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That time we went to Montreal for ATypI

The Type Network team was out in full force at this year’s conference in the city of saints, sinners, and poutine. Reliving that delicious experience, we’re sharing a few of our favorite photos and event highlights.
By Type Network Staff
In mid-September, a group of us converged on ATypI 2017 in Montreal, where we watched, listened, kibitzed, ate, drank, walked, and danced. And spoke: Type Network writer and newly-minted ATypI board member Yves Peters, Font Bureau’s Santiago Orozco, and foundry partners David Jonathan Ross, Petr van Blokland, Cyrus Highsmith, and Bas Jacobs and Akiem Helmling gave talks on subjects ranging from programming to writing systems to user experience. Team member Alexandre Saumier Demers showed impeccable collaborative skills and leadership as part of the ATypI Montreal host committee. Friends of the house Quinn Keaveney, Elizabeth Carey Smith, and Stephen Coles also took the stage. John Downer offered a workshop. And Type Network cofounder Roger Black pulled off a rollicking closing keynote. Type Network proudly served as one of the sponsors of this year’s event.
John Downer giving his Single Stroke Block Letters sign painting workshop.
John Downer, designer of several Font Bureau faces, led a sign-painting workshop on single-stroke block letters. © Henrique Nardi / ATypI.
Elizabeth Carey Smith introducing speakers at ATypI 2017 Montreal
“Her frankness grounds us.” Elizabeth Carey Smith was one of the four moderators at ATypI 2017 Montreal. On Wednesday, September 13, she kicked off the presentation program with an affecting introduction to keynote speaker Paula Scher. © Norman Posselt / ATypI.
Paula Scher presenting at ATypI 2017 Montreal
“So much of life is just being nice to people.” Pentagram partner Paula Scher showcased some of her iconic work interspersed with thoughtful social commentary in her opening keynote. © Henrique Nardi / ATypI.
David Jonathan Ross presenting at ATypI 2017 Montreal
“If this is wrong, I don’t want to be right!” Type Network foundry partner David Jonathan Ross told us how he learned to stop worrying and love diacritics. © Henrique Nardi / ATypI.
Rod McDonald presenting at ATypI 2017 Montreal
“How the hell am I going to fill fifteen minutes?” Rod McDonald gave the spellbound audience a sweeping overview of the Canadian type scene in his revealing and entertaining national keynote “Type Night in Canada.” © Henrique Nardi / ATypI.
Yves Peters presenting at ATypI 2017 Montreal
Type Network’s Yves Peters, who also served as a conference moderator, gave a progress report from the Adobe Typography Customer Advisory Board. © Henrique Nardi / ATypI.
Santiago Orozco presenting at ATypI 2017 Montreal
“Use both hands.” Drawing a comparison with music production, Santiago Orozco of Font Bureau discussed user interfaces and opportunities for variable fonts. © Henrique Nardi / ATypI.
Petr van Blokland presenting at ATypI 2017 Montreal
“Every design can be scripted. You do it all the time.” Type Network cofounder and foundry partner Petr van Blokland exhorted designers to learn programming and talked about coding designs with PageBot, DrawBot, and variable fonts. © Norman Posselt / ATypI.
Tetsuo Sakomura takes the stage at ATypI 2017 Montreal, accompanied by Cyrus Highsmith
“With recent globalization, our needs have shifted.” Morisawa’s Tetsuo Sakomura took the stage, accompanied by surprise guest Cyrus Highsmith (Occupant Fonts). © Henrique Nardi / ATypI.
Cyrus Highsmith discusses his productive collaboration with Morisawa
“You can’t just show up and expect your knowledge of one writing system to apply to another.” Type Network foundry partner Cyrus Highsmith reflected on his fruitful collaboration with Morisawa. © Henrique Nardi / ATypI.
What am I? panel with Indra Kupferschmid, David Jonathan Ross, Bianca Berning, Elizabeth Carey Smith
“What am I?” asked Elizabeth Carey Smith, Bianca Berning, David Jonathan Ross, and Indra Kupferschmid in a panel questioning job titles. © Norman Posselt / ATypI.
