KELLI ANDERSON _ ALPHABET IN MOTION _ 2025
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Alphabet in Motion

 

 

 

 

How did we end up with so many different styles of letters? An ingenious feat of paper engineering that features an interactive cover, 17 pop-ups plus multiple manual experiments in light and shape, Alphabet in Motion is an immersive volume explains—and demonstrates—the technologies and philosophies that have shaped letterforms through the ages.

In addition, a 128-page companion essay reveals the rich meanings behind the typography that surrounds us—in our homes, on our screens, and in our streets. Whether projecting light through a phototypesetting pop-up or reconfiguring Josef Albers' Bauhaus stencil lettering, this masterfully crafted, hands-on publication will delight both typography experts and those who are new to the principles of design. Preorder here »

 

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The pop-up book pages (A-Z) introduce and demonstrate typographic concepts. Curious readers are invited into the longer-form essay on each topic, drawn from the history of typographic design and technology. Letters are culture.

 

 

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The letter J presents a rudimentary paper phototypesetting device to warp, bend, and distort projected characters.

 

 

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Type history research is color-coded, printed in risographed duotone. This helps to visually connect the essay to the pop-up and keep the reader oriented.

 

 

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L: An essay on Phototypesetting and the Psychedelic Era | R: Images documenting type's transition from metal to digital

 

 

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P from one side, Q from the other | On the topic of interpolation in font families

 

 

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A letterform anatomy puzzle for the letter F

 

 

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Prototypes: L: Wim Crouwel's letter g for the Stedelijk Museum | R: Phototype pop-up demo

 

 

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UV translates modular alphabet Patrona Grotesk into a stencil and Josef Albers' KombinationsSchrift into building blocks.

 

 

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The pop-up accompanying an essay about the ancient origins of letterforms

 

 

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The pop-up accompanying an essay about type's technological transition from lead to bitmap to anti-aliasing.
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CD: On Signpainters' lettering, made with gestures

 

 

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X: On Donald Knuth's MetaFont—with [paper] sliders to interpolate slant and width

 

 

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Graphic designer, educator and author Kelli Anderson has been widely celebrated for her work in infographics, branding design, pop up books and risograph animations. She is a Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award nominee, was a fellow at both NYC's Center for Book Arts and San Francisco's Exploratorium, and served as Adobe's inaugural creative resident. Anderson's previous publications include This Book Is a Camera (MoMA, 2015)—which transforms into a working camera—and This Book Is a Planetarium (Chronicle, 2017), which has sold more than 100,000 copies worldwide in two languages.

 

 

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Early Press:
- The Eames Institute
- The Walker Reader
- Kottke

 

 

Distributed by D.A.P./Artbook worldwide and published by Katherine Small Gallery.