Itemzero

08/04/2026

The Art of Logotype Calibration 🔍

We recently teamed up with the amazing to calibrate the new logotype they developed for their client, Aliados Consulting.

What exactly goes into a calibration project? Our main goal is to elevate, not necessarily create. We take the brilliant foundation built by designers and art directors and apply technical refinement. For this project, that meant:
✨ Reshaping and balancing forms optically
✨ Precision respacing
✨ Packaging the final asset as a working OpenType font for seamless implementation

We also developed two distinct optical sizes: Display and Micro.

From Designers to Designers, this is a highly technical process of problem-finding, iteration, and constant dialogue. 🤝

Testing is a crucial (and often expensive) part of this process. To solve this, at we developed custom simulation tools that allow us to predict exactly how a form will behave across print, screens, and light at various sizes—meaning we don’t have to wait for physical proofs to iterate quickly. 💡

Swipe to see the process! Let us know your thoughts in the comments. 👇

26/08/2025

01/06/2025

It's here! 🎉 The Book Box - 2nd Edition is launching soon! Get ready to elevate your editorial design. Early Bird prices drop this June ONLY! Don't miss out.
Link in bio for all the details.
shop.itemzero.com/products/the-book-box

29/09/2024

📕 NEW BOOK 📕
A deep dive into the Art & Science of paper. Where craft meets mastery.
📕Paper, Paper, Paper by 0. itemzero

Early Bird Price from 30 Sep. to 14 Oct.
Have a look inside

19/09/2024

How close have you ever looked at paper? For the last two years, we’ve been looking very, very close at it.

We’ve even ditched our magnifying thread counters in favour of pocket microscopes. Our students got very curious. Some workers at printing houses chuckled at our nitpicking, others met us with curiosity. And some Designer friends of ours got microscopes of their own, too!

Sharing our curiosity in finding new worlds under a microscope, here are some very close photographs of our latest project – we can’t get enough of forests made of fibres, pigments percolating through white wooden sponges, the never-ending shiny textures of paper coatings.

Again, how close have you ever looked at paper? And what have you found? Let us know in the comments.🔍

17/09/2024

We’re looking for synonyms! Which ones do you know? How do you call the gate fold in your language? Let the commenting start!

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13/08/2024

LEARNING ALERT: We'll be lecturing a post-grad course this year at ! You'll get to make a book, start to finish with our help, .print and 's.

The course is on Editorial Graphic Production, featuring topics such as graphic composition, final art, printing techniques and bookbinding. Also, classes will move from the classroom to the printing factory floor.

You can find more info here: https://www.iade.europeia.pt/pos-graduacoes/artes-graficas/

We're looking forward to meet you!

14/06/2024

CALLIGRAPHY MANUALS: BLACKLETTER – TEXTURA

You know the gist of the Calligraphy Manuals collection: variations, variations and some more variations.

The process in making these manuals is, along with the calligrapher (, in this case), to reduce a style to its simplest forms and then expanding these in their structure, gestures and ornaments. To this, historical examples are added.

Calligraphy is a living thing, with each penman adding their unique flair. More than paying hommage to History, we aim to give you the tools to keep innovating upon centuries-old traditions.

05/06/2024

One of the supporting pieces to Calligraphy Manuals: Blackletter – Textura is this 50×70 cm screen print poster. Featuring Textura’s minuscule basic forms, stroke order and direction, and anatomy. Perfect for calligraphy and type lovers who appreciate a quick reference. Or that just enjoy staring at letters (we get it)!

Available in our shop 💥

21/05/2024

[CUSTOM TYPEFACE] Lautier Sans and Lautier Serif is a bespoke typeface developed for ‘s brand Lautier 1975. The serif is inspired by the work of French and Belgian baroque punchcutters, especially Fournier and Rosart, contrasting with the playfulness of the modernist Art Déco all-caps sans-serif.

Lautier serif features an extensive set of ligatures and swashes, whilst Lautier Sans features three alternate sets of glyphs that pseudo-randomly change while typesetting.

Design, development and engineering: 0. Itemzero
Art Direction: Villa Mokum