FEATURED: IDEA MAGAZINE

All Wordshape orders ship via Japan Post Air Mail at no extra cost for destinations accepting Air Mail. For destinations not accepting Air Mail, your order will ship via Japan Post Registered Surface Mail.

Wordshape offers IDEA | アイデア Magazine for sale online. 

With a history spanning more than fifty years, IDEA stands as the leading international graphic design publication in the world, mixing graphic design history, criticism, and showcases of design work in a mix of English and Japanese. Notoriously difficult to obtain in the United States reliably, our partnership with IDEA offers graphic designers and design readers in the US and globally the ability to purchase IDEA at notably low cost.

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IDEA #411: Arabic Calligraphy and Typography

Idea + Publications

USD $50.00 postpaid (international air mail included)

A beautiful issue of Idea dedicated to Arabic calligraphy, lettering, typography and type design. This issue is profusely illustrated with heaps of Arabic lettering old and new.

IDEA Magazine Annual Subscription!

Idea + Misc. + Publications

USD $190 postpaid (free international shipping included!)

We are pleased to offer annual subscriptions to IDEA, Japan’s leading graphic design magazine to the world!

Idea #410: Shaping Fear: Visualizing Terror and Unease in Book Design

Idea + Publications

USD $50.00 postpaid (international air shipping included)

What is fear exactly? Is it the sum of related emotions— dread, anxiety, disgust, surprise, or even the irrational and outrageous—which can shake us to our very core? This issue’s feature provides an exploration of how fear is visualized and expressed through the media we know as books, or more precisely, their designs and covers.

Idea #409: In Search of Beautiful Books: Manuscripts from Medieval Europe as seen through Design

Idea + Publications

USD $50.00 postpaid (international air shipping included)

The latest issue of Idea focuses on illuminated manuscripts, the lettering within, the illustrations, and the ornament. Additional features are about rare and obscure Japanese books and so much more!

Idea #408: Pixels Speak: Worlds of Tiny Dots and Design Aesthetics

Idea + Publications

USD $50.00 postpaid (international air shipping included)

The latest issue of Idea is focused on pixel art from Lucas Pope, Toge Productions, Mojiken Studio, Pixpil, WONDERPOTION, Sabotage Studio, Sukeban Games,SOMI, Odencat, and room6! Comes with 2025 Idea calendar!

Idea #407: Towards a Future Bound to Print Media

Idea + Publications

USD $50.00 postpaid (international air shipping included)

This issue of Idea’s primary feature is a wide-ranging look at contemporary independent publishers in Japan.

Idea #406: Ikki Kobayashi

Idea + Publications

USD $50.00 postpaid (international air shipping included)

The latest issue of Idea is largely devoted to the work of the amazing Ikki Kobayashi, one of the leaders of contemporary Japanese graphic design.

Vaud Pro

USD $500.00 (immediate download)

Ten years after its initial release, we’re debuting Vaud Pro, our completely redrawn and reengineered version of our type family Vaud. Vaud Pro includes heaps more language support including Vietnamese, a select few tasty alternates, and so much more! Like socks!!!

BlkOut

USD $50.00 (immediate download)

BlkOut is a booming 3-cut display type family combining Regular, Display and Rough variations! BlkOut is a result of three things: the need for a distinctive ultra-black display typeface, an admiration for slab-serifs and Clarendons, and the love of systematic stencil type.