Quinn Keaveney presenting at ATypI 2017 Montreal.
Friend of Type Network Quinn Keaveney reviewed how he built ecommerce sites for two very different type foundries. © Henrique Nardi / ATypI.
Bas Jacobs and Akiem Helmling presenting at ATypI 2017 Montreal.
Rock and roll (and theremins): Type Network foundry partner Underware’s Bas Jacobs and Akiem Helmling introduced their new script face Duos. © Henrique Nardi / ATypI.
Stephen Coles presenting at ATypI 2017 Montreal
Letterform Archive’s Stephen Coles dazzled the audience with a selection of rare predigital type specimens. © Henrique Nardi / ATypI.
Roger Black presenting at ATypI 2017 Montreal
Roger Black, Type Network cofounder and raconteur extraordinaire, gave a lively closing keynote on the type boom. © Henrique Nardi / ATypI.
Type Crit panel at ATypI Montreal 2017
Gerry Leonidas, David Jonathan Ross, and Veronika Burian had serious fun evaluating typefaces at ATypI’s annual Type Crit. © Norman Posselt / ATypI.
Roger Black at ATypI Montreal 2017
Roger Black waited for a talk to begin with foundry partner Mark Simonson. © Norman Posselt / ATypI.
Matthew Carter and Ferdinand Ulrich at ATypI Montreal 2017
Type Network foundry partner Matthew Carter chatted with p98a’s Ferdinand Ulrich between talks. © Norman Posselt / ATypI.
Marina Chaccur at ATypI Montreal 2017
Type Network’s Marina Chaccur (center) listened intently, along with Adobe Typekit’s Ariadne Remoundakis (left) and Nathalie Dumont (right). © Norman Posselt / ATypI.
Petr van Blokland at ATypI Montreal 2017
Petr van Blokland was lost in thought (and/or code), flanked by Sam Berlow in the foreground and Claudia Mens in the background. © Norman Posselt / ATypI.
Quinn Keaveney, Debbie Burlakoff, CJ Dunn, Jill Pichotta, Yves Peters, Marina Chaccur, Kent Lew, and David Jonathan Ross at Atypique After Dark
Part of the Type Network team and friends celebrated another successful ATypI conference in the Atypique After Dark photo booth. From left to right: Quinn Keaveney, Debbie Burlakoff, CJ Dunn, Jill Pichotta, Yves Peters, Marina Chaccur, Kent Lew, and David Jonathan Ross. © Benoit Vermette / ATypI.
Étienne Aubert Bonn, Vanessa Duval, Emile Lord Ayotte, Audrey St-Laurent, and Alexandre Saumier Demers at Atypique After Dark.
Part of the Canadian organizing team and volunteers doing the photographic equivalent of interpretative dance. From left to right: Étienne Aubert Bonn, Vanessa Duval, Emile Lord Ayotte, Audrey St-Laurent, and Alexandre Saumier Demers at the Atypique After Dark closing event. © Benoit Vermette / ATypI.
Borys Kosmynka, Marina Chaccur, Liron Lavi Turkenich, Alexandre Saumier Demers, and Shani Avni at Atypique After Dark.
Celebrating at Atypique After Dark: some of the amazing people who were instrumental in making ATypI Montreal a success. From left to right: Borys Kosmynka, Marina Chaccur, Liron Lavi Turkenich, Alexandre Saumier Demers, and Shani Avni. © Benoit Vermette / ATypI.
What a difference a year makes. OpenType variable fonts were only announced at ATypI Warsaw; this year, they appeared as a given and cropped up in many of the talks. We can only imagine what the next twelve months will bring, and already look forward to traveling to Antwerp for ATypI 2018, and to Tokyo in 2019. And as we bid adieu to Montreal, we offer up a warm round of applause for Type Network’s Tamye Riggs, who also serves as ATypI executive director. She quietly worked no end of magic behind the scenes to organize a magnificent conference. Brava!