Bell MT was made in 1788 by Richard Austin for John Bell at the British Letter Foundry. This typeface was used popularly for newspapers at the time and later used for magazines and other publications. Bell MT was meant to be an introduction for modern fonts, and I drew from this idea to create this poster.

The poster features varying font sizes and weights, with bolder text imitating the large titles of an older newspaper design. The elements are arranged linearly to further emphasize this style, but includes modern touches: L-shaped formatting and vertical lettering "1788". I wanted to maintain the general format of a newspaper, while incorporating small peeks into a modern magazine design.

I struggled with finding a compromise between vintage and modern. Since Bell MT is such a versatile font, I tried to include both it's historical and current purposes in this project. I was originally going to use color and geometric shapes to lean into the typeface's use for graphic and logo design, but ultimately felt it strayed too far away from Bell MT's original use. I decided to start designing with a newspaper layout, and messed with the orientation and placement of items until I came to this final product!

While Bell MT is used for more classic designs, I would have loved to experiment more with colors and graphics in this design. Perhaps finding a way to include these elements without taking away from its original use.