A TAPEface for resistance: meet OC WASHI, Otherwhere Collective’s vibrant, defiant tape-inspired font

OC WASHI, a distinctive, tape-inspired font – from independent multi-disciplinary design studio and type foundry Otherwhere Collective – is a natural evolution of their tape-made typeface OC REVOLT, and its most recent expanded version, OC REVOLT II. The original display typeface – in all its robust and rugged glory – was specifically crafted for protests which took place during the “T*#@p Brexit era” (2016-2020). “In these times, the priority is getting a message across with whatever tools are available at home,” Creative Director Andrew Bellamy tells us, explaining the significance of a protest-friendly font. “Think re-purposed Amazon boxes, fat markers, paint, and masking tape as tools for saying what you want to say. This is where REVOLT (and hence, REVOLT II) came from. Tape is a great way to write messages as most people have some at home, and they create wider lines than the average sharpie, therefore creating bigger, more noticeable letterforms.”

WASHI expands on the concept of REVOLT II but with a passionate flair for “positive protest,” deriving its innovative spark from the delicate yet versatile washi tape, a Japanese masking tape crafted from rice paper and available in a kaleidoscope of colours. This tape, adored by creatives and journal enthusiasts worldwide, forms the robust foundation of the typeface. Unlike REVOLT II, which is based on painter’s tape, washi tape is semi-opaque, with overlapping areas appearing richer in colour. “To replicate this look,” Bellamy explains, “every character is composed of straight, individual ‘strips’, each on their own layer with a colour and subtle transparency applied. These layers are then applied on top of each other in the same way the real tape is.” As a result, WASHI is the world’s first semi-opaque tape-inspired layered colour font with extensive Open Type features.

With an added touch of authenticity, the strips feature visible tears for an intentionally subversive, handmade appearance. “The heights, widths, spacing, and baseline positions of the characters vary,” Bellamy notes, “providing a dynamic visual experience that emphasises speed of communication over laborious craft.”

The new font has four unique versions of each letter and two versions of double-letter ligatures, promising a wealth of customisation. Contextual cycling of alternates is used so the font shuffles through multiple alternative designs for each glyph. Meanwhile, the ligatures are made – as they would be with tape – from scratch, as Bellamy explains. “They find opportunities to join the letters and minimise awkward negative space. With contextual alternates turned on, the font will automatically cycle through the different versions of characters to avoid visual repetition in consecutively repeated characters, the ligatures provide a more deliberate and unique combined design.”

And, helpfully, when considering the scope of the font, Bellamy has done the maths for us – “Four A’s each with four styles = 16 unique ‘A’ designs, each made up of three pieces of tape, equals 48 pieces of tape. Repeat that process for all of the glyphs in the font, and you end up with over 2,500 pieces of tape used per style. That’s a few rolls worth in the real world.”

The project provided an excellent opportunity to showcase how layered colour font technology can be used. The font comes with eight colour palettes, which are split into two categories – monochromatic ones (White, Black, Blue and Green) that use only one colour with varying opacities on each layer for subtle variation, and multi-coloured palettes with four colour layers of tape, making the differences between the letters more evident.

“Colour is the most important part of WASHI as it’s what separates it from REVOLT II. REVOLT II has a relatively aggressive, urban guerrilla appearance, exactly as it was intended. WASHI uses this attitude as a base but builds on it, adding colour to give a more carnival-like positive protest. While REVOLT II is very urban and direct, WASHI brings a more inclusive and optimistic diversity to messaging.”

WASHI is not just a font – while it can trace its roots back to a time of protests, it carries an optimistic spirit. Otherwhere Collective envisioned it being used in projects that promote diversity and inclusivity, serving as a voice for positive change in a time where it’s needed most. “The pangram – ‘Jumping zealously, my diverse friends quickly outfox injustice, quashing bigotry with empathy and kindness’ – written with the help of AI, not only features all of the letters of the English alphabet (as it should), but sums up the intent perfectly.”

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