Matthew Carter. License: All Rights Reserved.

I almost walked right past a package intended for me until, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a little red stamp. "First Class" it said — only 1" x 1.5" — and unmistakably Mantinia. An envelope from Matthew Carter, surely. Immediately I inquired about its origin; he replied:

"One of the few consolations for a lifetime of toil and heartbreak in type design is getting to design one's own stamps."

It's the little things in life. To take that quote somberly is to ignore Matthew's jovial sense of humor which, like his friendly smile, is always at the ready.

"These were done long ago when I was working on Mantinia, and are a little worn by now."

Yes they are, though no less striking. My hope that his local post office had their own set was not fulfilled but at least they haven't gone unnoticed.

"I try to avoid having to go through the line at the post office, so the stamps come in handy. Once or twice when I have gone to the post office because something is too heavy to drop in the box, I have had compliments from the staff on my stamps."

Matthew Carter. License: All Rights Reserved.