Revue Faire #43 A typeface: Typographic writing

The reissue of issue 43 of the critical graphic design journal offers a reflection on the dynamics between writing and typography. In La Lettre d’imprimerie (1920), Francis Thibaudeau dedicated his manual of modern typography to Georges Auriol, whom he called “the innovator of typographic writing.” The book showcases several of Auriol’s distinctive typefaces - including Auriol-champlevé, Auriol labeur, Française Légère, and Robur Noir. Among these, Auriol labeur stands out: a stencil typeface that merges the expressive, hand-brushed vitality of writing with the mechanical precision of industrial production - an oxymoron Thibaudeau captured in the phrase “typographic writing.” This issue revisits enduring questions: How does the personal gesture of writing coexist with the standardized logic of typography? Can typefaces - these abstract, repeatable forms - carry the living energy of handwriting and history?