etna Typeface specimen

I designed a type specimen book focused on the typeface Etna. I did a lot of research on its creator, Mark Simonson, learning about his background and how he approached designing the font. I wanted the book to give a full picture, not just the history and inspiration behind Etna, but also a breakdown of the type itself. It was a super fun project because I got to take an essay I wrote and turn it into a real design piece. I even handcrafted a hardcover version so it could be held and flipped through like a real book. I had a blast experimenting with different ways to make the book more interactive and help people engage with the typeface in a deeper way.

My Process

Get ready, this ones a long one…

I started this project by doing a lot of research. I listened to podcasts, read articles, and looked through Mark Simonson’s portfolio to learn more about him and his typeface, Etna. Once I had enough information and finished writing an essay on the typeface, I turned that into an outline for how I wanted the book to be structured.

Barnes & Noble field trip

cutting & printing & cutting

I decided to learn more about how books are made, so I went to Barnes & Noble to check out slim hardcover books, especially in the kids’ section… That helped a lot! It showed me that making a 50-page hardcover book was totally possible with some patience and planning.

Research and Sketches

I went back into research mode and visited the Shakespeare Press Museum on campus to look for wood type that matched Etna’s history. I dug through drawer after drawer and finally found a few letters I could use. I stamped them and turned the images into vector graphics to include in the book, with a vellum overlay to analyze the typeface.

Digging deeper

I then finished designing the book and printed it on some 9x13 children's craft paper I found at Michaels in the kids' aisle. I thought the color and texture were perfect, but I didn’t realize that size wouldn’t fit in the printer. So I had to trim every sheet down to 8.5x11 to print, and then cut them again to fit the final book size of 9.5x7.

After printing, I took the pages home and used a Silhouette Cameo machine to cut out the section divider pages.

silhouette cameo

Gluing

Once all the pages were in order, I glued them together and flattened them with some 10Ib weights from my garage.

Finally, I glued the inside pages into the cover. While it was drying, I placed a sheet of paper between the cover and the pages to keep them from sticking together. But I didn’t realize the paper had glue on it, so when I removed it, it ripped part of the inside cover. I ended up improvising by cutting out a square. Coincidentally it worked great, it matched the square design I had made on the inside perfectly.

With the inside done, it was time to make the hardcover. I used the Versa laser cutter in the BRAE shops on campus. Learning how to use it was a bit tricky, I even accidentally set the chipboard on fire once… Oops. But after some trial and error, I figured out the right settings and started cutting. I wrapped the cover in vinyl to give it a clean, finished look.