About the TDC

The TDC celebrates and amplifies the undeniable power of typography. We are a global community united by the shared belief that type drives culture and culture drives type.

Established in 1946, the TDC today curates a calendar of initiatives designed to:

• Build a community through public events and platforms.
• Support the growth of students and early career professionals.
• Recognize excellence in type design across the world.

To learn more about the Club visit us at tdc.org.

TDC ACORN LOGO c.1956

Members enjoy benefits that include discounts on competition entries. To learn more and join, visit. Become a Member

TDC BOARD + STAFF
Guided by bold vision and clear values, TDC is led by our Advisory Board working together with Executive Director Joe Newton, Executive Director Emeritus Carol Wahler, and Program Manager Griffin McCabe.

The Advisory Board includes lauded practitioners and proponents of typography. Together, they steer the TDC toward a future where creators, enthusiasts, and newcomers alike recognize and revere type’s role in culture. Meet the Advisory Board

About the Competition

For over seven decades, The Type Directors Club Competition has been a testament to the vitality of typography—not as a static discipline, but as a living conversation between form, function, and cultural moment. Every year, a diverse range of entries confronts us with bold experiments, meticulous refinements, and everything in between, each piece speaking in its own distinct voice. Typography, Lettering, and Type Design are not just about shapes on a page, but about intention, context, and the unseen labor behind every curve.

Our esteemed panel of judges perform a meticulous evaluation of each entry. And recognition is never given lightly. The submitted work is debated, admired, and sometimes fiercely defended—because it matters. To emerge on top from such a rigorous process is the highest compliment we can offer.

The TDC71 Competition had entries from 60 countries, in 37 languages, using 19 scripts. There were 203 winners from 1,775 entries (226 Lettering, 296 Type Design, 1253 Communication Design).

About the Awards

TYPE HIGH AWARD NEW THIS YEAR!

Every TDC winning entrant stands tall among the world’s best typographic practitioners. But even within this lofty cohort some works stand above the rest. So this year TDC is introducing the Type High award, given out in Gold, Silver, and Bronze. These special awards signify the best of the best in each of the three competition disciplines (Communication Design, Lettering, and Type Design).

The newly minted award is called Type-High. A name that balances a tip of the hat with a knowing wink. Designed and named by longtime TDC collaborator, life member, and Chairman Emeritus Graham Clifford (who also designed the Best in Show award), the award is milled from a single piece of sustainably harvested bamboo and rests on a plinth. It stands a stately 7 inches (or 42 picas) tall and measures exactly 0.918 inches deep, the precise height of traditional foundry type. Type-High, in every sense.

Unlike the Olympics, the number of awards is not limited to three, but always symbolizes merit of the highest order.

BEST OF DISCIPLINE AWARD

The Best of Discipline awards signify the best of the best in each of the three competition disciplines (one award in each: Communication Design, Lettering, and Type Design).

Our teams of esteemed judges choose their favorite pieces and engage in a spirited conversation about which project should be elevated to the status of “Best”. This recognition is never given lightly. The works are debated, admired, and sometimes fiercely defended—because it matters. To emerge on top from such a rigorous process is the highest compliment we can offer.

CERTIFICATE OF TYPOGRAPHIC EXCELLENCE

All TDC winners are like Olympic athletes. Even making it to the final competition marks contestants among the world’s best. Unlike the Olympics, every TDC winner receives a coveted Certificate of Merit, suitable for framing. TDC will also provide a “digital seal” that the winner can utilize to demonstrate their win online.

JUDGES' CHOICE

First introduced in 1990 (TDC36), the Judges’ Choice awards represent the personal favorite entry for each competition judge in each of the three disciplines. These tend to be some of the most exemplary works, but do not require unanimous approval.

Recognition & Benefits

Winners Receive

• A coveted TDC Certificate of Typographic Excellence, and digital seal.
• A one-year membership to the TDC with all the benefits of membership, including discounts on competition entries. Become a Member
• Publication of your work in the legendary annual book “The World’s Best Typography” designed and published by Slanted Publishing.
• Your work presented on both the TDC and One Club online archives
• Opportunity to be part of the annual TDC Exhibition which travels the globe
• Possibility of global exposure through TDC’s social media channels and newsletters
• The possibility of winning additional coveted awards and recognitions, like Best of Discipline, Judges’ Choice, or one of our brand new gold/silver/bronze “Type High” awards.
• Points toward The One Club's Global Creative Rankings

Global Reach

• Entries regularly received from 60+ countries
• Winners showcased internationally
• Permanent archive in design history

The TDC Annual

The World’s Best Typography in Book Form

The TDC published its first print annual in 1980, marking the beginning of the formal, physical publication of the collected winning works from the competition. Every annual features The World's Best Typography, Lettering, and Communication Design, selected by our international jury.

