Ringold Typeface Research & Development
By Dan Rhatigan, Bijou Type
Rhatigan on the typeface concept:
The Ringold series started with an attempt to re-envision Egyptienne Bold Condensed, Letraset’s version of a 19th century condensed Clarendon style that has been adapted by many foundries over the decades. In particular, I hoped to adapt the idea for the kind of solid, all-caps typesetting made possible by transfer type for things like the logo of Drummer magazine, as well as headlines in many other gay publications I had been researching. As I developed what would become Ringold Clarendon at the same time as I gathered scores of vintage gay magazines to get a feel for the way they used typefaces, I realized that I could take the structure and proportions of Ringold’s core style and adapt the stylistic details to change the overall tone. This became a family of easily-mixed styles with the same overall weight and text color, expanded into a palette of choices that captured the dense, squarish, "masculine" vibe cultivated by so many magazines from the mid-20th century onward.
![Numbers, May/June '79 Numbers, May/June '79](https://thumbs.peoplesgdarchive.org/static/media-items/image/33743/fit-500x500/669c7383/1/Numbers%2016.jpeg)
Numbers, May/June '79
![Sam, No. 1 Sam, No. 1](https://thumbs.peoplesgdarchive.org/static/media-items/image/33741/fit-500x500/669c7309/1/Sam%201.jpeg)
Sam, No. 1
![Cruise, Number 48 Cruise, Number 48](https://thumbs.peoplesgdarchive.org/static/media-items/image/33740/fit-500x500/669c7037/1/Cruise%2048.jpeg)
Cruise, Number 48
![Cruise, Number 46 Cruise, Number 46](https://thumbs.peoplesgdarchive.org/static/media-items/image/33739/fit-500x500/669c6fe6/1/Cruise%2046.jpg)
Cruise, Number 46
![Gay, No. 112 Gay, No. 112](https://thumbs.peoplesgdarchive.org/static/media-items/image/33738/fit-500x500/669c6f40/1/Gay%20112.jpg)
Gay, No. 112
![Drummer Drummer](https://thumbs.peoplesgdarchive.org/static/media-items/image/33735/fit-500x500/669c6e47/1/Drummer%206.jpg)
Drummer
![Drummer: The Leather Fraternity Drummer: The Leather Fraternity](https://thumbs.peoplesgdarchive.org/static/media-items/image/33734/fit-500x500/669c6df4/1/Drummer%202.jpg)
Drummer: The Leather Fraternity
![Rockwell Bold Condensed Letraset sheet Rockwell Bold Condensed Letraset sheet](https://thumbs.peoplesgdarchive.org/static/media-items/image/33732/fit-500x500/669c6ca7/1/Rockwell%20Bold%20Condensed%2048.jpg)
Rockwell Bold Condensed Letraset sheet
![“What's a Gay Person to Do?” “What's a Gay Person to Do?”](https://thumbs.peoplesgdarchive.org/static/media-items/image/33731/fit-500x500/669c6c5c/1/Unknown.jpg)
“What's a Gay Person to Do?”
![Quorum, Number 4 Quorum, Number 4](https://thumbs.peoplesgdarchive.org/static/media-items/image/33729/fit-500x500/669c6c11/1/Quorum%204.jpg)
Quorum, Number 4
![Mr SM Mr SM](https://thumbs.peoplesgdarchive.org/static/media-items/image/33728/fit-500x500/669c6bbe/1/Mr%20SM%2066.jpg)
Mr SM
![Men in Leather and Uniforms, No. 1 Men in Leather and Uniforms, No. 1](https://thumbs.peoplesgdarchive.org/static/media-items/image/33727/fit-500x500/669c6b74/1/Men%20in%20Leather%20and%20Uniforms.jpg)
Men in Leather and Uniforms, No. 1
![Men in Action, No. 2 Men in Action, No. 2](https://thumbs.peoplesgdarchive.org/static/media-items/image/33726/fit-500x500/669c6b44/1/Men%20in%20Action%202.jpg)
Men in Action, No. 2
![Kris, No. 1 Kris, No. 1](https://thumbs.peoplesgdarchive.org/static/media-items/image/33725/fit-500x500/669c6ae2/1/Kris%201.jpg)
Kris, No. 1
![Honcho: Man Wanted Honcho: Man Wanted](https://thumbs.peoplesgdarchive.org/static/media-items/image/33724/fit-500x500/669c6aad/1/Honcho%20April%2084.jpg)
Honcho: Man Wanted
![Butch Butch](https://thumbs.peoplesgdarchive.org/static/media-items/image/33722/fit-500x500/669c6a46/1/Butch.jpg)
Butch
![Bronc, Premiere Issue,;Volume 1, No. 1 Bronc, Premiere Issue,;Volume 1, No. 1](https://thumbs.peoplesgdarchive.org/static/media-items/image/33721/fit-500x500/669c69e8/1/Bronc%201%201%201981.jpg)
Bronc, Premiere Issue,;Volume 1, No. 1
![Vagabond, No. 5 Vagabond, No. 5](https://thumbs.peoplesgdarchive.org/static/media-items/image/33720/fit-500x500/669c693e/1/Vagabond%205.jpg)
