The Recorder: Monotype’s Typographic Magazine Reborn

For over 70 years, Monotype published The Monotype Recorder, a legendary trade publication that was edited for 30 years by the even more legendary Beatrice Warde. Now The Recorder has been relaunched by the Monotype London studio in a rich and brilliant limited print edition. Edited by Emma Tucker and art directed by Luke Tonge, The Recorder is 120 pages of typographic and graphic delights, with a foil-printed cover and interior page fold-outs.

This issue of The Recorder features stories on letterpress, painted wall signs, and all kinds of typography. The design is bold, energetic, and imaginative, a smart mix of modern cutting edge and restrained classicism. The Recorder‘s design and format is reminiscent of the old U&lc type magazine, especially the exuberant latter-day iteration, published in the 1990s with a rotating set of art directors. Art director Luke Tonge has done a remarkable job on this first issue.

The stories at times are a bit stretched out, which occasionally makes The Recorder feel a little more promotional than editorial. But that’s a minor quibble, and doesn’t detract from the powerful beauty and visual impact of the design. This is a great-looking magazine, extremely well-conceived and executed, and is a must-see for people interested in typography and editorial design.

The Recorder is available to buy here.

See a cool collection of 1930s covers of The Monotype Recorder here.

Beatrice Warde: Manners and Type, via Eye magazine.