iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Sam at BLAG @blag.typo.social.ap.brid.gy · 09/10/2026

The new series of Letter Exchange lectures is now out, kicking off next week with @richardardagh on Type Archived, and then running more or less monthly until the summer. The lectures can be attended in-person in London, or online via Zoom. letterexchange.org/events #Lettering #Type […]

typo.social

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Sam at BLAG @blag.typo.social.ap.brid.gy · 09/10/2026

New at bl.ag online (aka @sam), ‘Chicago Sign Writing in The Origin of the Serif’, with a reproduction of the final chapter of Edward Catich’s seminal work with the kind permission of St. Ambrose University […] [Original post on typo.social]

The Cooper Black I in black on white with the left side showing how, with small horizontal movements, the full serifed letter can be constructed in two strokes.

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Sam at BLAG @blag.typo.social.ap.brid.gy · 07/10/2026

In Markdown, are there any other ways of implementing footnotes besides the [^1] format outlined on this page? www.markdownguide.org/extended-synt… I'm trying to add some to a piece in Ghost and it is not automatically rendering as it does with other Markdown elements […]

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Sam at BLAG @blag.typo.social.ap.brid.gy · 07/10/2026

New typeface and identity for Fulham Football Club inspired by the stadium's hand-painted lettering: music.agency/work/fulham-fc The Music agency brought in @f37foundry to develop the typeface. cc @sportsfonts #FFC #Fulham #Fonts #Type

music.agency

Fulham FC | Music

Written into the Cottage

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Sam at BLAG @blag.typo.social.ap.brid.gy · 06/10/2026

A good sign maker considers the wider context in which their work will appear. This can include the nature of neighbouring signage, the position of the sun at different times of the day/year, and the various angles from which the sign will be viewed by the […] [Original post on typo.social]

Photo at night of a small eatery called Pick Me Up. Its sign in cursive yellow lettering is partially obscured the protruding canopy/lintel below such that what's visible reads as "Dick Me Up".

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Reposted by Sam at BLAG

Micah Blachman @micahblachman.typo.social.ap.brid.gy · 04/10/2026

@blag Not sure if this is what you're looking for, but this photographer documents brick ads. marlenkemmet.com/ghost-signs

marlenkemmet.com

Ghost Signs/Brick Ads – Marlen Kemmet

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Sam at BLAG @blag.typo.social.ap.brid.gy · 04/10/2026

Nice little video with the stories behind some of the ghost signs in Bozeman, Montana. nbcmontana.com/news/montana-moment/… I'd be interested to know if there are any historical records referring to Brick Ads, as this was the name of […]

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Sam at BLAG @blag.typo.social.ap.brid.gy · 02/10/2026

Am I hallucinating or was there once a Twitter hashtag like #UnintentionalAmpersand or #AmpersandInTheWild? Either way, here's one spotted in the kitchen today. cc @daveybot #Ampersand

Photo of a small piece of chain with a clasp on the end that is sitting on a black speckled marble surface such that the way it curls over itself gives the appearance of an ampersand.

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Sam at BLAG @blag.typo.social.ap.brid.gy · 30/09/2026

RE: mastodon.social/@simplebits/1173565… This is a good newsletter that I recently subscribed to, but make sure you have some time to click and indulge links when you open each one.

mastodon.social

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Sam at BLAG @blag.typo.social.ap.brid.gy · 30/09/2026

I think a few of the graphic design, photography, and typography folk on here would get a kick out of Tom Koch's series of six zines about his time in Japan: Tokyo Bento. They're all presented here for digital browsing: www.tomkoch.net The pictured […] [Original post on typo.social]

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Sam at BLAG @blag.typo.social.ap.brid.gy · 29/09/2026

I'm working on a little 'support your local bookshop' mailshot to counter a big promotional push I'm seeing from a major online retailer. I'll obviously include a plug for the BLAG shop (bl.ag/shop) but Is there anything else I should add to the following three suggestions? 1 […]

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Sam at BLAG @blag.typo.social.ap.brid.gy · 28/09/2026

New at bl.ag online (aka @sam), ‘Unpredictable Precision: Bringing Gluechipping Back to Japan’, with Sayumi Mizukoshi sharing her sign painting story and her work reviving this technique in Japan […] [Original post on typo.social]

Photo of a woman in front of a small easel with a piece of glass propped up on it. She is concentrating as she holds a piece of gold leaf on a brush, about to apply it to the glass in the process of gilding a gluechipped letter that is on the glass. To her side, a person is standing, only their body visible, while holding a notebook. Around the easel on the table are materials and pieces of equipment including a bottle with liquid inside, paper cups and more gold leaves.

