Stephen Coles

(he/him) Editorial Director & Associate Curator at @letterformarchive in San Francisco. Co-founder of @FontsInUse and @typographica.

#Typography #Fonts #Lettering #Signs #Birding #MidCenturyModern #CityPlanning #Urbanism #Oakland #Yimby #Architecture #Archives #Libraries

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npub1wlnr8z7vcapcqwjrwa5d2jtwxqd4euqgva8xrzm8wj20k0gw0y4swk9dwm

NIP-05 Address

stewf@mstdn-party.mostr.pub

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nprofile1qqs80e3n30xvwsuq8fphw6x4f9hrqx6u7qyxwnnp3dnhf98m8588j2cpz4mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumt0wd68ytnsw43qz9thwden5te0wfjkccte9ejxjar5duh8qatzqyf8wumn8ghj7mmxve3ksctfdch8qatzqyv8wumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnndehhyapwwdhkx6tpds959jp3

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npub1wlnr8z7vcapcqwjrwa5d2jtwxqd4euqgva8xrzm8wj20k0gw0y4swk9dwm

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Last Notes

2026-08-18 04:38:41 UTC

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@nprofile…gf9y @nprofile…m8u8 It seems that search is still down. I get this error when searching text contents: "Error details: backend_request search: The search backend encountered an exception (the FTS API request failed, the error reported was: HTTP 502)”

2026-08-04 17:05:06 UTC

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@nprofile…lel8 Hmm, many diners around the area. There was a bad diner with a great sign that just closed: https://www.sltrib.com/artsliving/food/2026/06/26/community-fundraiser-may-decide/

2026-08-04 16:03:09 UTC

If we happen to be in #SaltLakeCity during our wedding anniversary, of course I’m going to get a bouquet at Art Floral, now celebrating their own 75th anniversary. Their delightful neon sign went up in 1958 and they’ve kept it glowing since. Please support them and let ‘em know you love their sign!
At night: https://flic.kr/p/pBzMd9
#Signs #Neon
https://files.mstdn.party/media_attachments/files/117/038/080/678/612/045/original/801a3ea0ce8716bf.jpeg

2026-07-31 18:01:18 UTC

@nprofile…xa70 says it straight and clear.
Full video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgXIIxKCA1Y
https://files.mstdn.party/media_attachments/files/117/015/895/958/350/443/original/398e8f9a3d6545ed.mp4

2026-07-16 08:45:42 UTC

I officially sign on to this statement by Ky Decker. (https://ky.fyi/posts/ai-burnout)
#nevent1q…ew08
https://files.mstdn.party/media_attachments/files/116/928/776/680/029/227/original/42b6d0b69614a2d9.jpeg

2026-06-29 19:18:46 UTC

Again, the incisive Karen Hao clarifies the colonial crusade that is AI.
https://files.mstdn.party/media_attachments/files/116/835/006/722/750/079/original/7ea6b51406fe0e73.mp4

2026-06-25 04:49:52 UTC

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@nprofile…yk7r I have found the iPhone quite good enough for most photography of lettering unless it’s printed.

2026-06-13 19:01:10 UTC

“#AI is inherently political technology. If AI works as intended, it will gradually corrode our liberal democracy, risking an irreversible shift into another political and economic configuration. Among AI risks, this one deserves more consideration, because it requires no additional conditions like malign actors or AI malfunction. AI only needs to amplify existing trends, especially around concentration of capital.”
https://matthewbutterick.com/extinction-level-capitalism.html

2026-06-13 17:51:38 UTC

It feels weird saying this about a financial company, but I honestly love using Wise. Unlike PayPal, Venmo, or any bank or CC, it’s clear they put a ton of care & pride in their site UX. I use it now for almost everything except those rare times I have to write a check.
Ref: https://wise.com/invite/drhc/stephenc1

2026-06-03 16:30:38 UTC

This is your reminder that AbeBooks is owned by Amazon. For used books that don’t support dystopian capitalism, go to https://biblio.com.
Alibris https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alibris is also independently owned, and a good alternative, but I appreciate Biblio’s values https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblio.com. Plus, you can join their club https://www.biblio.com/bibliophiles-club and get 10% off all purchases.
#UsedBooks #Biblio #AbeBooks

2026-05-24 03:10:31 UTC

Just tried a basic Google search. The result that used to take 1 second, now took 15 seconds to generate an AI response that was full of omissions.
They truly ruined their main product.
If nothing else, maybe this will push folks to other search engines who would never have considered them before.

2026-04-30 23:30:41 UTC

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@nprofile…gcwg Yes to all your questions! And, when you pay, no ads either.
Other than @nprofile…k2c8 and @nprofile…gf9y, Flickr is my favorite site on the internet.

2026-03-29 19:12:16 UTC

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@nprofile…e9hc @nprofile…uvqd Has any Apple app degraded from great to awful as thoroughly as iTunes/Music?

2025-12-30 00:58:19 UTC

So far, the best corporate statement on AI is @nprofile…mvum’s: https://buttondown.com/blog/generative-ai

2025-12-17 08:04:01 UTC

Seen on the back of a tanker truck on the road yesterday. I am still puzzled.
https://files.mstdn.party/media_attachments/files/115/733/865/269/290/120/original/6f810a25806c9d67.jpeg

2025-12-16 07:27:50 UTC

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@nprofile…2fal Nice. Testing it out. The columns aren’t working how I’m used to them in Ivory, but I am sure that just takes adaptation. Can I get each column to be a different feed, for example?

2025-12-16 07:09:04 UTC

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@nicksherman How does Mona’s iCloud sync work for you? I’ve been disappointed with Ivory’s.

