Scope and Editorial Boundaries

Before commissioning a studio portrait or a process feature, it helps to agree on what this magazine does and does not cover. These notes define the terms we work under, so the brief stays honest and the published piece matches the reality of the studio.

Process over polish

We publish sketches, failed iterations, reference boards and production notes alongside finished work. If a project is presented as a clean case study only, it does not fit the editorial line. The raw material of the workflow matters more than the final render.

Studio portraits are documentary

A portrait feature is a record of a workspace as it is, not a styled set. Pinboards, stacked paper, half-open drawers and daylight from a north window are welcome. We do not retouch the environment into a showroom, and we do not stage objects that were not already there.

Typographic claims need evidence

When a piece discusses a typeface or a custom lettering system, we expect specimens, specimen sheets or at least a clear description of the drawing process. General statements about a font being modern or timeless are not enough for a review column.

Client work stays confidential

Real client projects are documented only with the permission of both parties. Brand strategy documents, internal briefs and unreleased identity directions are not quoted. We describe the visible outcome and the decisions behind it, not the contract details.

Material experiments are primary sources

Print samples, paper swatches, ink tests and binding trials count as primary material. A feature on print production should reference the actual substrate, the press conditions and the finishing steps, not just the final brochure photograph.

Corrections and follow-ups

If a published piece contains a factual error, a correction note is added to the original article and linked from the issue index. Follow-up interviews are scheduled when a studio completes a project that was previously shown in an unfinished state.

Recommended reading for studio clients

Process notes worth sharing before a brief

Browse the archive

How a multidisciplinary duo turns raw material experiments into award-winning identities

The Sketchbook as a Design Tool

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From niche display faces to custom type systems, a survey of the new typographic landscape

Typography in the Wild

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A photographic essay on the messy, personal environments where creative work happens

Studio Portraits

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Notes on reference boards, failed iterations and the production notes that never make the final deck

What Clients Never See

Browse the archive

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