Eben Sorkin

A typographer’s view of optical size

November 2, Saturday 13:00 – Salt Galata

In Typography an understanding Optical Size can make the difference between a font choice that works astonishingly well and one that falls flat. But why? Optical size is like getting the shoe size right. Certainly, it’s possible to walk in a shoe that’s too big, or too small — but does it feel good? Optical size in fonts is a similar question. To be the right optical size a type must be comfortable to read. But how do you choose? Happily, like shoes; you can ask yourself if it feels good, which tells you a lot. You can trust yourself. Comparing options is also meaningful. But this can be very time-consuming and can feel confusing. This talk will help by showing specific things to look for. With greater focus and a more critical eye choosing or finding something that fits 'just right' will be easier and more enjoyable.

Biography

Eben Sorkin took an MA in Type Design from the University of Reading (UK) with distinction in 2009. As Sorkin Type Co. he is the designer of Merriweather, Merriweather Sans, and art-directed the font used in the YouTube logo. He is also the art director at Darden Studio in NYC where he co-designed Halyard (wish Joshua Darden and Lucas Sharp), Kit (with Onur Yazıcıgil), and the upcoming Mahl (with Agyei Archer). Eben has a strong interest in multiscript typography and the science of reading. He likes to design type to be as useful as possible. Eben lives in a small hill town with a river running through the middle of it in western Massachusetts.