Erkin Karamemet’s Ultimo – from fascination to transformation

What began as typographic fascination became a dialogue – and a process of turning reference into transformation. Erkin Karamemet traces how that process shaped his new typeface, Ultimo. The story of this project begins with Upper & Lowercase Magazine (U&lc), a highly influential typography journal of its era. Published from 1973 to 1999, it served as a platform to promote the typefaces of the International Typeface Corporation (ITC), with Herb Lubalin as one of its key creative forces – both designer and editor. In spring 2023, I acquired a large collection of these magazines, which fascinated me both aesthetically and historically. Emerging during the era of phototypesetting, U&lc captures a moment when typography felt tactile and experimental – craft-driven, while digital tools were only beginning to enter everyday practice. A specific reference became the starting point. In Issue 16, No. 2 (1989), I came across a feature on Minoru Morita. The piece describes his unusual path from karate master to graphic designer, accompanied by illustrations and typographic work, including the typeface Rain Drops, which became the immediate trigger for the project. What stayed with me most, though, was the belief that design can communicate beyond spoken language – through form, rhythm, and visual tension – ultimately, through feeling.