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Deano @deano-510.sfba.social.ap.brid.gy · 25/09/2026

Forwarding this one mostly for @blag , but I’m sure you’ve already seen it by now. Sign painting is alive and well in SF! #signs #signage #painting #art #design […]

sfba.social

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Sam at BLAG @blag.typo.social.ap.brid.gy · 25/09/2026

While in London I found two copies each of BLAG 04 and BLAG 05 which were previously sold out. I have put these together with Issues 03, 06, 07, and 08 to create a six-issue bundle with shipping included from Spain. shop.bl.ag/products/blag-issues-03-… #BLAG #SignPainting #Magazines

shop.bl.ag

BLAG Issues 03–08

Six issues of BLAG, as below, with tracked UPS shipping included

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Sam at BLAG @blag.typo.social.ap.brid.gy · 24/09/2026

What's a neat way of storing and accessing smaller publications, e.g. A5 / half letter size? A shelf doesn't work for me as most of these (zines, booklets, etc) don't have text on their spines, and it's more or less the same issue with the plastic box that I currently have them in. I want to […]

typo.social

Original post on typo.social

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Sam at BLAG @blag.typo.social.ap.brid.gy · 23/09/2026

RE: typo.social/@sol/117297378858376210 Quote posting this again for International Day of Sign Languages and to ask if anyone in Santa Rosa, CA, knows anything about this and perhaps its creator(s)? #SantaRosa #SignLanguage

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Sam at BLAG @blag.typo.social.ap.brid.gy · 23/09/2026

New at bl.ag online (aka @sam), ‘My First Letterheads: Sea Level, Amsterdam, 2026’, with Maggie Jaris sharing her “transformative” experience at last month’s gathering of sign painters in the city. bl.ag/my-first-letterheads-sea-leve… […] [Original post on typo.social]

View over the shoulder of a sign painter working with a fine lining brush to apply a thin outline to lettering that says "Sea Level" in the corner of a panel that has more lettering on it which isn't visible.

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Sam at BLAG @blag.typo.social.ap.brid.gy · 22/09/2026

There are bargains (and freebies) to be had for anyone that can get to Welwyn Garden City on Friday, 9 October. www.handover.co.uk/blog/2026/09/22/… The early bird catches the brushes, paints, and sundries... #Signwriting […]

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Sam at BLAG @blag.typo.social.ap.brid.gy · 22/09/2026

What's the correct term for words that are spelled the same but mean different things depending on how they're pronounced? For example 'tear', meaning to rip when it rhymes with 'hair' versus a droplet of water falling from the eye when it rhymes with 'ear'. And does this phenomenon occur in […]

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Sam at BLAG @blag.typo.social.ap.brid.gy · 21/09/2026

Just got my latest royalty statement for 'Advertising and Public Memory: Social, Cultural and Historical Perspectives on Ghost Signs' that I co-edited ten years ago. The academic book, published by Routledge/Taylor & Francis, retails at $63 in paperback, $50 for the eBook (!!!), and $187 for […]

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Original post on typo.social

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Sam at BLAG @blag.typo.social.ap.brid.gy · 21/09/2026

Despite living there for over two years and being aware of Vann Nath’s artworks, I only learned today that he used to earn his living as a sign painter. “Vann Nath was born in 1946 in Battambang province, into a poor family that sold rice noodles. He grew up at Wat Sopee pagoda, where he […]

typo.social

Original post on typo.social

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Sam at BLAG @blag.typo.social.ap.brid.gy · 20/09/2026

Just picked up delivery of my patches from @spellingmistakescostlives and this was among the little extras inside. Maybe the time has come for version 2.0 based on the logotypes of some of the big tech/AI companies out there?

Card that reads "Don't believe everything billionaires tell you" with each word set in the masthead/logotype of a different major right wing British newspaper.

