Canadian Ronna Penner (
Typadelic) first discovered her obsession with type while studying graphic design in college. It seemed that the focus of many of her studies revolved around the use of type. Today, as a graphic designer, she spends her working day designing cards for a greeting card company, immersed in type, and continuously on the lookout for new typefaces. The admitted type junkie confesses that she often misses the message in advertising because she cannot get past looking at the type itself.
Ms. Penner’s first commercially available typeface and a winner in ATypI’s design competition, bukva:raz!, Sketchley, was originally inspired by a handwriting sample. Intrigued by the idea, but unable to find a typeface with a similar look and feel, she set out to create her own. Originally designed with long ascending and descending swash characters, she also developed alternate characters to help solve text fitting quandaries, enabling
Bitstream to build two versions of her design, Sketchley and Sketchley Swash.
Beyond her able skills as a type designer, Ms. Penner is also a typographer and has an avid interest in 3-D animation.
When not designing type, she enjoys her life with husband, Kevin, and their son, Brad. She also loves to read true crime novels and anything by Anne Rice.
