Steven Janecek

My journey in lettering and type began in the late 1980s, before digital typography became part of everyday design. I worked for many years in the sign-making industry, where I gained hands-on experience with letterforms, typography, visual balance, and the early computerized systems used to produce professional signs. JollyType, however, began much more personally. After leaving Czechoslovakia and starting a new life in America, I began drawing cheerful, distinctive letters by hand. I used them for postcards and Christmas cards that I sent to my parents back home. I wanted my month That original hand-drawn alphabet eventually became the inspiration for JollyType. My influences come from traditional sign lettering, the typography I encountered throughout my years in the sign industry, handmade greeting cards, and the expressive possibilities hidden inside ordinary letters. I am particularly interested in small details—dots, curves, proportions, and unexpected elements that can transform a simple word into something memorable. Decades after drawing those first letters, I returned to the original idea and began developing it into a complete digital typeface while preserving its handmade personality.