Crash Course in Revival Type Design by Type Electives

The Type Electives Revival Type Design crash course is a five-week live online class taught by Libbie Bischoff, running on Tuesdays from 2 February to 2 March 2027, 6 to 8 pm EST. Over the five weeks you design a font based on a historical reference, taking it from first idea to your own type specimen. Each week combines a two-hour live class on Zoom with pre-recorded lectures and optional office hours. There are 18 seats, enrolment is open, and the course costs $400.

A revival is a typeface drawn from an existing historical source, such as old printed specimens or lettering. Working from a reference gives beginners something solid to measure their drawings against, and it teaches how type designers of the past solved the same problems. Compared with the ten-week Type Design Development Workshop, which is for people who already have a typeface under way, this class is shorter and open to first-timers.

What You Will Learn

The course follows a single project from start to finish. Based on the official course page, you will work through:

• Choosing a historical reference to base your font on
• Turning that reference into ideas for your own typeface
• Drawing and developing the letters across the five weeks
• Learning from weekly pre-recorded lectures alongside the live classes
• Getting questions answered in optional office hours
• Finishing with your own type specimen to present the font

Who Is the Type Electives Revival Type Design Course For?

The official page names three groups: beginner to intermediate type design students, graphic designers, and people trying type design for the first time. If you have always been curious about how fonts are made, the reference-based approach gives you a clear starting point.

It is less suited to experienced type designers looking for detailed critique of an advanced family. Five weeks is short, so expect a focused introduction rather than a complete, production-ready typeface. People who already have a typeface in progress may prefer a critique-based workshop.

Schedule

The class runs for five weeks in spring 2027:

• Dates: Tuesdays, 2 February to 2 March 2027
• Time: 6 to 8 pm EST
• Live class: two hours each week on Zoom
• Lectures: pre-recorded lectures released each week
• Support: optional office hours and a Slack channel for the group
• Group size: 18 seats

Because the live class is set to US Eastern time, check what 6 pm EST means where you live before you enrol. In much of Europe it falls late in the evening.

Price and Access

The course costs $400, with open enrolment, so you do not need to apply or send a portfolio. Seats are limited to 18, so places can run out before the start date. Check the official page for the current price and availability.

About the Instructor and the School

Libbie Bischoff teaches this crash course and also leads the Type Design Development Workshop at Type Electives. Type Electives is an online school co-founded by Lynne Yun and Juan Villanueva. It offers live online classes in type design, lettering and creative technology, and it also offers scholarships.

Things to Consider

• Time: plan for the two-hour class plus time to watch the lectures and draw between sessions.
• Time zone: the class is at 6 pm EST; work out your local time first.
• Software: the official page does not list required software, so ask Type Electives before the course starts.
• Scope: you will finish with a specimen, but a full family takes much longer than five weeks.
• Community: use the Slack channel to share progress and ask questions between classes.
• Cost: if the price is a barrier, look at the scholarships Type Electives offers.

How to Get the Most From It

Pick your historical reference early, ideally before the first class, so you can start drawing straight away. Print or save good-quality images of the source and keep them next to your work. Taking the Type Electives Revival Type Design crash course with a clear reference in hand means the five weeks go into drawing rather than searching.

Start the Course

Interested in learning with Type Electives?

Start Crash Course in Revival Type Design

For the full syllabus and pricing, visit the official Type Electives website.

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Last verified: November 12, 2026