John Downer of United States of America
Born: Tacoma, Washington, 1951
John Downer began training as a sign painter while he was in high school. He finished his apprenticeship after college, then started graduate studies in art at The University of Iowa, where he received MA and MFA degrees in painting.
John Downer currently resides in Iowa City, and lectures throughout the U.S. and Europe. His essays on type history and hand lettering have appeared in Emigre magazine and House magazine. Downer’s professional activities include sign painting, lettering, glass gilding, type design, typography, and logo design. He has also designed custom fonts for individuals and corporations.
Downer’s debut text family was Bitstream Iowan Old Style, published in 1991. Iowan Old Style is classified as a Venetian old style type design. It is related to earlier, 20th-century American interpretations of Italian Renaissance types cut by Nicolas Jenson and Francesco Griffo, but it is modeled also on classical inscriptional lettering and sign painting seen in certain regions of eastern Iowa.
Fonts by John Downer
Brothers, Council, Iowan Old Style BT, Ironmonger, Paperback, Roxy, SamSans, Triplex Italic, Triplex Italic OT, Vendetta, Vendetta OT
Browse all fonts by John Downer
Activities
Type Design
Typography
Sign Writing
Logo Design
Related Links
• ATypI 97 Fringe: John Downer
• CreativePro: An American Typeface Comes of Age by John D. Berry
• CreativePro: Paperback Reader - John Downer's new type family Paperback, by John D. Berry
• Emigre: John Downer
• Phil's Fonts: WIT - An interview with Jim Parkinson and John Downer by Ralph Smith
• Porchez: String Quartet accompagned by several signs... by John Downer
• Font Bureau People: John Downer
Please note: This is not an official page of John Downer and e-mailing us is not a good way to contact him. Corrections welcomed.
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