Vagabond, No. 5
![A Taste of Leather A Taste of Leather](https://thumbs.peoplesgdarchive.org/static/media-items/image/33719/fit-500x500/669c68fb/1/Trading%20Post.jpg)
A Taste of Leather
![Mr. Printmore t-shirt Mr. Printmore t-shirt](https://thumbs.peoplesgdarchive.org/static/media-items/image/33718/fit-500x500/669c687f/1/The%20Print%20Master%27s%20Apprentice.jpeg)
Mr. Printmore t-shirt
![Modern Adonis Modern Adonis](https://thumbs.peoplesgdarchive.org/static/media-items/image/33716/fit-500x500/669c67d6/1/Modern%20Adonis%2025.jpeg)
Modern Adonis
![Male Classics, Annual 1965 Male Classics, Annual 1965](https://thumbs.peoplesgdarchive.org/static/media-items/image/33714/fit-500x500/669c6722/1/Male%20Classics%20Annual%201965.jpg)
Male Classics, Annual 1965
![Copy of Male Classics, No. 46 Copy of Male Classics, No. 46](https://thumbs.peoplesgdarchive.org/static/media-items/image/33713/fit-500x500/669c66de/1/Male%20Classics%2046.jpg)
Copy of Male Classics, No. 46
![Male Classics, No. 33 Male Classics, No. 33](https://thumbs.peoplesgdarchive.org/static/media-items/image/33712/fit-500x500/669c668a/1/Male%20Classics%2033.jpg)
Male Classics, No. 33
![Leatherman's Workbook, Volume One Leatherman's Workbook, Volume One](https://thumbs.peoplesgdarchive.org/static/media-items/image/33711/fit-500x500/669c63b4/1/Leatherman%27s%20Workbook.jpeg)
Leatherman's Workbook, Volume One
![Franklin Gothic Condensed Letraset sheet Franklin Gothic Condensed Letraset sheet](https://thumbs.peoplesgdarchive.org/static/media-items/image/33709/fit-500x500/669c6294/1/Franklin%20Gothic%20Condensed%20-%2096%20pt.jpg)
Franklin Gothic Condensed Letraset sheet
![Directory 85 Directory 85](https://thumbs.peoplesgdarchive.org/static/media-items/image/33708/fit-500x500/669c6253/1/Directory%2085.jpeg)
Directory 85
![Compacta Bold Letraset sheet Compacta Bold Letraset sheet](https://thumbs.peoplesgdarchive.org/static/media-items/image/33707/fit-500x500/669c61ba/1/Compacta_Bold_Letraset_transfers.jpg)
Compacta Bold Letraset sheet
![Chain Male, No. 3 Chain Male, No. 3](https://thumbs.peoplesgdarchive.org/static/media-items/image/33705/fit-500x500/669c6114/1/Chain%20Male%203%20inside.jpg)
Chain Male, No. 3
![Thrust Into Action Thrust Into Action](https://thumbs.peoplesgdarchive.org/static/media-items/image/33703/fit-500x500/669c601a/1/Thrust%20ad.jpg)
Thrust Into Action
![Numbers, August 80 Numbers, August 80](https://thumbs.peoplesgdarchive.org/static/media-items/image/33701/fit-500x500/669c5f3b/1/Numbers%2030.jpg)
Numbers, August 80
![Jock, February 1997 Jock, February 1997](https://thumbs.peoplesgdarchive.org/static/media-items/image/33700/fit-500x500/669c5f0c/1/Locker%20Room%20Jock%201.jpg)
Jock, February 1997
![Workload, Number Eight Workload, Number Eight](https://thumbs.peoplesgdarchive.org/static/media-items/image/33698/fit-500x500/669c5e0a/1/Workload%204.jpg)
Workload, Number Eight
![Workload, Number Two Workload, Number Two](https://thumbs.peoplesgdarchive.org/static/media-items/image/33697/fit-500x500/669c5da0/1/Workload%202.jpg)
Workload, Number Two
![Fag Rag Fag Rag](https://thumbs.peoplesgdarchive.org/static/media-items/image/33694/fit-500x500/669c5d08/1/Fag%20Rag%202.jpg)
Fag Rag
![Egyptienne Bold Condensed Letraset sheet Egyptienne Bold Condensed Letraset sheet](https://thumbs.peoplesgdarchive.org/static/media-items/image/33693/fit-500x500/669c5b92/1/Egyptienne%20BC%20UC%2072.jpg)
Egyptienne Bold Condensed Letraset sheet
![Drum Drum](https://thumbs.peoplesgdarchive.org/static/media-items/image/33692/fit-500x500/669c5b02/1/Drummer%20Marches%20On%202.jpg)
Drum
![Drummer: Anniversary Issue Drummer: Anniversary Issue](https://thumbs.peoplesgdarchive.org/static/media-items/image/33690/fit-500x500/669c5778/1/Drummer%207.jpg)
Drummer: Anniversary Issue
![Chance Encounter Chance Encounter](https://thumbs.peoplesgdarchive.org/static/media-items/image/33689/fit-500x500/669c5710/1/Chance%20Encounter.jpg)
Chance Encounter
![The Advocate The Advocate](https://thumbs.peoplesgdarchive.org/static/media-items/image/33688/fit-500x500/669c54d5/1/Advocate%20752.jpg)