Tony Forster

Tony Forster (1941—2008) was a self taught lettering artist and calligrapher based in Manchester, UK. His love affair with the written word spanned 50 years.

His career encompassed senior positions at major agencies, freelance work and many teaching posts.

Tony (or Fozzie as he was affectionately known) was a master of type, whether rendering a single letter, a word or phrase, he could complete a piece of work with ultimate precision and technical skill, or work spontaneously – he had been known to use beetroot juice and a lollypop stick for a piece of calligraphy.

Although modest, his work was widely recognised throughout his career - he won over 25 International Design Awards. His work can be found in numerous publications including Type Directors Club and Communication Arts annuals, Trademarks and Symbols of the World, Novum, Graphics World and many others.

Following his death he was described in @grafik.media mag by @tonydispigna as “The Herb Lubalin of England”. He left behind a staggering amount of work in his studio – a veritable Aladdin’s cave of typographic treasures. It’s taken years to uncover, document, photograph, scan, and categorise a lifetime’s output of work, and it remains an on-going process.