Detail View: RIT CARY GRAPHIC ARTS COLLECTION: Patterns for the Bixler typeface

Filename: 
cc_csc0149_bixler
Identifier: 
cc_csc0149_bixler
Title: 
Patterns for the Bixler typeface
Creator: 
Bixler, Michael
Creator: 
Bixler, Winifred
Subject: 
Type and type-founding
Subject: 
Graphic design (Typography)
Subject: 
Type designers
Summary: 
These are metal patterns for the Bixler typeface. Michael Bixler studied typography with Professor Alexander Lawson in the RIT School of Printing. He was inspired by the classic letterpress typefaces of the Italian Renaissance and in 1968 – 69 designed his own typeface to adhere to this aesthetic. To do this, first he drew all the characters of the alphabet in pen and ink. These included designs for the upper and lowercase, plus the numerals and punctuation. Then, the designs were converted to engraved metal patterns through a photographic intermediary step. The pattern letterforms were used with a pantographic router to cut the small brass moulds or matrices. For the final step in the typeface production, Bixler fitted each brass matrix on a Monotype typecasting machine that injected molten lead into their recesses. The hot lead solidified almost instantly and a piece of metal printing type was cast. The casting process was repeated thousands of times for each character to obtain a full case of type —enough for setting multiple pages of text. The Bixler typeface only exists for use at the couple’s letterfoundry.
Publisher: 
Press and Letterfoundry of Michael & Winifred Bixler
Digital Publisher: 
Rochester Institute of Technology - RIT Libraries - Cary Graphic Arts Collection
Date of Original: 
1968 approximate
Date of Digitization: 
2019
Broad Type: 
still image
Specific Type: 
casting pattern
Digital File Format: 
jpeg
Physical Format: 
aluminum plate
Language: 
English
Original Item Location: 
CSC-0149
Library Collection: 
Bixler Press and Letterfoundry collection
Digital Project: 
2022_0056_aug
Catalog Record: 
https://archivesspace.rit.edu/repositories/3/archival_objects/13683
Place: 
New York - Rochester
Rights: 
RIT Libraries makes materials from its collections available for educational and research purposes pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. It is your responsibility to obtain permission from the copyright holder to publish or reproduce images in print or electronic form.
Notes: 
Title supplied by the cataloguer