More than 40 years later we invited Slanted Publishers to collaborate with the Club to publish and distribute the book, making it more available to design fans globally.

Beginning in 2025, TDC’s “The Best Typography in the World” annual will be lovingly designed, published, and distributed by Slanted Publishers. Past annuals have been created by such typographic luminaries as Tom Carnase, Daniel Pelavin, Mark van Bronkhorst, Carin Goldberg, Gail Anderson, Alexander Isley, Philippe Apeloig, Werner Design Werks, Paul Sahre, Mucca Design, Paula Scher, Chip Kidd, Abbott Miller, Bond Creative, and Juan Carlos Pagan.

The Traveling Exhibition

A Traveling Global Showcase of Competition Winners

The Type Directors Club’s Annual Exhibition is a global showcase of typographic excellence reflecting the vital role of type in culture, communication, and craft. The TDC has been a beacon of typographic achievement for over seven decades. Each year, the show is displayed in museums, schools, and prominent design organizations around the globe. Over the years, the show has traveled to over 50 cities in over 20 countries.

The exhibition exemplifies the global nature of our discipline, with entries submitted from over 60 countries and writing systems. The winning work includes emerging voices and renowned leaders, spanning studios, independent designers, lettering artists, and type foundries.

TRAVEL EXHIBITION MATERIAL

Winners have the option to be included in the TDC Traveling Exhibition. After the judging is completed, winning entrants will be invited to participate by submitting printed materials (or video files for motion pieces). These materials are NOT required during the initial entry process.

PAST SHOW LOCATIONS:

Cities
New York, Seattle, Cleveland, London, Austin, Ho Chi Minh City, Athens, Kota Kinabalu, Montevideo, Amman, Harare, Kuala Lumpur, Mumbai, Tokyo, Paris, Barcelona, Stockholm, Oslo, Graz, Limoges, Stuttgart, Fujian, São Paulo, Montreal, Dallas, Shanghai, Bucharest, Québec, Weimar, Karlsruhe, Auckland, Singapore, Los Angeles, Kanazawa, Porto Alegre, Macao, Überlingen, Cracow, Barreiro, Kyiv, Chicago, Jeddah, Brooklyn, Zürich, Changsha, Nanjing, Chengdu, Osaka, Porto, Saarbrücken, Rio de Janeiro.

Countries
United States, Portugal, China, Slovenia, Germany, Brazil, Canada, Eritrea, New Zealand, Macau SAR China, Poland, Ukraine, France, Norway, Austria, Venezuela, Italy, Switzerland, Australia, Greece, Saudi Arabia, Romania, Vietnam, Zimbabwe, Japan, India, Malaysia, Philippines, United Kingdom.

TDC Membership

For more than 75 years, the TDC community has evolved, expanded, and re-imagined how type connects people to ideas, and cultures to each other.

Becoming a TDC member makes you part of a legacy that has included some of the most influential and iconic designers of their time. You’ll also join TDC members around the world in defining the future of type, with benefits that include discounted access to salons, industry conferences, workshops, and more. Join TDC

TDC Code of Conduct

We are dedicated to providing a pleasant and harassment-free participation experience for everyone. Our code of conduct covers members and anyone in attendance at any of our functions or events. We do not tolerate harassment of participants in any form, or in any place; even if it happens online or outside TDC event premises. Those violating these rules may be sanctioned or expelled from the conference or event without a refund at the discretion of the organizers, have their membership revoked, and/or be blocked from future participation. If you see something, say something: competition@tdc.org, @typedirectors (Twitter), or @typedirectorsclub (Instagram).

Contact Information

• TDC72 competition: competition@tdc.org
• Student competition: education@oneclub.org
• Website: tdc.org

The Type Directors Club continues its commitment to recognizing the world's best typography while expanding global accessibility and ensuring appropriate cultural expertise in judging international and multilingual entries.