Ink: Written By Hand

Up until just over 30 years ago, when the desktop computer debuted, the whole design production process would have been done primarily by hand, and with the aide of analog machines. The design and print industries used a variety of ways to get type and image onto film, plates, and finally to the printed page. Graphic Means is a journey through this transformative Mad Men-era of pre-digital design production to the advent of the desktop computer. It explores the methods, tools, and evolving social roles that gave rise to the graphic design industry as we know it today.

Helvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. It looks at the proliferation of one typeface (which will celebrate its 50th birthday in 2007) as part of a larger conversation about the way type affects our lives. The film is an exploration of urban spaces in major cities and the type that inhabits them, and a fluid discussion with renowned designers about their work, the creative process, and the choices and aesthetics behind their use of type.

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Graphic designer and multidisciplinary artist José María Cruz Novillo redesigned Spain's corporate image as the country transformed itself and tried to move into the future.

An artist had a vision for art and expressed it in his paintings, fashion designs, and photographs. He created a virtual reality exhibition and virtual reality artworks that people could experience and feel.

Hanzi is a documentary exploring international design, visual culture, and identity through the lens of modern Chinese typography. The film covers a variety of topics such as how languages shape identity, and what role handwriting plays in the digital age.

A documentary film exploring the origin, evolution, and lasting impact of one of Rochester, NY's most recognizable symbols. From its creation in the 1970s to its place in today’s culture, the City Mark’s simple design became a powerful expression of identity, pride, and belonging. Through archival footage, local voices, and new interviews, the documentary traces the mark’s journey — from a government design initiative to a symbol embraced by the community. It’s a design story, but more importantly, it’s a story about people.

Documentary about the Swedish artist and painter Philip von Schantz.

A fascinating documentary about Piet Zwart (1885–1977), an idiosyncratic and stubborn designer, who lived for innovation and prepared the way for the international success that is now known as Dutch Design. Piet Zwart worked as an interior and industrial designer, commercial typographer, photographer, critic and lecturer, playing a key role in defining the design climate in the Netherlands in the Twentieth Century. He is especially known for designing the famous ‘Piet Zwart’ kitchen for the Dutch company Bruynzeel: a kitchen that could be easily produced and consisted of standardized elements. His versatility and influence on present-day designers led the Association of Dutch Designers to award him the title of “Designer of the Century” in 2000.

Macario 'Mac' Gómez talks about his long career as a film poster designer.

Why has letterpress printing survived? Irreplaceable knowledge of the historic craft is in danger of being lost as its caretakers age. Fascinating personalities intermix with wood, metal, and type as young printers save a traditional process in Pressing On, a 4K feature-length documentary exploring the remarkable community keeping letterpress alive.

Facing deteriorating machines and the advance of new technologies, Argentine printing presses are closing up their shops. A group of young designers has rediscovered this great technical innovation in the history of the written word – the typesetting printing press – but the technique is difficult to learn, passed down from master to apprentice. The last press mechanic in the country will be in charge of teaching them so that this historic technique endures.

Click for full movie details & trailers.

Click for full movie details & trailers.

After noticing the Meewasin logo throughout Saskatoon, filmmaker Devon Rumpel set out to answer that question. A Vision for the Valley explores the rare longevity of a modernist logo and the ideas that brought it to life. The film traces the origins of the Meewasin Valley Authority before turning its focus to Vic Sotropa, the logo’s designer, whose largely under-the-radar career has had an outsized impact in Saskatchewan. What begins as an inquiry into graphic design expands into a broader reflection on legacy, place, and the enduring power of human vision.

A documentary about calligraphy.

Elizabeth concerns the life and work of calligrapher, typographer, and graphic designer Elizabeth Friedlander. The film takes an essay form, describing what is known of her life, using archive footage interspersed with landscape and speculative images and text, probing the practical and political life of women surviving on wit and skill in early twentieth century Europe.

Since childhood, Miki has had a unique relationship with calligraphy. Born left-handed, she was introduced to this art to learn how to write with her right hand, but what started as an exercise quickly became a passion. More than just a movement, each stroke is, for her, a quest for meaning, a silent dialogue with the poets and thinkers of the past. Follow Miki for a moment in a calligraphy session as she reflects on this art—not as a rigid practice, but as a living form, evolving alongside those who engage with it.

Through the lens of graphic design, “Design Canada” follows the transformation of a nation from a colonial outpost to a vibrant and multicultural society. What defines a national identity, is it an anthem? A flag? Is it a logo or icon? How do these elements shape who we are? In the 1960s and 1970s, these questions were answered by an innovative group of Canadian designers, who used design to unify the nation.

Goodwin & Goodwin are a creative sign company based in North London — an eclectic, international team of architects, designers, typographers and sign makers. From their passion for retro typography, through to their pride in seeing the final pieces hanging on the wall, this is a heart-warming documentary about hand-crafted design and teamwork.