David Jonathan Ross

Public Key

npub183s7xfdsq9pgls49advf4wmv787ewnjsc9sdzklza3jvw6sfhggstu53a8

NIP-05 Address

djrrb@mastodon-social.mostr.pub

Profile Code

nprofile1qqsrcc0rykcqzs50c2j7kky6hdk0rlvhfegvzcx3t03wcex8dgym5ygpz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduqs6amnwvaz7tmwdaejumr0dsfwcggp

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nostr.wine

relay.damus.io

nos.lol

Author Public Key

npub183s7xfdsq9pgls49advf4wmv787ewnjsc9sdzklza3jvw6sfhggstu53a8

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Last Notes

2026-10-05 13:47:09 UTC

This past month, I did some slicing and dicing of my font Slight Chance to create a stencil cut, reminiscent of the utilitarian signage I often see out in the world.
This brings it further from its source material (@nprofile…nl2j ) but I think it moves the design forward in an interesting way.
https://djr.com/notes/slight-chance-stencil-font-of-the-month
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/117/388/583/327/147/558/original/7ceadbb199617e67.png
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/117/388/583/930/103/863/original/63880be24c79d920.png

2026-08-28 12:12:21 UTC

Two lovely (mostly) all-caps uses of my fonts were published on @nprofile…k2c8 this week:
Slight Chance in use by Lea Aiello:
https://fontsinuse.com/uses/79267/geografie-dello-sguardo-by-andrea-antonio-lim
Roslindale in use by Leftloft Design:
https://fontsinuse.com/uses/79340/non-ha-l-eta-exhibition
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/117/173/058/457/249/328/original/8c9e67b91d929044.jpeg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/117/173/060/232/229/219/original/9825da6f785f28b5.jpeg

2026-08-04 13:56:38 UTC

I finally arrived at a display cut of Fern that I am (mostly) happy with, and it only took 13 years!
https://djr.com/notes/fern-display-roman-font-of-the-month
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/117/037/557/794/415/010/original/ee9e3488bd7828a1.png

2026-07-23 14:51:11 UTC

Now on @nprofile…k2c8: an incredible use of my Slight Chance font for the recent PDD tour of the Indonesian alt-rock band Perunggu, designed by Under The Table.
It is such an unexpected joy to have a font inspired by something very specific (the early digital readouts of a cable TV weather channel...thanks @nprofile…x7yn !) and to see it travel across the world and get used so successfully in an entirely new context.
https://fontsinuse.com/uses/78504/perunggu-pdd-tour-and-merchandise
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/116/969/728/836/615/992/original/0078233857a48557.jpeg

2026-07-02 18:25:30 UTC

Sometimes it can be instructive to strip away the central gimmick of a typeface to reveal the system beneath it.
This is what I did this month with GIGAWARP, a font that abandons the slicing and dicing routine of last month’s Megawarp and replaces it with a system of continuous wormlike forms.
My favorite part is the Unicase variant, which follows in the footsteps of the 1971 typeface Corporate Image. I love how it manages to feel both ancient and futuristic at once.
https://djr.com/notes/gigawarp-font-of-the-month
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/116/851/703/737/841/152/original/898e4e699fa4b81d.png

2026-06-22 15:25:30 UTC

Some BIG Job Clarendon is now on @nprofile…k2c8 !
https://fontsinuse.com/uses/78262/paul-cauthen-book-of-paul-album-art-single-co
Book of Paul is a 2026 album by Texan country artist Paul Cauthen. It was designed by Mitchell McCleary, with photography from Tyler Ellison.
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/116/794/459/815/375/810/original/31108129741d87b5.jpg

2026-06-15 16:37:03 UTC

Part two of my two-part foundry launch happened 10 years ago today, when I launched Bungee from the bus as I was on my way to NYC for @nprofile…ca0x .
The website you see (djr.com/bungee) was designed with @nprofile…lwfy and Chris Lewis. On this bungiversary I want to express my gratitude to them, and to the folks at Font Bureau and @nprofile…vrhw for helping bring this typeface to life!
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/116/755/068/374/990/939/original/7038c292e18084ba.jpeg

2026-06-08 13:36:05 UTC

So, today marks 10 years since I launched my type foundry, which coincided with the release of my font Gimlet.
I’m not great commemorating things like this, but it did feel worth mentioning. It’s difficult to overstate how grateful I am to the folks at Font Bureau who encouraged and supported me as I took the leap back in 2016, and to the customers, club members, friends, mentors, and font lovers who have made it possible for me to make the fonts that I want to make ever since.
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/116/714/733/210/339/348/original/80b09a29e2048b91.png

2026-06-01 16:57:16 UTC

Last night I released MEGAWARP, a new display sans serif steeped in the visual language of sci-fi.
It is a new twist on the “laser beam” lettering you may have seen in film titles like Blade Runner, where a horizontal line of negative space slices through the upper portion of each letter.
In Megawarp, these slices move around opportunistically, playing with the effect of fragmentation on legibility and style.
Prepare for warp speed!
https://djr.com/notes/megawarp-font-of-the-month
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/116/675/900/310/937/379/original/261f9e4f9f070c96.png

2026-05-12 18:50:47 UTC

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@nprofile…edye @nprofile…w44f @nprofile…yjst https://type-reference.com ?

