Arch-able Lettertype by Takafumi Miki and Tomoki Mitsuhashi

Arch-able Lettertype by Takafumi Miki and Tomoki Mitsuhashi is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2020 A' Design Award yn Brûns in Grafyk, Yllustraasje en Fisuele Kommunikaasje Ûntwerp Competition Category.

BrûnsGrafysk· 2020

Arch-able Lettertype

by Takafumi Miki and Tomoki Mitsuhashi

Client: Arch-Able

A' Design Award yn Brûns Winner in Grafysk Category

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Colors

The Design

About Arch-able Lettertype

Arch-able is in stenсillettertype ûntworpen foar digitale fabrikaazje. It lettertype stipet it Arch-able-platfoarm, dat digitale gegevens fan arsjitekten har ûntwerpen argivearret en fersprate. De tekenset omfettet 26 letters, 10 sifers en 26 symboalen. Alle hoeken binne ôfrûne, sadat boarkoppen, laserfrissen en oare ark elke hoeke berikke en folgje kinne. In protte stenсillettertypen hawwe rjochte hoeken dy't net grave wurde kinne. Arch-able fuortnimt dy beheining en helpt begjinners om trijedimensjonale letterwurk mei gewoan ark te meitsjen.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award yn Brûns

Arch-able Lettertype is in winner fan de A' Design Award yn Brûns, in heech prestisjeuze erkenning foar treflike ûntwerpen dy't har ûnderskiede troch kreativiteit, fernuft en tûkens. Brûnswinners binne tige feardige en opfallend kreative artefakten dy't de grutte ûnderfining, ferbylding en betochtsumens fan har ûntwerpers befêstigje. Fan Arch-able Lettertype wurdt ferwachte dat it in tige heech achte, bewûndere en dierber objekt is dat opmerklik profesjoneel en ynnovatyf is. Dit winnende ûntwerp fan de A' Design Award yn Brûns yntegrearret de bêste praktiken yn keunst, wittenskip, ûntwerp en technology en is treflik om syn omtinken foar detail. Arch-able Lettertype foldocht behoeften prachtich, reitsjet winsken, betsjoeveret gefoelens en sprekt nijsgjirrigens oan.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: ARCH-ABLE is a platform to archive and distribute digital data of architects’ designs. Anyone can download and reproduce architects’ designs as long as they are following the creative commons license.
This typeface is digital fabrication friendly because it has stencil style shapes and all corners are rounded for all drill bits, laser cutter, and other tools.
It makes all users comfortable to reproduce their products easier.
Dimensions & Packaging: 26 letters, 10 numbers, and 26 symbols
Tags: Typeface, Typography, DigitalFabrication, GeometricDesign, Simple, Idea,GraphicDesign, Future, Friendly, Japan
Production Technology: People had a problem about making 3D typography because it must have stencil style. And some stencil typefaces couldn’t engrave all corners even inside or outside because they have right angle corners.
So ARCH-ABLE typeface solved all issues for making 3D typography because it has stencil style shapes and all corners are rounded especially for all drill bits.
Design Challenge: This typeface structure has very strict rules. It was really hard to make all the characters. It should be all rounded, 45 degrees, geometric, 4x6, stencil style, and stylish. So we have to make it conceptual but keep it beautiful typeface as well. It was a very important thing.
Research: One day I had a chat with one of my friend who is an architect in Japan. He told me that Almost times I couldn’t engrave the corners of typefaces because they have right angle corners. That was the starting point.
We started to search so many stencil style typefaces all over the world through internet. Then we figured out we have to make all rounded corners typeface for all digital fabrication creators.
Inspiration: Nowadays Digital fabrication DIY culture is a boom in Japan. Almost users can use digital fabrication tools but they can’t make original stencil typeface for it. This typeface is digital fabrication friendly and beginner-friendly as well.
Project Duration: This project term was from November 2018 to January 2020 in Tokyo, JAPAN.
Operation Flow: People had a problem about making 3D typography because it must have stencil style. And some stencil typefaces couldn’t engrave all corners even inside or outside because they have right angle corners.
So this typeface is digital fabrication friendly because it has stencil style shapes and all corners are rounded for all drill bits, laser cutter and other tools. It means all drill bit can reach and fit all rounded corners.
It makes all users comfortable to make their products easier.
Patents: Copyrights belong to BANANA inc., 2020
Team Members: Art Director: Miki Takafumi
Designer: Miki Takafumi
Designer: Tomoki Mitsuhashi
Image Credits: Image #1: Photographer Kyoko Munakata, ARCH-ABLE, 2020.
Image #5: Photographer Kyoko Munakata, ARCH-ABLE, 2020.