The Type Directors Club (TDC) is an international professional organization devoted to typography and type design, founded in 1946 in New York City. It hosts competitions, events and exhibitions, produces publications, and awards scholarships that recognize outstanding design work in the fields of type design, typography and lettering. Since 2022, it'is part of the non-profit organization The One Club.
Mission TDC is dedicated to cataloging, showcasing, and exhibiting typography worldwide.
Founding member Milton Zudek described the club's goals at their first exhibit opening in 1947: History 1943: The club was started as an unofficial gathering in New York City.
1946: The Type Directors Club organization was formed by several leading New York-based art directors, including Aaron Burns, Louis Dorfsman and Milton Zudeck. Membership to the organization was limited to men, was by invitation only and required a sponsorship by an existing member and a submission of one's portfolio, a process that remained unchanged until 1980s.
1959: On April 18, the TDC held Typography USA, a seminar at Biltmore Hotel in New York, with speakers that included Saul Bass, Paul Rand, Herbert Bayer, Lester Beall, William Golden, Leo Lionni, Herb Lubalin, and Ladislav Sutnar.
1960: The TDC recruited its first woman member, type designer and scholar Beatrice Warde.
1967: The TDC medal is first awarded as the organization's most prestigious award, dedicated to the artful craft of type and typography, to German type designer Hermann Zapf.
1987: The TDC’s first international conference Type 1987 was held in Manhattan, giving participants the opportunity to gather with celebrated international designers from outside the U.S. like Adrian Frutiger and Neville Brody.
2018: As part of a rebranding led by Debbie Millman, the TDC adopted the Type Drives Culture conference slogan. The same year, the club held the first Ascenders competition, aimed to promote the best designers under 35, and created a BIPOC scholarship, which was later renamed the Adé Hogue Scholarship.
2022: The TDC merged with The One Club.
2022: Upon the TDC’s reopening, Ksenya Samarskaya was appointed as TDC Managing Director with a mission to make it more open, diverse, and culturally engaging. TDC hosted Ezhishin, the first conference about Native North American typography. Type Drives Culture 22 conference held various sessions with the overarching theme “Type: The Next 75 Years”. TDC Medal The TDC Medal is awarded for significant contributions to typography.
Year Recipients1967Hermann Zapf1968R. Hunter Middleton1971Frank Powers1972Robert Leslie1975Edward Rondthaler1979Arnold Bank1982Georg Trump1983Paul Standard1984Paul Rand, Herb Lubalin (posthumously)1985Aaron Burns1986Bradbury Thompson1987Adrian Frutiger1989Ed Benguiat1991Gene Federico1995Lou Dorfsman1997Rolling Stone magazine, Matthew Carter1998Freeman Craw2000Günther Gerhard Lange, Colin Brignall2003Martin Solomon2006Paula Scher2011Mike Parker, Erik Spiekermann2013Gerrit Noordzij2014David Berlow2015Louise Fili2016Zuzana Licko and Rudy VanderLans of Emigre2017Gerard Unger2018Fiona Ross2019Wim Crouwel2020Rubén Fontana2022Akira Kobayashi2023Jan Middendorp2024Margaret Calvert
Competitions In 1955 the first TDC competition was held to recognize outstanding work in the profession. Since then, the TDC has been holding two yearly type competitions: one for the use of type and the letterform in design, and the other for typeface design. The winners are reproduced in the Typography Annual as well as displayed in seven exhibits that travel worldwide. In addition to celebrating outstanding achievements, the typography competitions and resulting annuals serve as historical records of typographic trends referenced by designers and scholars.
Typography Previously known as Communication Design competition, the Typography competition is the extension of the original competition started in the 1950s.
Type design The Type Directors Club Type Design Awards are given annually for excellence in typeface design. The award is generally viewed as being the most prestigious in the field.
