Prison Gothic
Sans serif typeface
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Prison Gothic is a Chinese character typeface project started in 2016.[1][2] The typeface is based on street signs in Hong Kong made by Stanley Prison inmates.[3][4][5][6]
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| Category | Gothic, sans serif |
|---|---|
| Designers | Gary Yau, Thomas Ng |
| Date released | 30 November 2022 |
Origin
Prison Gothic originates from traffic signs produced by inmates of Stanley Prison in the 1970s. The inmates used cutleries to engrave characters based on the Ishii Gothic typeface;[citation needed] however, since traditional Chinese characters were not standarized at that time, the characters gained their distinct rigid and bold look. Beginning in the mid-1990s, the HKCSD gradually transitioned to computer-aided design and manufacturing, and by 1997, the signs were no longer manufactured at Stanley Prison. There are 700 signs remaining in Prison Gothic.[as of?]
In October 2016, the Road Research Society launched the "Prison Gothic Revival Initiative", aiming to revive the typeface as a computer font. After five years of development, they launched a funding campaign in July 2022, ending on 22 August. They ultimately raised HK$1.33 million, exceeding the original target by 191%. The computer typeface was introduced in November.