Add the invention and individuality of Formist’s typefaces to your walls with their type posters

Sharing their obsession for expressive, conceptual typography, Sydney-based publisher, foundry and design studio Formist have released a striking series of 34 black and white poster designs; allowing you to hang founder Mark Gowing’s inventive catalogue of typefaces on your walls. While remaining consistent in theme, each poster is incredibly varied from the next; showcasing the breadth of Gowing’s typographic expression while acting as an effortless reminder of the beauty and resilience of the Latin alphabet. The universal format of the poster brings an entirely fresh perspective to the typefaces, celebrating the individuality and quirks of each chosen letter, number and character set.

Formist’s typefaces toy with convention, challenging legibility and form in an attempt to question what type design is supposed to be. “We are of course concerned with the integrity of typographic communications, but we believe that creativity, personality and abstraction are equally as important as style, clarity and legibility,” Gowing tells us, adding that he hopes “this approach creates outcomes that differ from traditionally available typefaces and offer alternatives for designers and their projects.”

Beginning the design process of the posters by instinctively choosing letterforms from five of his typefaces, Serous, Boulder Mono, One & Two, Black and NON Dit-Dah, Gowing developed an initial selection of 75 posters. “Once I had a strong set of 75, we shared the posters with a select group of friends and colleagues in order to collate opinions,” he reveals, landing on the refined set of 34 posters after receiving “surprisingly consistent” feedback. The final selection offers something for everyone while remaining closely tied to Gowing’s love for geometry and reductionist approach to typography, from the pixelated, grid-based rigidity of Black to the fluid and futuristic liquidity of Serous.

Available in A0, A1 and A2, and framed in A1 and A2, the posters utilise giclée printing techniques to print black water-based ink onto white FSC-approved 200gsm fine art paper. “Type is most often black on white, so it seems like the perfect place to start,” Gowing concludes, “I hope that this first set of 34 posters is only the beginning,” with more posters and colour versions set to be added to the collection alongside new Formist typefaces.

All posters are available exclusively from the Formist Editions online store, shipping worldwide:

Unframed posters

Framed posters