2025-11-23 16:55:33 UTC

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@tphinney @onpaperwings My dad’s British Racing Green Triumph. https://flic.kr/p/FLj8sZ

2025-11-11 16:41:08 UTC

Who is the most influential person in your community or industry who doesn’t post on social media?

2025-08-15 07:48:36 UTC

Friends, please stop linking to Spotify like it’s ok.
The company steadily siphoned money from independent artists, then spent millions to host Joe Rogan, then littered their library with AI music, and now the CEO is investing in AI weapons.
There are plenty of less damaging ways to listen to music and podcasts.

2025-06-11 18:50:32 UTC

On the topic of ditching Google. My previous post on Fastmail covers email and files, but hadn’t found a good alternative to Docs. This looks promising!
https://sunbeam.city/@autonomic/114664575745538189

2025-06-09 15:45:53 UTC

1. I look forward to ridding myself of all Google products. It takes effort but worth it. There are good alternatives. (Using @nprofile…w0mv for all my personal domains now.)
2. When services send you this BS about the value of AI, make sure you write back and tell them exactly how much AI means to you.
https://files.mstdn.party/media_attachments/files/114/654/180/002/725/561/original/d0abaf52444c009e.png

2025-04-30 08:18:28 UTC

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One surprise: Hannes von Döhren’s Brandon Grotesque was a rejected Emigre submission. It went on to become one of the most popular typefaces of the 2010s. https://fontsinuse.com/typefaces/37/brandon-grotesque

2025-04-30 07:44:58 UTC

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And now, what luck, I got to ask Zuzana and Rudy all the things I ever wanted to know about Emigre Fonts: https://letterformarchive.org/news/emigre-fonts-interview/

2025-04-20 19:50:15 UTC

A gross gimmick for pumping #SocialMedia engagement metrics is stuffing long texts in a caption on a short video. The account racks up “views” while its poor readers struggle to read an article over the top. One of many ways IG & Tiktok have killed the joy of reading on the web. Refuse to play that game!

2025-04-15 06:19:42 UTC

Got this unused crepe polyester shirt at a vintage market. It was so fresh the manufacturer’s pins were still in. And look what I found in the pocket. Thanks, Connie!
#Deadstock #Wrangler #Fashion
https://files.mstdn.party/media_attachments/files/114/340/526/672/368/210/original/0ecbb5f0598c31cf.jpeg

2025-03-31 16:18:11 UTC

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@nprofile…rnt9 Amos’s dates at the DogEar Festival: https://www.biartmuseum.org/event/drop-in-printing-with-amos-paul-kennedy-jr/
Added to our page now.

2025-03-29 22:01:43 UTC

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@nprofile…rnt9 Oh my, I missed that this was on the schedule. Will check on that.

2025-03-27 20:23:26 UTC

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@nprofile…rnt9 Good to hear! Our tour list is dedicated to Amos’s personal appearances. Fortunately, his books and prints are in many more places!

2024-11-19 08:08:26 UTC

Zuzana Licko’s fonts were some the first non-system fonts I ever used. They were useful and cool. They made my design look good.
Rudy VanderLans’ writing was some of the first design writing I ever read. It was insightful and approachable. It made me feel like I was part of the future.
So you can imagine a combo of nerves and thrill when I was asked to write the preface for this book. Still seems unreal.
1,264 pages, 40 of the best Emigre specimens, artfully reprinted: https://letterformarchive.org/shop/emigre-fonts/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=Emigre+Type+Specimens

2024-10-27 16:21:38 UTC

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Fun to wake up and see that Mastodon was as delighted by this mishap as I was. Here’s another pic of the spot with @npub1q2e…8a2w. If you want to see it yourself, it’s in San Francisco on Mission St between 3rd and 4th where St. Patrick’s connects to Yerba Buena Gardens.
#SFBA #SanFrancisco #StreetArt #UrbanPhotography #RoadPaint #RoadTape
https://files.mstdn.party/media_attachments/files/113/380/300/740/873/105/original/ddd263d1b3e1eb05.jpeg

2024-08-19 22:12:49 UTC

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@npub1hvd…9sq9 And thank YOU for reminding me about it. I really needed to get my stuff in order.

2024-07-04 16:51:15 UTC

#Librarians and #Archivists: how are you and your orgs tackling the decision of whether to explicitly allow bots like ChatGPT to scrape your online archives and other content?
My instinct is to set all our htaccess files to “disallow” for all the reasons why these models are problematic, including not citing sources. (Yes, I know it’s a little late.)
But I suppose some will argue that allowing the bots serves a mission of information accessibility, given that web searching is moving to LLMs. 😞

2024-06-24 19:53:25 UTC

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@npub1l54…3lye LOL, she does not seem convinced in that first cut.

2024-05-19 16:50:57 UTC

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@npub1hvd…9sq9 https://typo.social/@typographica/112274245844107979

2024-04-28 00:06:28 UTC

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@npub1l54…3lye It is very amusing to me that the word “Sport” is in the name of a vehicle like this.

2023-09-03 16:06:31 UTC

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@npub1l54…3lye Logo by the great Saul Bass. https://www.theverge.com/2015/9/5/9266257/bell-telephone-saul-bass-logo-pitch-video

2023-08-31 06:13:18 UTC

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@npub1l54…3lye Was there ever a more boring car? Just unsalted dough.

2023-07-02 06:06:21 UTC

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@npub1msr…0y7u Oh dang, I liked the first toot as a veiled attempt to trick people into following Transit Mastodon.