BY Armin

Baseline, Interrupted

Since 1995, the International Typographics Magazine, Baseline has been published independently by Bradbourne Publishing Limited — the enterprise formed by Hans Dieter Reichert and Mike Daines when they purchased the magazine from the defunct Letraset. For the past twelve years, the magazine has been financed, edited, designed and produced through Hans’ London-based design firm HDR Visual Communication three times a year amidst the rest of their client work. To say that this is a labor of love is putting it mildly. For those (like me) that enjoy the newsstand experience, Baseline has always stood out on the shelves in more way than one. First, the size, sticking out atop the rest of the standardized rags; second, the content, as it continually provides unexpected and less trodden topics; and lastly, that peculiar, jittery, all-inclusive, passive-ransom-note logo.

The impetus for it is palpable: This is a magazine about the varied flavors of typography so the logo should reflect that. As a whole it succeeded in having created a recognizable texture on the newsstands, yet when broken down one does have to wonder about that funky n and the Rotis Sans b, but those are just personal peeves. With issue 52, Baseline is completely reinvented from the grid up by the HDR team. The new logo is a stenciled interpretation of the magazine typeface, Akkurat Schwarz.

“The stencil design has been chosen to give the logo individuality, recognition and a sense of classic modernity. It also reflects craft and hand lettering, as well as relating to mass production, creative thought and production processes.
— Baseline 52, Editorial

The new logo is certainly more contemporary and it manages to carry over some of the texture from the previous logo with the white counters of the stencil — clean and organized cuts. The shapes of the letters themselves are quite handsome on their own, with their mono weight strokes and slightly condensed structure. The new logo, like the rest of the design of the magazine, feels organized and authoritative. The new Baseline is able to reflect the care and attention that has been put into it for years by a team that is dedicated and passionate about their typographic sideshow.

\n\nSince 1995, the International Typographics Magazine, Baseline has been published independently by Bradbourne Publishing Limited — the enterprise formed by Hans Dieter Reichert and Mike Daines when they purchased the magazine from the defunct Letraset. For the past twelve years, the magazine has been financed, edited, designed and produced through Hans' London-based design firm HDR Visual Communication three times a year amidst the rest of their client work. To say that this is a labor of love is putting it mildly. For those (like me) that enjoy the newsstand experience, Baseline has always stood out on the shelves in more way than one. First, the size, sticking out atop the rest of the standardized rags; second, the content, as it continually provides unexpected and less trodden topics; and lastly, that peculiar, jittery, all-inclusive, passive-ransom-note logo.

Many thanks to our ADV @ UnderConsideration Partners