Cyrus Highsmith

In 1997, immediately after graduating with honors from RISD, Cyrus Highsmith joined Font Bureau where he continues to work as a senior designer developing new typefaces. He has taught letter drawing in the Graphic Design department since 2000 and also leads workshops and lectures frequently in the US, Mexico, Europe and Japan.

Highsmith is known for his original approach to drawing letterforms. His designs have been specified for diverse platforms including Rolling Stone, starwars.com and the Ford Motor Company. He has also created custom typefaces for clients such as The Wall Street Journal, Martha Stewart Living, La Prensa Gráfica, ESPN, Men’s Health and El Universal.

In addition to working as a type designer, Highsmith is an illustrator and author. In 2012 when Font Bureau published his first book, Inside Paragraphs: Typographic Fundamentals, Matthew Carter wrote, “There is nothing you need to understand about using type that’s not in this book.”