Independent Types Workshop: Writing a Magazine Visually

Sunday, September 14, 2025, 2:00 PM
C/O BASE MILANO (via Bergognone 35)

In an era where independent publishing is increasingly a laboratory for visual and narrative experimentation, typography becomes a key element in defining a magazine's identity. From choosing the right font for the body copy to designing a distinctive logo, every typographic decision contributes to creating a unique reading experience and reinforcing the editorial message.
The "Independent Types" workshop invites publishers, graphic designers, and independent magazine enthusiasts to explore the expressive power of typography applied to the world of magazines. Through practical examples and interactive sessions, participants will learn how to use typefaces to build a coherent visual identity and communicate the soul of their editorial project.

Duration: 3 hours
Max 25 participants
Included materials + Zetafonts-branded gadgets + Golden Pack (collection of over 1000 typefaces designed by Zetafonts)

WORKSHOP STRUCTURE:

1. Introduction: Typography as a Language ( 15 min.)
   - A brief history of typography in the world of independent magazines.

2. The role of typeface in a magazine's visual identity.
   - Case study analysis (Il Venerdì, L'Espresso, etc.): magazines that have managed to create a strong identity through typography.

3. Anatomy of Editorial Typography ( 15 min.)
   - Difference between typography for body text and headlines.
   - Typography selection and applications in independent magazines.
   - Custom fonts and bespoke lettering: when and how to use them.

4. Experimentation and design ( 15 min.)
   - Practical exercises in typographic matching for magazines.
   - Designing a cover or interior layout with a focus on typography.
   - The importance of readability and visual rhythm in editorial design.

5. Practical Workshop: Creating a Magazine's Typographic Identity (1.45 hours)
   Participants will be provided with a layout on which to experiment (by hand or digitally) with typographic inventions .

6. Q&A and final discussion ( 15 min.)
   - Comparison of typographical experiences in the world of independent magazines.
   - Tips on tools and resources for learning more about editorial typography.
   
   

PURCHASE NOT REFUNDABLE AFTER AUGUST 20
If you are unable to attend, you can request a refund no later than Wednesday, August 20th by writing on WhatsApp to the number 3291052791

TYPECAMPUS
Zetafonts also presents Typecampus, an inclusive cultural initiative that aims to inspire, research, and promote dialogue between designers, advertisers, and educators through typographic culture.
At the end of the workshop, the volume NOW More Than Ever will also be presented , which collects over 500 typographic posters nominated for the third edition of the Fight for Kindness campaign , a global initiative that promotes messages of kindness and social responsibility.

BIO LEADER WORKSHOP:
Cosimo Lorenzo Pancini , creative director of Zetafonts, is a type designer, graphic artist, lecturer, and Creative Direction instructor. Since purchasing his first typeface (a Letraset transfer of the Arnold Boecklin font) at the age of nine, he has continued to experiment with letters, both written and drawn. He lives in Florence with a cat named Bodoni and too many books, confident in David Carson's belief that "Graphic Design will save the world, right after Rock and Roll does."

Dario Manzo is a Graphic Designer and Project Manager at Type Foundry Zetafonts. After earning degrees in Architecture and Design in Naples, he moved to Florence at the age of 25 to pursue his passion for Graphic Design. He earned a Master's degree in Graphic Design - Focus on New Media at IED, where he currently teaches. Specializing in graphic design, he has a particular interest in Social Design. Passionate about queer culture, issues, and rights, as well as gender issues, he has dedicated his personal studies and artistic expression to these topics for over five years.

ZETAFONTS
Zetafonts is an independent type foundry based in Florence, founded in 2001 by Cosimo Lorenzo Pancini , Francesco Canovaro , and Debora Manett . Combining the study of the Italian typographic tradition (from Manunzio to Bodoni to Novarese) with research into contemporary design trends and a pop approach to communication, Zetafonts has created over two thousand fonts in just over twenty years , belonging to more than one hundred type families . It aims to produce typefaces that bridge the gap between practicality and beauty, relevant in a rapidly evolving market, where design is increasingly inspired by fast-moving trends and epochal cultural shifts around the world.