SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — February 18, 2016 — Cal Poly’s Graphic Communication Department introduced a new font, Prince Bold, to honor Ray Prince, a longtime benefactor and friend of the department.
Prince Bold is a digital reconstruction of a wood type-font originally named Roman XX Condensed, first offered in 1838 by the George Nesbitt Co. of New York. Cal Poly Professor Brian Lawler recreated the typeface and presented it during the department’s 2016 International Graphic Communication Week banquet held last month. The font is now issued by the Shakespeare Press Museum at Cal Poly.
“Ray Prince has become an icon at Cal Poly for the support he has provided to the Graphic Communication Department through wisdom and resources,” said Ken Macro, chair of the department. “He is a philosopher of printing, and it is befitting that his name will live on in perpetuity through a revival display typeface.”
Prince is a well-known printing industry expert. He has served in executive positions for industry companies and associations, has published worldwide, and continues to be a highly sought-after consultant. He is a lifelong advocate for the printing industry and for graphic communication education.
Prince is responsible for the Raymond J. Prince Graphic Arts Collection at Cal Poly—the largest library collection of its kind. He donated $2.3 million to Cal Poly’s Graphic Communication Department last fall to preserve the history and knowledge of the printing and imaging industry.
About Cal Poly’s Graphic Communication Department
The Graphic Communication Department was founded in 1946 and is one of the largest and best-known programs of its kind in the U.S. It includes concentrations in graphic communication management, Web and digital media, design reproduction technology, graphics for packaging, and individualized study. The program is strongly supported by industry with grants and endowments and with equipment, supplies and software for the department’s more than 33,000 sq. ft. of modern laboratories. The department has national accreditation from the Accrediting Council for Collegiate Graphic Communications. The Graphic Communication Institute at Cal Poly focuses on services for industry, including research, testing, product evaluations, consulting, training, seminars, workshops, conferences, publishing and literature searches.