The dearJoe series of fonts had it’s origin somewhere around 1999, the year I created dearJoe 1, which was a first (and half-assed) attempt at converting my own handwriting into a working font. Being able to type in my own handwriting had always been a childhood fantasy, and even though I only partly understood the software, a working font was generated and I decided to put it on the internet for people to use. And that’s what they did: at this moment the dearJoe 1 font has been downloaded millions of times and can be found on just about anything, ranging from Vietnamese riksjas, a Tasmanian gym to a fancy chocolate store on 5th Avenue. The font is not something I am particularly proud of, but it started me of in building what later became the JOEBOB graphics font foundry. Inbetween creating other fonts, the dearJoe series has become a theme I revisit every once in a while, trying to create an update on how my handwriting evolved, along with my abilities in creating fonts that mimic actual handwriting. In the last decade or so I started implementing ligatures and alternate characters, which helped a lot in making something that can almost pass for actual handwriting.

a naive family of art deco inspiration

Ornaments 6 are based on designs for the Curwen Press by Edward Bawden and Percy Smith.

The concept for Cell Block 6 is based on the rigid structure and design of modern architecture. It is a structural display font created by Enrich Design. Four of six versions of Cell Block 6 are designed to be used as display fonts in order to uphold their detail. The Solid and Solid Outline versions offer additional versatility and can be used at smaller sizes in a wide range of applications.

Portmeirion No.6 started life as an experiment by our designer, who was exploring the possibilities of a completely 'over-the-top' display Roman face, bringing in elements of Tuscan and 'Circus' design, along with anything else he felt like. He's instilled a little more discipline in the finished result...but just ever so little. We have Fred Stevens, a regular reader of our website to thank for the name. He's comment on seeing a preview of the design was 'Over the top, Italianesque decorative and intriguing. add some 60's TV and voila Portmeirion.' Why No.6-well you'd need to know a bit about 1960s television to understand that, but we'll give you a hint..."Where am I?"..."In the village".