The Hackberry Font Foundry
Apprenticeship Structure

This is not a school or training facility. This is a working font foundry. Apprentices are part of the foundry helping to make us a source of excellence in fonts for publishing production.

• To help the foundry you must be at a minimal level of competence: Until you reach that level where you can produce work we can actually use, you have to pay your own way.
• You are joining our foundry: Granted, it is a strange company of fellow travelers on the straight and narrow path, but working compatibility is a major factor. We will be working closely together.
• We offer complete openness and honesty:
  We expect the same from our apprentices.
• Pay as you go: When a payment is due, nothing proceeds until that is paid. In the novitiate, the relationship can be terminated by either of us without notice. As an apprentice the contract can be terminated with a 30 day written notice.
  Nothing is refundable.
• You determine your progress: You are responsible for your own work and progress until you actually become an apprentice. We will not remind you, beg you, or babysit you.
• When you become an apprentice: we begin including you in our plans and deadlines. We will be dealing with the normal professional responses expected by our craft. You will have work to do to pay your way.

The relationship between typographer &
novice or apprentice is very close

This is not a typical school experience. We are looking to build a long-term relationship. Our hope is that an apprentice will grow into an on-going professional relationship with the foundry. What this means is that the screening process is, of necessity, much more important than a simple hiring procedure. You are not being hired. You are being trained as a separate professional. We and you need to come to a place of commitment to each other’s growth and well-being. If you are not committed to the growth of the foundry, we cannot be committed to making you a professional compatriot in our endeavor?

No, we are not asking for a life-long commitment.

We are asking for a commitment of up to five years to reach the level of professionalism needed to make it in our present industry. Once you reach the level of font designer, our assumption is that you will be excited about the possibility of pushing on to reach the Typographer level yourself and start your own foundry. Of course, by that time we are also hoping to have a continuing relationship between you and the foundry.

In this process, it is necessary for both our protection and for yours, that the first two levels of the program be fee-based — able to be cancelled without notice. We fully understand that this type of growth opportunity will only appeal to specific people. We all need to determine carefully if you are one of those people whoh will move beyond the fees into apprenticeship.