Font Designer – George Ryan

I am a Type Designer in the Font Development department at Monotype Imaging.
I have an Associates in Commercial Art and Certificates from BU Corporate Education Center dealing with their Client Server Application Development program.

In 1978 I was running the production side of a quick print shop on Long Island when I decided it was time to go job hunting. I went on one interview (only one) at a place called Mergenthaler Linotype and was hired as a ‚letter drawer‘.
After four years there I moved to Boston to work for a startup foundry operation as a designer. The name of that foundry was Bitstream although at that time it had no name.
At Bitstream I was a Designer, manager and then Director of Typographic Production.
After 13 years some of us left Bitstream and started our own foundry operation,
Galapagos Design Group. In 2003 I left there and came to work at Monotype Imaging.

Since the early 80’s people who draw letters have been called ‚designers‘.
Truthfully, I prefer the name we’d had a Mergenthaler, ‚Letter Drawer‘. I‘ve always felt that title marked me as a craftsmen and at Mergenthaler I was taught by a master
craftsmen by the name of Oleg Kastorsky.

Over the years I‘ve drawn many original typefaces but the ones I like the most are Oz Handicraft, ITC Kristen™, Givens Antiqua™, Wedding Singer™ and Koorkin™.

I was born in 1950 on Long Island and lived there until I was 28 when I moved to Boston, MA. After high school I spent three years in the Army before going to college in 1974.

Read also the interview with George Ryan on the next page!
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