ATypI (Association Typographique Internationale) is an international non-profit organization dedicated to typography and typeface design. Its annual conference has taken place every year since 1957.
Background
ATypI was founded in 1957 to unite European type manufacturers at a time of technological change. In particular the needs were perceived to promote dialogue with related professional bodies, to improve understanding of global typography, and to promote typography education in general. Over the years – through its conferences, publications, awards and publications (and from less visible work) – ATypI’s scope has became fully global, members comprise everyone involved with fonts and typography, and the organization has adapted to the huge changes in font production.
Conferences
The annual ATypI conference, which takes place each year in a different city, is the principal global forum where ideas and research in typography and type design are presented. Additionally, a number of ATypI Working Seminars have taken place, focusing on technology and education, the 1983 seminar being ATypI’s first event outside Europe. Since 2013 ATypI publishes videos of conference talks. During the pandemic, conferences took place online.
Membership
ATypI’s members come from all around the world, and from backgrounds that are type design, graphic design, academic, commercial or simply enthusiastic – united by a respect for type and typography. Professional type designers and typographers are joined by educators, writers, technologists and managers with the power to bring improvements in typography to millions.
Board of directors
Association Typographique Internationale is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that is democratically run by a board of directors. Each board member is elected by members at the ATypI general assembly at the annual general meeting for a period of three years. The current president, elected in 2023, is Thomas Phinney. Executive director since 2015 has been Tamye Riggs.
Communities
For many years ATypI has nominated Country Delegates to report on the typographic activities related to their country. ATypI recognizes that many communities are non-national or international by nature, and dividing the world’s typographic communities by country risks ignoring the voices of many communities. Therefore ATypI is relaunching the community concept and inviting nominations for Community Delegates. If you would like to represent a community, whether for a country, a region, a language, a culture or other special interest, then please get in touch.
Competitions, awards, publications
ATypI has organized two typeface design competitions: Bukva:Raz (2001), judged in Moscow, and Letter2 (2011), judged in Buenos Aires.
Every four to six years or so, ATypI awards the Prix Charles Peignot for excellence in type design to a designer under the age of thirty-five who has made outstanding contributions to the field.
ATypI occasionally publishes books and other material related to its activities.
Join ATypI
ATypI professional membership starts at $60 per year. This gives the following benefits:
- Discount on conference fee
- The right to vote in ATypI Board elections
- The right to be nominated for the ATypI Board