ITC Wisteria

ITC Wisteria was designed by Michael Stacey, a Florida-based artist and graphic designer. An ardent collector and recycler of vintage graphic design and typography, Stacey says that he is especially intrigued by the lettering styles of sign painters and show-card lettering artists from the days when most display typography was hand rendered. ITC Wisteria is one such style, taken from the 1930s, which he has updated for digital imaging. His goal was to retain the loose, casual feel of handlettering, while imparting what he calls “the crisp finish of current precision typography.” ITC Wisteria is well-named in that it is, like its name-sake, both rugged and beautiful. The design is a constructed brush script that successfully melds the strength and dynamism of strong characters shapes with the grace of script letterforms. Think of the bold characters shapes as the gnarled branch structure of the wisteria bush, and the script letterforms as the plant’s delicate flowers. The split-brush strokes, although obviously constructed, also impart a sense of immediacy to the design.