Spice, Script & Showmanship: Lettering by Kyle Letendre

Portland-based designer Kyle Letendre treats lettering as both craft and performance. In their vibrant compositions, words bend, sparkle and stretch across the page, shifting from chalky hand-rendered scripts to glossy, candy-coated 3D forms.

Kyle describes lettering as “a puzzle with endless solutions,” and that mindset runs through the work. Some pieces lean into bold, food-inspired illustrations where type becomes an ice cream bar or nestles inside a fully loaded hot dog. Others channel retro showcards and matchbook graphics, pairing tight curves with confident swashes and layered shadows. Through it all, the focus stays on rhythm, contrast and the playful tension between legibility and decoration.

Since launching an independent studio in 2016, Kyle has built a practice focused on commercial lettering, illustration and type design, collaborating with clients including Target, Penguin Random House, Mercedes-Benz and New Belgium Beer. Outside the studio, their drag persona Tomboy extends that same sharp, exaggerated glamor into live performance and talks on queer theory in design.

You can revisit our previous features on Kyle’s Italy Matchbooks project and earlier lettering explorations, then head to their website and Instagram for more.

More lettering inspiration Kyle Letendre’s website