Beat That If You Can! – Slanted #12 – Women, Typography, Graphic Design is a showcase for extraordinary and intelligent projects by women. This is not an exceptional thing. In our focus on visual culture it doesn't make any difference whether (typo)graphic work was produced by a female or a male person. Still it's undeniable and strange that even now only very few women are visible in graphic design (more) and typography/type design (less). Slanted wants to contribute in an effort to increase the visibility of at least some female type and graphic designers – design by women is just as good.

It is with great pleasure that Slanted presents the work of Ariane Spanier (Berlin), Julia Born (Amsterdam) and Verena Gerlach (Berlin); the photographic essays Brides of Krishna by Kalpesh Lathigra (dmbmedia, London) and Female Marines from the archives of the U.S. Marine Corps, as well as contemporary typefaces, illustrations, and graphic projects by female designers.

Type essays by Laure Boer (Bank Associates, Un Demi, The Art of Conversation, Berlin) and Gerda Breuer/Julia Meer (Wuppertal) are dealing with the role of women in graphic design and typography, and outline a corresponding history. Numerous interviews with Verena Gerlach (Berlin), Ariane Spanier (Berlin), Nadine Chahine (Bad Homburg), Veronika Burian (Prague), Laura Worthington (Washington), Kapitza (London), Geneviève Gauckler (Paris), Esen Karol (Istanbul), Akiko Kanna (Tokyo) and Susanne Baer (Tokyo) as well as the second part of the Tokyo report by Ian Lynam (Tokyo), a musical travelogue and a paper report round up stuff to read.

Featured foundries and fonts in use this issue include Adelle and Bree by Veronika Burian & José Scaglione (TypeTogether), Amoto by Nadja Schoch and Monta by Stefanie Miller (Avoid Red Arrows), Capucine by Alice Savoie (Process Type Foundry), Elido by Sibylle Hagmann (Village), FF Chambers by Verena Gerlach (FontFont), PTL Roletta by Andrea Tinnes and PTL Tephe & PTL Vielzweck by Verena Gerlach (primetype), Raeling by Eloise Parrack (Volcano Type); plus type designers Nadine Chahine, Laura Meseguer, Julia Sysmäläinen, …

SLANTED is a German weblog focusing on typography and design. Founded in 2004, it has grown into an important design portal and discussion forum in the German-speaking area. Slanted generates two million clicks per month. Since 2005 the weblog has a paper companion – the typography magazine of the same name is published quarterly and covers besides typography also graphic design, illustration, and photography. With a print run of 10,000 copies, it is available through the Slanted website, Amazon, and in selected stores worldwide. The magazine tackles the material more thoroughly and in greater detail. Texts are printed in the native languages of the authors/designers, which is half German, half English, largely depending on whom is taking part. Sometimes the magazine even runs articles in French, but rarely. Both blog and magazine stimulate and foster debate about the experimental aspects of the topics they cover. It also encourages seeing them in a different light, learning more about them, and reflecting upon them in new ways.

Slanted is published four times a year by MAGMA Brand Design from Karlsruhe, Germany, who are also responsible for Typodarium, the first typographic tear-off calendar showcasing a new type design for every day.