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Sam at BLAG @blag.typo.social.ap.brid.gy · 20/09/2026

Enjoyed this piece on neon signs, and it was nice to see God's Own Junkyard in London feature alongside the US locations. www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eZ3WCthsag #Neon #NeonSigns #Signs

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Sam at BLAG @blag.typo.social.ap.brid.gy · 19/09/2026

@rogerchicken.bsky.social Hi Roger, just seeing if this comes through to you on Bluesky and if you are able to reply to me here on Mastodon... PS. I saw your post of the repainted Melox Marvels ghost sign in Birmingham ( […] [Original post on typo.social]

Photo of the upper two floors of a building with the wall split into roughly two thirds on the left and one third on the right, separated by loading doors. The wall on the left also has a window set into it. Then, on the walls themselves, are traces of fading lettering, which is visible as layers from newer towards the front to older behind. Words and phrases can be read, especially on the most recent layer which says "Clarke's Melox Marvels, the Ideal Biscuits for Dogs" on the left and "Clarke's Pulbis Dog Food, a Melox Product" on the right.

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Sam at BLAG @blag.typo.social.ap.brid.gy · 18/09/2026

As it has come up in a couple of conversations/activities recently, here’s a reminder of the inspiring and courage-inducing message in Charles Bukowski’s ‘Roll the Dice’: hellopoetry.com/poem/68266/roll-the… #Poetry #Poem #RollTheDice #Bukowski

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Sam at BLAG @blag.typo.social.ap.brid.gy · 17/09/2026

Today's rabbit hold: Interesting Ideas: "Interestingideas.com is my project. It began as a photo-copied newsletter in 1989 and reached the world via the Web in 1994, a sobering example of the Internet’s transparency to marginal notions. It was a personal test bed for online publishing as well […]

typo.social

Original post on typo.social

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Sam at BLAG @blag.typo.social.ap.brid.gy · 17/09/2026

Earlier this month I did some filming with Better Bankside for their social media team. This is the first despatch of what will likely be four or five similar segments from locations on my Bankside Ghostsigns Walk: ghostsigns.co.uk/tours. This […] [Original post on typo.social]

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Sam at BLAG @blag.typo.social.ap.brid.gy · 17/09/2026

Pretty geographically specific, but there are £2500 grants available from Heritage Crafts for anyone doing reverse glass signs in Suffolk, Essex, East Sussex, West Sussex, and Brighton and Hove. However, those outside of these areas may also apply as sometimes not all the grants are awarded […]

typo.social

Original post on typo.social

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Sam at BLAG @blag.typo.social.ap.brid.gy · 16/09/2026

Since BLAG 03, each issue of the magazine has come with a limited edition gift. Today, Len Paper & Paints (www.instagram.com/len.paints.and.pa…) shared some photos from their studio with some of these in situ. The cover wrap by Noel B. Weber for […] [Original post on typo.social]

Workshop setting with shelves and drawers of tools, plus some hanging on the wall. There is then an assortment of hand-painted panels including individual letters and pieces with one or two words on them. These include "Their Lair", "Open", "Sin", and "Fuck AI" on a sign painter's kit box.

View of the corner section of a painter's studio/workshop. The work surface has cutting mats and neatly arranged paints and other materials towards the back. As with the previous photo there are more tools hung on the wall and then another assortment of framed and loose panels and posters on the walls, each with sign painting and graphic elements.

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Sam at BLAG @blag.typo.social.ap.brid.gy · 15/09/2026

I'm looking for wrist watch recommendations, ideally for 100€ or less and available in Spain/the EU. It needs to be sufficiently waterproof to handle swimming in a pool and the sea. I prefer hands and a very simple face with large Arabic numerals at each of the 12 hours No battery — so […]

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Original post on typo.social

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Sam at BLAG @blag.typo.social.ap.brid.gy · 15/09/2026

RE: mastodon.social/@nadaeditions/11727… For those that can't make the festival dates/launch events, I have Morgane's new French sign painting book in the shop here: shop.bl.ag/products/la-peinture-en-…

mastodon.social

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Sam at BLAG @blag.typo.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/09/2026

Check out Michael Letters’ video report from last year’s Letterheads Per L’Horta (mainly in Spanish but with some English bits): www.youtube.com/watch?v=T90J-QdOdQY I’ve also added it to my previous report at bl.ag online (aka @sam) […]

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Sam at BLAG @blag.typo.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/09/2026

Please support this fundraiser for the Valley Relics Museum (501(c)(3)) in Yucca Valley, California: www.gofundme.com/f/donatevalleyreli… While I've not visited personally, it is on the 'bucket list', as detailed on my Lettering Locations map […] [Original post on typo.social]

View from elevated position of a person sat cross-legged in a high-ceilinged room. Filling the walls and floor area are illuminated signs and vintage vehicles from a large collection of such material exhibited in the gallery/museum space.