Type design competition winners
Year Winner2000Arcana Manuscript, Biblon, Blue Island, Cholla Slab, FF Clifford, Costa, Erica Sans, Homemade, Bitstream Kis Cyrillic, Klin, Mexica, Mirra, Diwan Mishafi, Myriad Pro Greek, Nani, Profile, Silentium Pro, Linotype Syntax2001ITC Aspera, Basilica, Linotype Conrad, Eplica, Hierarchy, Litteratra, Manuscript, Maya, Preissig, Really, Terminator, Warnock Pro, Zentra 2002Text: Dreamer DD, Pradell, Whitman; Display: Alphatier, Azuza, Dearest, Globetrotter, ITC Jeepers, Keester, Media Core 3, Woodley Park; Type System: Brioso Pro, Federal, Rialto, Siemens2003Text: Arabic Typesetting, Carlin Script, Gentium, Laurentian; Display: Falafil, ITC Keefbats, Sakkal Seta Pro; Type System: Fontana ND, FF Strada, FTF Morgan, Full Moon Suite, Press Family, Suite, Sauna, ITC Tactile2004Text: Ardbeg, Argot, Maiola, Nyala, MS Uighur; Display: Brunn, Buttress, Sava Pro; Type System: Amira, Amplitude, FF Angkoon, Expo Sans, Farnham, Houston, Noam, FF Unit, Zocalo2005Text: Fabiol, Minuscule; Display: Bello, Bublik, Bunker, Dolce, Ed Gothic, Ed Script, Elementis, Pirouette, DB SantiPap, Scheck, Shipflat, Shoutenkaku / Shoutenmaru; Type System: FF Absara, Auto, Calibri, Rumba; Ornament: Super-Veloz2006Text: Aniene, Adobe Arabic, Calouste, Quixote; Display: Darka, Hogariet, Rayuela Chocolate 2.0, P22 Sweepy; Type System: Frutiger Next Greek, Garamond Premier Pro, Piclig, Relato Sans, Vista Sans; Ornament: FF Headz2007Text: Corundum Text, Greta Text, Untitled, EMT Lorena, Midan, Olga, Tisa; Type System: Arno Pro, Beorcana, Fakir, Nassim, Palatino Sans and Palatino Sans Informal, Quiosco, Xtra Sans; Display: Flexion, Manicotti, Peanut, Subtil; Ornament: Gregoria2008Text: Al Rajhi, Fondo, Marat, OTS Ethiopic, Palatino Arabic, Vodafone Hindi, Tiina; Type System: Anselm, Gloriola Standard and Display, National, Presidencia; Display: Blaktur, Burgues Script, Fresco Arabic, Logo Jr Black, Mommie, Sable, Slant, Swing, Ventura; Ornament: Restraint2009Text: Adios Script, Montague Script, Alda, Copte Scripte; Display: Klimax Bold, Nebulon, Optica Normal, Orbe2010Ingeborg, Deliscript, Kazuraki, Urbana Lnd, Joos, Espinosa Nova, Lavigne Display, ITC Legacy Square Serif Pro, Retiro, Narziss, Rieven, Fugu, Ysobel, Rum Black, Aisha, DecoType Nastaliq2011Brandon Grotesque, Eames Century Modern, Aero, Palatino Sans Arabic, Tundra, Amalta, Thuraya Regular, Shift, Supria Sans, FF Suhmo, News, Daisy, Matrona, Tabati, Nori, Eventide, Enzian, Elegy, Poem, Eames Poster Numerals2012Hipster Script, Chiavari, Balkan, La República, DecoType Ruq‘ah, Sutturah, Mr. Porter, Rekja, Greta Arabic, Harriet, Smidgen, Vibro, FF Mister K Informal2013Athena Ruby, JAF Bernini Sans, Karol, The Brill Family, Tegaki, Blanco, Vinter, Days and Nights, FF Chartwell, Baldufa, Iskra, Erotica, Agmena™, Jocham2014Sori, Metro Nova, Odesta, Azer, Pizza Press, Columbia Titling, Amplify, Chimera, Mislab, Duplicate Ionic, FF Quixo, Argentina, Ogg, Lalola, DecoType Nastaleeq Press, Venecia, Medusa, Flirt Script, MZhiHei Ultra Bold, Cloud Mountain Type, FREE, Bungee, Marcel Script, Chapitre Regular2015GT Sectra, Woodkit, Brando, Domaine Sans, Valter, Inei Mincho, Love Script, M Gentle Bold (正纖蘭體), Signo, A23D, Bustan Bold, Lale, Mohtaraf, Gibbs, Input, Proto Grotesk, Haltrix, Hollie Script Pro, Minotaur, Big Moore, GE Inspira Sans and Serif, M Ellan Light (幼雅蘭體) 2016BC Mikser, Mornic, Tremolo, Bressay, Acanto Regia, Infini, Froben Antiqua, Zico, Bustani, Greta Arabic, The Spirit of Cursive Script, Greta Sans Hebrew, Bixa2017Salvaje, Lingering Fonts, Nordvest, Qandu, Bely, Sharp Grotesk, Qingyu Lishu, PILOT, Graebenbach, Lalezar, Laica, Rando, Renault Carname, Stratos, Eva2018Mirza, Lamon, IBM