Jo De Baerdemaeker will present his in-depth research regarding the origin, development, and typographical use of typefaces for the Tibetan writing system and how the Tibetan script evolved from woodblock to pixel. In addition to an introduction to Tibetan script characteristics, the chronological evolution of Tibetan type designs and typographic techniques, Jo will provide a rare insight into the motives behind the manufacturing of multiscript printing types at established polyglot printing houses.
Jo is an independent Belgian typeface designer and researcher. He holds an MA and a PhD from the University of Reading, UK. His interests are designing, researching and writing about world script typefaces (particularly on Tibetan, Lantsa, Mongolian and Javanese) and multilingual typography. He is a regular speaker at international conferences, and curates exhibitions centered on type and typography. He currently teaches at LUCA School of Arts in Ghent. He is the author of "Tibetan Typeforms" the first, and so far the only, book exploring in-depth Tibetan type and typography.