks... giving an insight into the principles of design, creative letterpress and why computers make students sloppy.

• Category

  Film & Animation

[Hax9]

We students come across this debate. But I think its quite selfish for typographers to come out and call students sloppy only because the times are changing & technology is becoming the new way forward. We always get typographers in seminars telling us the same old story. Yes ! I understand that the computer is only as clever as the person using it. There's a good chance that most of them typographers aren't as competent using computers. So all of a sudden it becomes wrong to use one.

[silenz]

Amazing video, first time I've come across this. Cheers for the memories omairways. Excellent.

I spent 4 years at LCP/LCC and was taught by Dave. I had the fortune of studying on the last ever HND in Typography. I loved every minute of it. Eccentric top bloke.

[NTSMstarz]

Ah I knew I knew this place I just started at the lcc in September. And tomorrow will be my first time using the letterpress workshop

[benebrius]

Go to typography school. Use Helvetica. Graduate. Voila!

[MisterSensational]

The medium of computer typography has not been used as effectively as it should be so far, but I wouldn't go so far as to say typographers with only connection to this medium are universally sloppy...

[ahenz90]

Generating 25 different designs with slight modifications is useless though, if the design is bad in the first place. Again, that's the teacher's point. The non-digital world makes students slow down, and contemplate they're designs instead of whipping off a hundreds of computer print outs. Also, "manual labour/repetitive" is actually good for students because it trains they're "eye" for critiquing things. Such as, being able to tell if a layout is positioned properly on the page.

[Danny Flynn]

Brilliant bit of film! Just brilliant! I love the way David's tone begins to slump back down like a chug of lead without the aid of a little antimony and tin. He's a brilliant man!

[ahenz90]

You have misunderstood his statement. He is saying that computers cause students to be sloppy because they can make a design too quickly. As a result, they're designs are more likely to be sloppy and unthoughtful. He encourages hand-done work because its slower and makes the students pay more attention to what they are actually creating. Also, you would be surprised how nice hand-done work and can be. Most of the popular typefaces (ex. Helvetica) were originally made by hand.

[lovelplants]

hmm.. i dont agree that computers make students sloppy

[ChainsawJulietx]

HIPSTERSSSSSSSSSSS