is a blog about design, technology and culture written by Khoi Vinh, and has been more or less continuously published since December 2000 in New York City. Khoi is currently Principal Designer at Adobe. Previously, Khoi was co-founder and CEO of Mixel (acquired in 2013), Design Director of The New York Times Online, and co-founder of the design studio Behavior, LLC. He is the author of “How They Got There: Interviews with Digital Designers About Their Careers”and “Ordering Disorder: Grid Principles for Web Design,” and was named one of Fast Company’s “fifty most influential designers in America.” Khoi lives in Crown Heights, Brooklyn with his wife and three children.
Finally, right? Those long-awaited “Hel-Fucking-Vetica” tee-shirts that I printed this summer are done and available for sale. You can buy yourself one this very minute over at the brand new Store.subtraction.com. There’s only one hundred and fifty of them — that’s all I printed this time around — so hurry and get yours now.
My apologies to those of you who have been waiting patiently for them; I had to put a little extra effort into this to make the shirts really worthwhile. It’s pretty important to me that they all sell, and not just because I don’t want to be stuck with dozens of profane tee-shirts on my hands.
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Below: Tee’d off. These tee-shirts, now for sale!
There’s no advertising on Subtraction.com, as you may have noticed, and for the time being I’d like to keep it that way. It’s just nice, I think, to have at least one space in my life where there’s no advertising (at least none from third party advertisers, anyway). In lieu of the potential income that Google ads might bring me, I’m going to slowly start to look for non-obnoxious ways to make money off this site; this tee-shirt is the first attempt. If you like this shirt or love Helvetica, and/or if you’re a regular reader of Subtraction.com, then it would mean a heck of a lot to me if you buy one of these fine garments.
To sweeten the deal, I tried to make this package as attractive as possible. They’re printed on high-quality American Apparel Model No. 2001 tees, which are, without a doubt, some of the nicest general purpose tee-shirts that you can get, in case there’s anybody left out there who doesn’t know yet. All I wear, for the most part, are American Apparel tees.
You’ll also get the original El Boton button, which is what started this whole Hel-Fucking-Vetica idea. I’ve also prepared a ‘tag’ to certify that these are, in fact, authentic Subtraction.com tees from the limited run of one hundred and fifty. These tags were painstakingly prepared by hand. Well, I printed them on a color laser printer, but I manually trimmed each and every one of them and then signed and numbered all hundred and fifty by hand. Youch. I think it was all worth it, though, and I hope you do too. Get yours now!
Thanks, Khoi. Looking forward to getting this delivered soon. I’ll spare you any action photos of me in it, but know that I’ll wear it with fucking pride.
Would it be lame if I wore this to your lecture in Baltimore next week? Like the kid who goes to a concert wearing a t-shirt of the band he’s going to see? Man, I hate those guys!
Khoi, I support you and your pleasantly designed, well-written, obnoxious-free, ad-less site. This fucking shirt is so much fucking better than fucking google ads. Excuse my French.
Cameron Westland
Khoi,
While these t-shirts are totally awesome and i’d love one, its just too much for international shipping. If Canada was included in the normal shipping i’d buy one in a second.
Cameron Westland
Khoi,
While these t-shirts are totally awesome and i’d love one, its just too much for international shipping. If Canada was included in the normal shipping i’d buy one in a second.
Cameron – I agree, the international shipping to Canada is harsh. It’d better get here via International Express Parcel. 😉 I bit the bullet nonetheless, as I love the design and have been waiting for the tees to be available. I felt like I would be letting myself down if I ditched due to sticker shock.
Though I guess I could’ve cheered myself up for less than $41 USD. Oops … er, ahem.
Please don’t kick me off of not being supportive. Don’t you have some great graphics you could add to the word “subtraction” and blam you have a killer tee. The quality of the shirt is good and I’m sure the swing tag is quite nice. The personal touches make all of the difference.