Plex, Source Han Serif, Noort, Origen, Teddy, Palago, Harrison Serif Pro, Read Greek Condensed, Koning, Vazeh, Ray, Artigo Display, Guyot, Oi!, Kinetic, Greta Text Hebrew2019Crochet, Rizado Script, New York Serif UI by Apple, Glinko Modern, Jali, Orientation, Ribaasu, Adobe Telugu, Minerale, No Molestar!, Sandwich, Sig, Pyk, Chek Lap sans, Faune, FR kraken slab, Heldane, Hope Sans, Pilat, Gustella, Punta Display, Le murmure20202021Arabic Protest, Baryton, Coca-Cola Care, Garaje, Grab Community, Hebrew/Latin Extended, Hong Kong Beiwei Zansyu, Huai, Le Rosart, LiebeHeide Color, Lyon Arabic, Rail Alphabet 2, Retail, SF Symbols 2, Signifier, Super Condensed Devanagari, Vasakronan Serif, Vazeh Classic Quranic2022Amaala Arabic, ANEK Indic, Charisma, Englisch, FZ GuoMeiJinDao, FZ QianLongXingShu, Goldich, Greta Armenian, Hanyi yihexianjing, Jinhua Mincho, Klaket, Kristal, Lava Syllabics, Margit, Mithaq, Norbert, November Tamil, Oceanic, Platia, Qing Mocai Lishu, Resonay, RVS Basic, SF Arabic, SF Symbols 3, Shinbakusai Reisho, Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, The Epicene Collection, The Mānuka Collection, Uwabami, YouTube Sans Arabic
Lettering Started in 2022.
Ascenders In 2018, the TDC inaugurated Ascenders, a competition to recognize the achievements of designers 35 years of age and younger. In its inaugural year, TDC honored nineteen Ascenders from around the world.
Annual publications
TDC produces a design annual that features works awarded in its competition. Year published Title Book designed by1980 Typography 1Jack G. Tauss1981 Typography 2Jack G. Tauss1982 Typography 3Joe Carnase1983 Typography 4Richard Moore1984 Typography 5Jonson Pedersen, Hinrichs and Shakery Inc.1985 Typography 6Olau Leu1986 Typography 7Arthur Boden1987 Typography 8David Brier1988 Typography 9Alan Peckolick1989 Typography 10Onofrio Paccione1990 Typography 11Larry Yang1991 Typography 12Jessica Weber1992 Typography 13Daniel Pelavin1993 Typography 14Mark van Bronkhorst1994 Typography 15Reverb, Los Angeles & Rick Vermeulen1995 Typography 16Drenttel Doyle Partners1996 Typography 17Michael Vanderbyl, Vanderbyl Design1997 Typography 18Bernhardt Fudyma Design Group1998 Typography 19L. Richard Poulin, Amy Kwon, Poulin + Morris1999 Typography 20 Adam Greiss, Carin Goldberg2000 Typography 21The ATTIK2001 Typography 22Gail Anderson2002 Typography 23Allison Williams2003 Typography 24Alexander Isley2004 Typography 25Diego Vainesman2005 Typography 26Urshula Barbour, Paul Carlos, Pure + Applied2006 Typography 27Andy Kner2007 Typography 28Number Seventeen2008 Typography 29Philippe Apeloig2009 Typography 30Werner Design Werks2010 Typography 31Paul Sahre2011 Typography 32Matteo Bologna, Mucca Design2012 Typography 33Paula Scher2013 Typography 34Chip Kidd2014 Typography 35Brian Collins2015 Typography 36J. Abbott Miller2016 Typography 37Bobby C. Martin Jr., OCD2017 Typography 38Leftloft, Milan2018 Typography 39Triboro2019 Typography 40Hugh Miller, Bond Creative2020 Typography 41Anagrama2021 Typography 42Juan Carols Pagan, Sunday Afternoon 2022 Typography 43Tereza Bettinardi Scholarships Beatrice Warde Scholarship
The Beatrice Warde Scholarship stands to commemorate Beatrice Warde, the first female member of TDC, and all her contributions to the field of typography and to the TDC.
Winners receive a $5,000 USD award as well as a free one-year student membership to the TDC, offering discounts and other opportunities for conferences and events.
Previous winners of the award include Doah Kwon (2022) Ximena Amaya (2021), Tatiana Lopez (2020), Blossom Liu (2019), Anna Skoczeń (2018), Tasnima Tanzim (2017), Ania Wieluńska (2016), and Rebecca Bartola (2015).
Adé Hogue Scholarship