What does _The Economist_ use for mapping and page layout?

March 1, 2007 9:52 AM

What software, typefaces, and page layout tools are used to create the newspaper/magazine _The Economist_?

I'm particularly interested in what they use for the geographical maps they print, but i'd love to know all the information you can provide.

posted by arimathea to Media & Arts (6 answers total)

From the site:
• About our logo
The corporate logotype of The Economist has evolved from the gothic lettering used on the cover of the first issue, published in 1843, to the box device designed in 1959 by Reynolds Stone, a British engraver and typographer. It now incorporates a font from The Economist Typefamily, a typeface created specifically for our use.

• More details on the Economist typeface
The Economist has used a specially designed family of typefaces since May 1991. Development work focused specifically on how the new type family would respond to electronic transmission and different printing conditions at The Economist's seven international production sites. In our recent re-design a new typeface, Officina, was introduced for cover headlines and all navigational information. Ecotype, The Economist’s main typeface, was also redrawn to make it easier to read. If you would like to buy a copy of our type family, or if you would simply like to find out more about it, please go to Agfa Monotype's website.
posted by Aloysius Bear at 10:09 AM on March 1, 2007

I think they use QPS from Quark, but can't find a cite.
posted by bonaldi at 10:12 AM on March 1, 2007

Did you try calling or writing them? They would know best.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 10:16 AM on March 1, 2007

There was an article in The Economist itself when they made changes to their typefaces to Officina and Ecotype. I'll see if I can find the issue.

I used to work for a company that provided vector based map files to many publications. I don't know if the Economist is one of them, but the site is http://www.mapresources.com. Because they publish all their products as vector art, publications were able to apply their own styles/etc. to the maps.
posted by JakeWalker at 10:51 AM on March 1, 2007

The change occured in the May 10, 2001 issue. The article was not as thorough as I thought; I must have read something about it at the same time in another publication.
posted by JakeWalker at 10:56 AM on March 1, 2007

I would imagine they get their maps from the Economist Intelligence Unit.
posted by sindark at 3:15 PM on March 1, 2007