2026-05-07 15:14:36 UTC

Whether you read the Arabic script or not, please take a moment to check out FIT ARABIC, designed by the amazing @nprofile…vuz6 and released today by @nprofile…tz4e !
https://www.dograytype.com/fonts/fit-arabic
This next-level illustration is by Naime Pakniyat (https://www.instagram.com/naimepakniyat/) 🤩
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/116/533/889/819/637/853/original/70793c1c021b41e1.png

2026-04-21 15:35:05 UTC

One of the most mind-blowing use of my fonts in recent memory is now on @nprofile…k2c8 :
The Canadian Space Agency used my font Condor on the Artemis II mission patch for astronaut Jeremy Hansen, who recently returned from a 10-day voyage around the moon and back.
The patch features artwork by Anishinaabe artist Henry Guimond and features symbols from the Indigenous Peoples of Canada.
It’s truly wild that some letters I drew have traveled to space!
https://fontsinuse.com/uses/76499/jeremy-hansen-artemis-ii-mission-patch
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/116/443/417/960/684/574/original/6be32f1b16942a3c.jpg

2026-01-29 18:31:59 UTC

Fit in use for Heather Brown Electronicals’ new Darlene Compression effects pedal, designed by Graham McClanahan.
Read more on @nprofile…k2c8 :
https://fontsinuse.com/uses/73433/darlene-effects-pedal
And check out the pedal:
https://godsmom.com/products/darlene-compression
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/979/810/315/513/120/original/6794087abacab8bf.jpeg

2026-01-20 03:07:22 UTC

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@nprofile…saqv Laketran logo also pretty fun! https://laketran.com

2026-01-07 21:58:25 UTC

Week one complete at https://pixelfed.social/glyphoftheday !
Manicotti
LATIN SMALL LETTER U WITH CIRCUMFLEX
Gimlet Sans
LATIN SMALL LETTER U WITH DOUBLE ACUTE
Tortellini
AMPERSAND
Club Lithographer
LATIN SMALL LETTER K
Indoor Kid
DIGIT SIX
Slight Chance
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER C
Nickel Gothic Stencil
CYRILLIC SMALL LETTER BE
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/856/044/299/434/749/original/f38c14ceb8847755.png
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/856/044/546/379/019/original/b733ff7c934ac753.png

2025-11-07 17:15:42 UTC

This week, Fantagraphics launched the book “Roy Kuhlman: Reluctant Modernist” by Steven Brower:
https://www.fantagraphics.com/products/roy-kuhlman-reluctant-modernist
To celebrate the monograph, I designed a typeface based on Kuhlman’s distinctive lettering style.
If you purchase the book sometime this month, send me a screenshot of your receipt and I’ll send you a complimentary copy of the font!
https://djr.com/notes/kuhlman-font-of-the-month
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/509/535/175/802/175/original/ea448d93c7344f86.jpeg
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/509/539/667/916/797/original/76087edea6da87c9.png

2025-10-29 16:37:34 UTC

Only a couple days left to visit Megazoid’s interactive nameplate on @nprofile…m877 ’s Type Foundry Directory, featuring Megazoid’s fancy new variable drop shade by @nprofile…mx4n
http://type foundry.directory
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/458/421/378/572/654/original/ca731491b750d820.mp4

2025-10-02 18:30:09 UTC

“Roy Kuhlman: Reluctant Modernist”is an upcoming monograph about the graphic designer Roy Kuhlman.
I worked with its author, Steven Brower, and his collaborator Craig Welsh to design a multi-width typeface based on the distinctive lettering style that Kuhlman used on several of his book covers, created with cut paper and masking film.
The book (available for preorder!): https://www.fantagraphics.com/collections/coming-soon/products/roy-kuhlman-reluctant-modernist
The font: http://djr.com/kuhlman
Try it out: https://typeset.djr.com/?ff=kuhlman
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/305/925/172/232/666/original/d02395072869a1bf.png

2025-06-03 12:54:44 UTC

Here is tale of a great designer brazenly squishing my font, and how it led me to reconsider why I made that font so dang wide in the first place.
The result? MEGAVOLT NARROW 🤘
https://djr.com/notes/megavolt-narrow-font-of-the-month
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/619/513/512/533/751/original/38f0260a2fa141fe.png

2025-05-05 18:32:32 UTC

The latest addition to my slab-collab with Bethany Heck, JOB CLARENDON NARROW attempts to bridge the gap between round- and straight-sided forms.
https://djr.com/notes/job-clarendon-narrow-font-of-the-month
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/456/648/541/363/699/original/4bdea1aeef93b64b.png

2025-04-30 14:57:15 UTC

One of the most fun type customizations I have ever worked on is now on @nprofile…2qv9 :
https://fontsinuse.com/uses/67726/klangwelt-toggenburg

2025-04-02 16:35:44 UTC

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There is a strong tradition of all-caps lettering in American comics, but there are a growing number of comics that have adopted sentence case.
Sometimes it’s used to set captions/narration apart from the main dialog, but can also be a stylistic choice used across an entire issue or series.
We consulted a wide variety of pre-digital comics lowercases, and sought to strike a balance between angular/ “handwritten” and the rounder/“lettered” examples.
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/269/296/557/566/681/original/05c5fb96b948bc58.png

2025-04-02 15:32:21 UTC

Indoor Kid now has a lowercase!
These marvelous minuscules were developed in collaboration with comics writer/editor/publisher Ellis Bojar.
They are part of an expansive designspace in the comic book lettering style, with variable axes for weight, width, and slant, plus a special emphasis axis that enlarges letterforms from their vertical center without affecting the stroke weight.
https://djr.com/notes/marchs-font-of-the-month-indoor-kid-lowercase
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/114/269/010/334/234/273/original/925e08443ea19459.png

2025-02-28 18:36:23 UTC

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@nprofile…549n I’m grateful for your support of my work! And I hope you enjoy all the extras that aren’t on Adobe CC yet!