SuperVeloz Joan Trochut’s Modular Modernism and the Dream of Typographic Abundance in Spain, 1930–1955

The fantastical Spanish letterpress system that made artists of printers and brought movement to moveable typeIn late 1930s Barcelona, budding designer Joan Trochut and his father, Etienne, a visionary printer, set out to reimagine the centuries-old medium of letterpress for an age of speed, creative flexibility and visual exuberance. Inspired by modern art and avant-garde printing, Joan devised a typeface unlike any other—one made of hundreds of interchangeable elements that combined to create myriad new alphabets, charming illustrations and an endless supply of original ornaments. Called SuperTipo Veloz (later simply Super-Veloz), the system was beloved by printers throughout Spain before vanishing beneath new waves of technological change. In this book, Alex Trochut (designer and grandson of Joan Trochut) and Andreu Balius tell the fascinating story of Super-Veloz and share the artwork that introduced it to the world. More than 150 reproductions from the dazzling albums called NOVADAM, in which the Trochuts used the type to explode conventional design limits, join never-before-seen drawings and sketches, translations, archival photographs and a comprehensive showing of Super-Veloz elements, making this a sensational resource for modern design inspiration.