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Sam at BLAG @blag.typo.social.ap.brid.gy · 11/09/2026

And the winner of the 2026 best tanning salon name goes to Spar-Tan on Trimdon Street, Sunderland. Is there a technical term for these pun-based shop names, e.g. the fish and chip shop called The Codfather, etc etc? Share your favourites in the comments! PS […] [Original post on typo.social]

Shuttered up shopfront with a fascia sign and painted shutter with the tanning salon name, Spar-Tan, alongside a picture of a Roman gladiator-style helmet with mohawk adornment.

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Sam at BLAG @blag.typo.social.ap.brid.gy · 11/09/2026

I've left Instagram, but these folks have put me back on there in the first of what will likely be four or five of these little #Ghostsigns segments: www.instagram.com/p/DdHVKoEsnHG It was fun to get back into tour guide mode and, if you can stand my voice, then the rest of this walk […]

typo.social

Original post on typo.social

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Sam at BLAG @blag.typo.social.ap.brid.gy · 11/09/2026

Published today and avaliable in the BLAG shop: La peinture en lettres, Histoire & Renouveau by Morgane Côme. shop.bl.ag/products/la-peinture-en-… I want to read this book so much that I'm considering dropping my Spanish studies […] [Original post on typo.social]

Box of identical books with one positioned on the top showing the hand-lettered cover dominated by the title set across four lines such that 'peinture' and 'lettres' run across line breaks.

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Sam at BLAG @blag.typo.social.ap.brid.gy · 10/09/2026

Swiss folk, check out Brigitte Jaggi's forthcoming workshop schedule, and her notification about discontinuing a couple of these, i.e. this is the last chance to take two of these classes: www.brigittejaggi.ch/workshops #SignPainting #Schriftenmaler #Switzerland

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Sam at BLAG @blag.typo.social.ap.brid.gy · 09/09/2026

My sticker album is almost full following the haul at Amsterdam Letterheads. Check out the new additions here: bl.ag/what-i-do-with-sign-painters-… #Stickers #Letterheads #IOAFS

Sticker album with purple and blue pages opened to a spread that has stickers for Amsterdam Letterheads, Sea Level, 2026, Amsterdam Sign Painters, 1 Shot Paints, and Letterheads 2028: Digging Deep Into Craft, Genk, Belgium, and a reflective one for Letterheads by TEO Signs.

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Reposted by Sam at BLAG

Roy Reed @royreed.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Hain Steamship Co. Est. 1889 - a #ghostsign taken in St Ives, Cornwall in 2005. It was painted on a boathouse door near the harbour, but is it genuine or a fake? The Hain family were trading in the 1800s, but the company was actually registered in 1901. Does anyone know?

A faded painted sign on an old, large wooden door. Sign shows a red flag with a black square bearing a white 'H'. Below it are the words 'Hain Steamship Co. Est. 1889'.

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Sam at BLAG @blag.typo.social.ap.brid.gy · 08/09/2026

Here’s an ampersand for World Ampersand Day, painted by Brian Walker (RIP), the subject of a short film I made last year with Irene Chirita. I’ve now made the film, ‘When Better Letters Met Brian Walker’, and lots of Brian’s work free for all to enjoy via the […] [Original post on typo.social]

Bearded sign painter posing with mahl stick in front of lettering being painted onto a window, of which 'Doree & G...' is visible.

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Sam at BLAG @blag.typo.social.ap.brid.gy · 08/09/2026

I'm back home after travels and was delighted to have these waiting for me in the post pile (mail mountain?). They're the Route 66 centenial stamps from USPS, featuring a selection of roadside signage/iconography. I profiled them, and other signs on stamps, in […] [Original post on typo.social]

Commemorative sheet of 16 stamps (2 × 8 designs) set on a photograph of a road vanishing into the distance of a sunset-illuminated desert landscape.

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