Fall 2026 priority deadline for transfer and graduate studies is January 5.

Fall 2026 priority deadline for transfer and graduate studies is January 5.

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Fall 2026 priority deadline for transfer and graduate studies is January 5.

Program

Our vision

Curriculum →

Mission →

Community

Who we celebrate

Faculty →

Chair →

Staff →

Students →

Work

We strive for

Recent Work →

Ventures →

News →

FAQs →

Apply Now →

Search

Bits of Type

Bits of Type

Winter Sun

Winter Sun

Project Description

Project Description

In recent years, the bitmap artwork of video games have been celebrated as an exciting new source of inspiration. However, the conversation of bitmap typography of video games has been non-existent. Consisting of a book, website, and line of merchandise, "Bits of Type" is a catalyst for discussion and and appreciation of these overlooked and beloved letterforms of the 1980s and early 1990s.

Links

Links


A collage of six pixel art game screenshots:</p>
<p>1. “Sword Swingers & Spell Casters”</p>
<p>2. “EPIC Adventures”</p>
<p>3. “Ninjas”</p>
<p>4. “Crazy Mafia Army”</p>
<p>5. “Leaderboards, Score Cards, and Checkered Flags”</p>
6. “World of Tomorrow”The image shows a book or magazine spread divided into two distinct sections. On the left side, the word "JOUST" is displayed in a stylized, pixelated font against a black background, with an orange-red border at the bottom. On the right side, the letters "AE" are shown in a large, white, pixelated font against an orange background. Below the letters, the text "WAVE GAME OVER" is written in smaller white text, followed by a phone number "123-456-7890" in white.The image shows two pages from a book. The left page features the title "STARTROPICS" in stylized green and purple text against a black background with a starry night sky effect and a blue horizontal band at the bottom with silhouetted palm trees. The right page has a light blue background with the title "SOUTH PACIFIC MYSTERY OF THE SOUTHERN CROSS" in white text. Below the title, a black box contains text that reads: "I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU! I'M CHIEF CORALCOLA AND A GOOD FRIEND OF YOUR UNCLE." Below this text are two small black square icons with names next to them: "True Tropics" and "Nintendo (3/99)".The image shows an open book displaying text on the left page and a black background with stylized text on the right. The text on the left page includes “COME WITE ME TO THE CLOUDS,” “WHERE YOU MAY CONFESS YOUR GUEST,” and “A S WITH A S.” The text on the right page reads “WIZARD HEXES FALL VANQUISHED BY JUST ONE CHAMPION KNIGHT.” Both text blocks are in a pixelated, blocky font style. The left page also contains a small illustration of a bird-like creature in the top left corner.The image displays a collection of uppercase letters in both uppercase and lowercase forms, arranged in a grid-like pattern against a black background. Each character is presented in a pixelated, retro style font. The top row shows "P38 STENCIL" and "KUROS," while the bottom row shows "PICARUS" and "FOUL BALL." Each character is accompanied by its corresponding ASCII value.A screenshot shows a website displaying the title "BITS OF TYPE!" in large, yellow, stylized letters at the top. Below the title are navigation links: "THE BOOK," "ARTICLES," "PODCASTS," and "SHOP." A search bar labeled "Looking for Something?" is visible to the right. A game screen titled "PASSAGE BY JASON ROHRER" shows pixelated characters on a yellow and green background. Below it, a text block describes the game, mentioning Jason Rohrer's experience and gameplay. A book cover titled "BITS OF TYPE?" is displayed prominently, with a description mentioning its content and style. A pink banner at the bottom reads "i love pixel." A sidebar titled "WHAT IS 'BITS OF TYPE'?" is visible on the right, and a sidebar titled "DIGGING THE STOGITIC TYPEFACE" appears on the left.Three hands are shown against a white background. The hand on the left displays the words "BITS OF TYPE!" in yellow block letters. The center hand has a red heart shape with a blue ribbon across it, labeled "TYPE" in yellow. The hand on the right has the words "GAME OVER" in black block letters.The image shows two hands clasped together, with fingers extended and forming a fist shape. Each finger is marked with the word "GAME" in black capital letters, arranged in a straight line across the palm. The hands are positioned in front of a blurred face, with no other features visible. The background is uniformly white.Two identical blue and yellow “BITS OF TYPE!” boxes are shown, each with a black and yellow design. The boxes feature a stylized “H” logo in yellow and “BITS OF TYPE!” in yellow text on a black background. The boxes are stacked and appear to be designed for retail display.

Newsletter

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310 East 22nd St - 5th Floor

New York, NY 10010

310 East 22nd St - 5th Floor

New York, NY 10010

310 East 22nd St - 5th Floor

New York, NY 10010

(212) 592-2600

mfadesign@sva.edu

(212) 592-2600

mfadesign@sva.edu

(212) 592-2600

mfadesign@sva.edu