Edward Johnston’s Underground Legacy Typefaces

Signage Typographer Edward Johnston

Going Underground… and beyond.

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The Edward Johnston Journal: NGS Article

… about this design legend.

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Nobody had such a lasting effect on the revival of contemporary writing as Edward Johnston.

He paved the way for all lettering artists of the twentieth century.

Hermann Zapf

About

Edward Johnston, CBE (11 February 1872 – 26 November 1944) was a Scottish craftsman who is regarded as the father of modern calligraphy, in the particular form of the broad edged pen as a writing tool. Edward Johnston’s Underground Legacy Typefaces are now a familiar part of everyday London.

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He is most famous for designing the sans serif Johnston typeface, used throughout the London Underground system until it was re-designed in the 1980s.

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He also redesigned the famous London Underground roundel symbol (top of page and below) and many wayfinding signs and posters used throughout the transport system – a prolific, and genius lettering artist.

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.NGS have created 5 custom versions of Johnston revival Type.

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Here’s some of our recent ‘Johnston’ sign projects.

Edward Johnston’s Underground Legacy Typefaces page.

Seraina of NGS laying up the lettering. Edward Johnston’s Underground Legacy Typefaces.

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Edward Johnston’s London Underground Typefaces Legacy.

This Font or Typeface is an NGS favourite

We revere the beautiful raw quality, and the heritage nod it proffers to its main influencer ‘Trajan Capitalis’ lettering style. In fact all of the letter widths and structures closely match Trajan Roman lettering.

And affirmingly Edward Johnston also taught my grandfather at Camberwell School of Art (below).

Above: Edward Johnston teaching his incredible Trajan inspired letter form structures. Below: The Trajan column plaque in Rome: inspirer for many of Johnston’s letter form structures.

Johnston’s Roman Foundations.

NGS’s Inspired Roman Font.

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