Enter the world’s premier Typography and Typeface design competition

[J.Montalbano]

At the moment Graham is at an emergency meeting. He and all of the TDC Board are in a secret bunker dealing with sensitive global typographic issues. As a past president of the TDC I have been asked to answer.

The expenses don't go to offset the cost of THE traveling exhibit, they go to offset the costs of ALL the traveling exhibits, several of which travel around the world for several years, finally coming to rest at various places for permanent display. So the winner's hanging fees pay for the winning entries exposure via the traveling exhibits and publication in the annual "Typography". Quite a bargain when on thinks of the monthly cost of a full-page ad in one of the design magazines.

@5star
If the sculpture is typographic in nature then enter it in Communications Design. If the sculpture is a set of letters that can be manipulated enter it into the Typeface Design.

The Typeface Design competition is exactly that, it is not a Font Software competition.

Good luck.

[oldnick]

As a former winner of two, count 'em, two TDC awards, I can attest to the value of the cachet which attends such honors: they essentially launched my professional career. 'Nuff said?

[Chris Dean]

@charles_e: An honest day’s wage for an honest day’s work.

[John Hudson]

It seems to me that the questions for potential entrants are simply 'Do you think the possible kudos and exposure from being selected in the TDC competition(s) is worth the investment of the entry fee?' and 'Do you think being selected and having your work shown in the travelling exhibitions and the TDC annual is worth the investment of the hanging fee?' If the answer to either of these questions is 'No', or if you have a philosophical objection to competitions in general, don't enter. Clearly, the answer for many people is 'Yes', and the TDC competitions have been successful for many years.

[5star]

Thanks James, Comm. D. it is then...

He and all of the TDC Board are in a secret bunker dealing with sensitive global typographic issues.

lol

n.

[Arthus]

Since there are also questions being answered:

I wonder, I might have something to send this year (or otherwise next) but your fee system is a bit confusing: I have a typeface which can also be layered, should this count as a single entry? (since it is, the glyphs are stylistically not different, but can add up for an extra effect)

Paying almost double for just this effect seems strange to me, since it's not really a family.

I think the normal pricing isn't that bad looking at other competitions.

[J.Montalbano]

@Arthus
Your layered entry sounds like a single entry, since individual pieces cannot exist by themselves.
If it is published/released in 2012 then it has to be entered this year. If you hold off until 2013 then it should be entered next year.

My advice to you and all entrants is to make your entry samples look as good as you can and show off the typeface in its very best light. Over the years I've seen so many entries fail because whoever put them together did the most minimum job. Just showing a character set is never going to get you very far, yet many entries do just that. A pity really.

And with that please refrain from the "All entries should be on a common template and exactly the same". That was done the first year of the competition and I cannot tell you what a mind-numbing hell that was for the judges. The rules give the entrant wide latitude in creating the submission. If you are not a good typographer, by all means have a good typographer help you with the submission.

[hrant]

It's entirely natural for a judge to be more amenable to selecting a typeface with a flashy specimen, but especially for a text face I think the onus is on the judges to figure out if it's actually good (although I agree that a simple charset is of course not enough). I don't think entrants should be punished for not having great skills in using type (or not being able to get such help) because that's not what the award is for. So it might be good to provide a decent template (maybe even require it) but also allow entrants to add anything they want. FWIW this is how the Granshan competition does it.

hhp

[Yulia]

I have a question about showing a full character set. As I could understand from the rules one style should be placed on a single page of A3 format and there should be both character set and examples of using typeface. So what to do if the character set is large and you have a display font? There's simply no space on the one page of A3 format. So is it possible to take 2 pages for the style or should I show a reduced character set? And what is more important (if I have to reduce something) a character set or examples of using?And if I use my type also in illustrations can I include it as an example?

[J.Montalbano]

If the typeface is not presented in a way that allows the judges to see how it functions then they cannot judge its value.

It is not an alphabet drawing contest.

Doing everything one can to present the entry in the best light is in the best interest of the entrant. I never said the specimen needed to be "flashy". It only needs to present the typeface in the best possible light.

For a text typeface, a well-set nicely spaced block of text would be appropriate. Setting a text typeface in text sizes would also be appropriate and necessary. A display design would require some display settings at display sizes.

@Yulia
Use as many pages as you feel is necessary to present the typeface in the best way.

[Yulia]

Thank you for the answer! And if I send a type system is it allowed to show text and display faces in use together? And is it necessary for all styles have the same character set or different sets are also allowed? Sorry for so many questions, I'm thinking of participation for the first time.

[Arthus]

Thanks for the clarification! Also the 'as many pages' is a welcome clarification, I didn't know that.

My release isn't in my hands so that's why I was still not sure about this our next year, but yes I want to show it from it's best angle. Thankfully I have quite a few possibilities for specimen use.

I must add about the layering: It doesn't have to be layered, but it's an extra feature which broadens the usability of the typeface. In that regard I could agree it's an extra 'style'. But since there is no change to the glyphs themselves except for which part is 'filled' I'd say it's still the same.

[J.Montalbano]

@Yulia
You are the designer. If you have determined that the text and display designs have different character sets, so be it. And yes, show the text and display being used together. Show the entire system off to the best of your ability.

[Sulekha Rajkumar]

Hi Graham,

Just wanted to know when submitting an entry in the packaging design category (Communication Design), is it ok if the images entered are 3D renders of the pack and not photographs of the pack itself? Reason being, the packs are distributed in another city and the contents are perishable (milk). So I can't get hold of the product to shoot it.

Thanks,
Sulekha

[J.Montalbano]

Graham is still in the typographic bunker.

Sulekha, If it is impossible to provide photographs of the packing then a high quality 3D rendering would be acceptable.

[Yulia]

Graham, thank you for the answer, and could you also explain the procedure of payment, please? I haven't any credit card so I'm going to make a money order. It is written in the rules that If payment is made by money order it must be drawn on a U.S. bank. I'm not in the USA and does it mean that I have to find a department of a US bank in my city and send a payment to the TDC address (347 West 36th St. Suite 603 • New York NY 10018 USA)? Or should I send my order to some special US bank where TDC has an account (and then where to find out the requisites of it)? I can't understand it, please help to clear out. I want to be sure that my order will reach the right address.

[Maxim Zhukov]

Юля, drop me a line off-list, okay?

[5star]

Graham is still in the typographic bunker.

This typographic bunker is beginning to intrigue me...

n.

[Chris Dean]

@Yulia: Please have financial discussions with banking information &c privately.

[dberlowgone]

"This typographic bunker is beginning to intrigue me..."

Everyone should have one. I have seven cans of dehydrated quads and five boxes of smoked line-to's, in mine.

[J.Montalbano]

Further information regarding what the "Publication/Hanging" fees pay for

TDC traveling exhibits.
There are seven (7) traveling shows.
North America
England/France
Germany
Spain
Russia
Japan
Asia

That and publication in the annual "Typography"

[hrant]

Sure. Just bump up the entry fee by $8 and that way people -who are only entering because they think they can win- get a more realistic feeling (that's all it is) for what they're agreeing to.

BTW it would be gracious -not to mention conducive to [even] better results- to make it easier for non-Americans to enter. For one thing not everybody can get their credit card to work... ;-)

hhp

[Chris Dean]

If there were no entry/hanging fee, would the additional submissions make for more publishable content = more sales of the “Typography” publication?

[hrant]

Only the winners are published, and they might not want too many winners, so not necessarily.

hhp

[Chris Dean]

Perhaps they could change who is published? Just making up ideas. Myself, I’d be more likely to spend money on an issue with the top 100, and the winners, than just the winners.