『Sandoll Gyeokdong Series』 Capturing the Spirit of the Times
The Beginning of the 『Sandoll Gyeokdong Series』!
How did the 『Sandoll Gyeokdong Series』 become the undisputed bestseller of the font platform Sandoll Cloud? Jang Soo-young, the designer of the first font in the 『Gyeokdong Series』 「Gyeokdong Gothic」, aimed to create a font that was not just different in form but one that carried historical context.
He believed that introducing users to the background that necessitated the creation of such a font and producing a font that sufficiently reflected this background in its form would help users when selecting and using fonts. Designed with this intention, 「Gyeokdong Gothic」 established itself as a representative retro font, and subsequent releases followed with the same concept: 「Gyeokdong Gulim」, 「Gyeokdong Myeongjo」, 「Gyeokdong Gothic 2」, and 「Gyeokdong Gulim 2」.
Research Based on Letters in the Era
During the planning stage, we conducted research by taking reference photos from various places and collecting materials from the internet. The most helpful resource was the newspaper archives gathered at the National Assembly Library. We were able to access actual newspapers from the 1960s to the present, allowing us to gather a significant amount of data in a short time. Additionally, we explored the titles of North Korean books. The letters used in these titles were similar in form to the letters from the 1970s and 80s that served as our inspiration, making these books a valuable resource.
「Sandoll Gyeokdong Gothic」
The 1970s-80s in Korea was a period of rapid and remarkable growth, marked by events such as the completion of the Gyeongbu Expressway and the hosting of the Olympics. At the same time, it was a period of dark and intense incidents, including military dictatorship and the Gwangju Uprising. 「Gyeokdong Gothic」 is a font that strives to visually express the turbulent spirit of that era.
One interesting characteristic of Hangul during this period was its somewhat awkward appearance. Unlike today, the principles of Hangul design were not yet established, and the technological advancements to properly express it were lacking. This period was also a time when Hangul underwent its most active and independent experimentation with various designs, free from the interference of Western typographic principles. By examining the letters created under these unique conditions, one can feel a distinctive, intense energy. 「Gyeokdong Gothic」 captures this essence, modernizing the design and structure of the 1970s-80s Hangul.
「Sandoll Gyeokdong Gulim」
The second font released in the 『Gyeokdong Series』 is 「Gyeokdong Gulim」. Designer Jang Soo-young believed that as long as there was a contextual link, different forms and structures could be combined to create a font family that is far more interesting than merely varying the weights of a single typeface. A font family refers to a collection of fonts that share the same design identity.
The contextual link that unites 「Gyeokdong Gothic」 and 「Gyeokdong Gulim」 is the era that inspired their motifs. If the solid and rigid 「Gyeokdong Gothic」 reflects the political atmosphere of the time, 「Gyeokdong Gulim」 can be seen as a font that represents the everyday life of people from that era, often seen on shop signs. While it shares the same solid structural foundation as 「Gyeokdong Gothic」, its rounded strokes give it a soft and bright impression.
「Sandoll Gyeokdong Myeongjo」
The concept running through the 『Gyeokdong Series』 is the spirit of the 1970s-80s. Even today, 'retro' and 'vintage' content continues to be beloved. In these trends, elements of the past are not merely reproduced in their original forms but are adapted and improved to fit the present context.
The third font in the 『Gyeokdong Series』, 「Gyeokdong Myeongjo」, was born within this background. In Hangul, there is a style of font called 「Sunmyeongjo」 that directly incorporates the characteristics of Chinese Myeongjo typefaces. 「Sunmyeongjo」 has a structure that fits perfectly within a square frame. The strong contrast between horizontal and vertical strokes, triangular serifs, and the straight, upright lines are all features of 「Sunmyeongjo」.
「Gyeokdong Myeongjo」 reflects these features of the 「Sunmyeongjo」 style. It shares the modular structure of the tightly packed Gyeokdong Gothic, with characteristics such as the segmented, lifted strokes of Chinese calligraphy and the somewhat rigid downward points that convey the physicality of metal type, leaving a strong impression.
「Sandoll Gyeokdong Gothic 2」, 「Sandoll Gyeokdong Gulim 2」
In 2021 and 2022, the much-loved 「Gyeokdong Gothic」 and 「Gyeokdong Gulim」 were expanded to include a total of seven weights. The original 「Gyeokdong Gothic」, released in 2014, was well-loved as a title font due to its square shape, thick strokes, solid and powerful impression, and unique prominence. 「Gyeokdong Gothic 2」 and 「Gyeokdong Gulim 2」 maintained these advantages while expanding their weights to seven different levels, enhancing their usability.
Improvements in 「Sandoll Gyeokdong Gothic 2」 and 「Sandoll Gyeokdong Gulim 2」
What sets 「Gyeokdong Gothic 2」 and 「Gyeokdong Gulim 2」 apart from the original 「Gyeokdong Gothic」 and 「Gyeokdong Gulim」? The most significant improvements are found in the Latin and special characters.
For the Latin characters, they have been adjusted to better match the form and structure of Hangul, utilizing the accumulated experience and expertise of Sandoll. Take the letter 'g' for example: the upper counter space has been expanded to fit more harmoniously with the dense structure of 「Gyeokdong Gothic」. The same adjustments have been made for letters such as 'r' and 'p'.
Special characters, including currency symbols and frequently used symbols, have also been refined. These symbols have undergone numerous subtle adjustments to ensure that their spacing and curvature appear balanced. For instance, the original '@' in 「Gyeokdong Gothic」 had a thicker outer circle compared to the inner 'a'. In the improved version, the thickness has been adjusted so that the inner 'a' stands out more prominently.
Your 『Sandoll Gyeokdong Series』
The 『Gyeokdong Series』 is a signature collection from Sandoll, excelling in both retro contexts and a variety of other applications. Jang Soo-young, the designer who initiated the series with Gyeokdong Gothic, hoped that users would employ the font freely, beyond just the retro concept. This sentiment is shared by the designers who have since joined the 『Gyeokdong Series』. Regardless of where it is used, we hope the 『Gyeokdong Series』 will enhance and elevate users' work.
Written by: Sandoll Product Planning Team