Tell us more about the TipoType Award.

VL: This is intended to give emerging type designers an opportunity to publish their work with an established foundry. We had the idea before TipoType was even born, but it was only about four years ago that we felt our foundry was finally mature enough to invite others to participate in a competition like this. We see the award as a way of encouraging graphic designers to become involved in type design. We give them our support, easing them into the world of commercialising and/or distributing their fonts. Our main objective is to make their journey simpler than it was for us. Several very interesting typefaces have emerged from this competition and joined TipoType’s portfolio. One example is Jauría from Pablo Marchant, which is distributed for free.

MS: For us, this project is very satisfying and enriching. Every year, we get more submissions, and these keep getting better, too. The award allows us to meet people from other parts of the world and discover new typographic styles. One of the distinctive aspects of our award, in respect to other competitions, is the potential we see in typefaces that are still “works in progress.” We hope to come across typefaces that — aside from being interesting — present us with an opportunity to contribute something of our own, too.

What about the “olden days”? Before digital design and offset printing, do you know where Uruguayan printers got their metal type from?

FD: Aside from designing type, we try to examine the past and get to know our predecessors’ work; to understand what was made, and how we got here. The history of typography in our country is somewhat unexplored, although our printing history has already been documented. We’re currently investigating Montevideo’s first printers and the items they made. We’re fascinated by history, but we aren’t driven by nostalgia. With a strong understanding of our collective foundation, we’ll be able to build a better future. The first printing press arrived with the British invasion of the River Plate in 1807. “The Southern Star Printing Office” employed movable type from the UK. The Bell typeface, designed by Richard Austin, was used heavily. By the time multiple printers were operating in Uruguay, the majority of them made do with used or recycled equipment. Most printing presses and typefaces were of British, North American, and French origin. There was probably Spanish type, too. Much of this would have been acquired from Argentina and Brazil. We also have local type founding history: between 1817 and 1824, the Ayllón brothers cast the first fonts of movable type here. In 1838, the first Uruguayan typeface catalog was printed at the Imprenta de la Caridad.

Edward Johnston (1872–1944) was born in José de Mayo, Uruguay — to British parents. For many of our readers, he may be the designer from your country that they are familiar with, even though he only lived there for three years. Was that long enough for you feel a connection with him?

VL: It’s true that Johnston lived here from 1872 to 1875. We could try to remark on how important the first years of life are for one’s personality development, or we could even try to find psychological theories that might highlight the importance of Uruguay in Johnston’s life. Realistically, it’s unlikely that our country had an impact on his calligraphic and typographic work. We prefer to look at the question from another standpoint. In our article “El calígrafo criollo,” we wrote that, “Edward Johnston was born in Uruguay. There’s no doubt about that, but we should ask: Was he Uruguayan? Probably not. The important thing that we believe is that he can be Uruguayan. In the future? Yes, in the future. In Latin America, we are building up our typographical history and tradition. For that, letters are not enough. We need people, myths, discussions, and reflections. Can we create typography? Why, and for what purposes do we make it? What do we want to contribute? The figure of Edward Johnston is a flag of Uruguayan typography — a kind of symbol that can spread, and bring us closer to the construction of an identity.”

Johnston’s story serves as a great tool for establishing discussion. For instance, journalists from San José have discovered the house he lived in. We’ve had the opportunity to visit on more than one occasion. The strange feeling that invades your body there is undeniable; you feel certain that you’re standing in a very significant place, where everything started. It is just the truth that this house is in Uruguay, not in another part of the world.