Hurry and get your order in if you want to get your hands on issue four of 8 Faces, the luxurious typography magazine put out by Bristol-based designer Elliot Jay Stocks. Only 2000 copies will be sent out in print, and the latest issue features a cover illustration by Jessica Hische printed using light coloured inks on a dramatic metallic stock.
"To be precise, the stock is 290gsm Peregrine Metal Bronze from renowned paper manufacturer GFSmith," explains Stocks. "It’s lovely, and the combination of the white ink printing for Jessica’s illustration and the foil blocking for the 8 Faces logo gives the whole thing a very regal, very special feel."
Inside the new issue explores the work of typographers such as New Zealander Kris Sowersby founder of the Klim Type Foundry, as well as Nadine Chahine who specialises in modern Arabic type. Doug Wilson, director of Linotype: The Film, is on hand, as is John Boardley of the popular website I Love Typography.
Stocks can't believe the magazine is on issue four already - but it turns out that typography is a spellbinding topic for graphic designers and all three previous issues have sold out. "It only feels like yesterday that I was emailing the interviewees for the first, asking for them to be involved and fully expecting to be turned down," he says.
In addition to interviews there are reviews of typefaces and typography-related products, plus a free catalogue from Typotheque.
Each issue, Stocks collaborates with a team of type specialists to create the magazine, and for that added seal of authenticity the publication is proofread by none other than Erik Spiekermann. So, it's unlikely there's even a single misplaced glyph. "It’s an honour to work with such an amazing team. The end result is a clear representation of all the hard work that went into making it," adds Stocks.
8 Faces costs £8 plus P&P. After the run of 2000 is sold out, you will only be able to order the magazine as a PDF.