JS-PTT 1975 (INLINE) ― Geometric modular typeface system
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Another font addition to the ever evolving and growing collection of revivals and inspired works called LETTERS OP MAAT, a project celebrating and trying to recreate the typographic contributions originally designed by Dutch graphic designer Jurriaan Schrofer. This time I did sort of a revision / recap based on Schrofer's 1975 trichromatic sketches he did for the PTT (TD) the technical department of the Dutch State Company of Post, Telegraphy and Telephony (PTT)  that featured a style variation to one of his alphabet systems.

JS-PTT 1975 is a typeface family of three font styles called (SOLID), (INLINE) and (OUTLINE), that seemlessly overlap for combined multi-layer capabilities. Allowing easy multicolor replication similar to the original sketches and more, but also to provide three different isolated forms for individual use as separate fonts.

Now, without diving too deep into the man's biographic profile I do want to point out the following; ―Despite the unprecedented amount his typographic brilliance has contributed, he remains relatively unknown, but certainly no stranger among real typ-o-philes. Schrofer was light years ahead of its time. The level of crafmenship he put into his work was often overshadowed by his mind-blowing experimental, at times even bizarre and psychedelic typographic approach on letterforms, and can easily make one not truly realize the amount of expertise and skill often on display. Therefor he probably remains best known for his extravagant endeavours in book design.

Between 1973-1979 Schrofer worked on a assignement for the Dutch client called PTT (TD) this was during his time with Total Design. For the PTT (TD) Schrofer worked on a big multi project assignement he himself cataloged "Bewegwijzering Girokantoren". This essentially was the design of multiple visual identities for floorplans of 3 office buildings owned by the company. The project gave birth to several new style variation for several of his alphabet systems, one of those was this variation that introduced the rounded corners to some of the letterforms.

This particular recap was based on a alphabet system seen in numerous of sketches Schrofer designed in 1975 for the Dutch ministry of welfare, public health and culture (WVC) department for aesthetic design with the PTT. Part of the technical service at the PTT, responsible for the visual logistics of the company. The PTT, at the time a state-owned multi-utility company providing countless services. All the letters originally provided in Schrofer's sketches are included, I designed all the missing letters plus a couple of alernatives following the original's design parameters. In addition to that I designed and included numerals and some symbols and punctuation marks as well.

During my studies of Schrofer's work I noticed that various alphabet systems reappeared in many of his works. Further research showed that throughout his carreer he seemed to have developed and pre-fabricated multiple alphabet systems, variations and concepts that he constantly reused, refurbished, and recycled over the course of his carreer. Therefor it can be difficult to pin point the exact origins for some of his lettering concepts. Which is something I learned along the way and did not really anticipated for when I innitially started this LETTERS OP MAAT project, so some of my ealier fonts for this project haven't exactly all been properly researched.

For example the lettering concept seen in one of his designs for the PTT (TD) had already appeared two years prior of this PTT materials, when it was used in the 1973 brochure called Grafiek Per Postbode for Galerie 33. This brochure shows the same alphabet system that he later reuses for one of the PTT office builing floorplan designs. The brochure features an outlined variation of that same alphabet system for the text Heading, and a rounded mono-linear variation to this same alphabet system for the Subheading. This mono-linear variation itself had been used in the work for The Beurs van Berlage (Foundation) as well [IMAGE], the Beurs Van Berlage is a Dutch commodity market building located in the centre of Amsterdam. The alphabet system later then got digitalized for implimentation in the Dutch passport, and was acompanied by several additional derivative styles to this mono-linear version of (you can probably guess it) that same alphabet system, including a 5x7 Dot Matrix. Schrofer's design concept for the Dutch passport eventually never got used. And there were several other reapearances of the alphabet with several clients throughout his carreer.

I know it once again is a lot of info to digest, but I want to portray a proper image of the whole story that involves this project as well as it's font contribtions, so I can't help myself here, lol. But I'm pretty certain there are people out there that can appreciate this informative background, so I hope y'all didn't mind it too much.

The full font family could be found here: STF_PTT 1975

Interrested in more of my Jurriaan Schrofer inspired? Please take a look a my complete collection of Fontstructions tagged with STF-LETTERS OP MAAT for the full catalog of fonts I contributed to this project so far.

Cheers