Hey, just a heads up, I’ve now opened the package. Fits great. 🙂
Lode
I just got my t-shirt, and it’s great. One thing bothered me though: The international shipping was already steep, and on top of that the declared value for customs was $40.00! This meant I had to pay over 10 euros of additional taxes. Why didn’t you declare the real selling price? Is it not expensive enough yet for us ‘foreigners’?
Any hope of a Hel-Fucking-Vetica reprint? I work at Microsoft and am currently in a heated debate about Helvetica usage in Office 2007, and such a glorious bit of clothing would deftly communicate my loyalties.
My friend and I (maybe more just him) came up with an idea for a shirt along the same vein a few months ago. We used Helvetica Neue (his favorite). Ours is (no surprise) a lot goofier. I’m trying to get him into making some… if we do, yours is on the house.
Finally, right? Those long-awaited “Hel-Fucking-Vetica” tee-shirts that I 
Mmm… OK. Done. Happy now?
Yes, actually, thanks Chris! Yours is on the way!
I’m one of those boring dressers, dark, drab colors and all. And I’m a few slices of pizza from wearing form-fitting AA shirts 😉
Here’s what I’d like if I had some motivation.
(quickie pshop, don’t tell veer I borrowed the img!)
A bit subtler, but I can’t think of a better variant for everyone’s favorite typeface.
Heh, nice one. I’d buy one of those!
Thanks, Khoi. Looking forward to getting this delivered soon. I’ll spare you any action photos of me in it, but know that I’ll wear it with fucking pride.
Good typography: check.
The word ‘fucking’: check.
Ordered: check.
Nice one, Khoi: I’m looking forward to receiving mine!
Brilliant design, and perfect use of the word “fucking.”
Consider my order placed. You rock Khoi!
And you’re right; this is better than ads.
Hejo,
soon this t-shirt will be walking around Berlin, Germany, Europe… Can’t wait!
The Germans will have no idea what the fuck has hit them 🙂
I’ve been lurking in the background waiting for this day. Nice one Khoi, I’ll be wearing it round London!
You should start a gallery/google map of places they end up/places they’ve been spotted.
I’ve been lurking in the background waiting for this day. Nice one Khoi, I’ll be wearing it round London!
You should start a gallery/google map of places they end up/places they’ve been spotted.
If you had women’s sizes I would have ordered already. 😉 Maybe next time?
Yay!!!
Ordered and (hopefully) on its way soon (preferably before I move to a destination as yet unknown).. Thanks Khoi!!!
Awesome. Order placed. The only question is when is the Comic Sans shirt coming out?
Bought one as well. It’s going to be all over London 😉
Would it be lame if I wore this to your lecture in Baltimore next week? Like the kid who goes to a concert wearing a t-shirt of the band he’s going to see? Man, I hate those guys!
Fantastic, I can’t wait. I will have to make sure and wear it on my head when the Helvetica Documentary comes out.
Ordered!
Khoi, I support you and your pleasantly designed, well-written, obnoxious-free, ad-less site. This fucking shirt is so much fucking better than fucking google ads. Excuse my French.
Khoi,
While these t-shirts are totally awesome and i’d love one, its just too much for international shipping. If Canada was included in the normal shipping i’d buy one in a second.
Khoi,
While these t-shirts are totally awesome and i’d love one, its just too much for international shipping. If Canada was included in the normal shipping i’d buy one in a second.
Cameron – I agree, the international shipping to Canada is harsh. It’d better get here via International Express Parcel. 😉 I bit the bullet nonetheless, as I love the design and have been waiting for the tees to be available. I felt like I would be letting myself down if I ditched due to sticker shock.
Though I guess I could’ve cheered myself up for less than $41 USD. Oops … er, ahem.
Please don’t kick me off of not being supportive. Don’t you have some great graphics you could add to the word “subtraction” and blam you have a killer tee. The quality of the shirt is good and I’m sure the swing tag is quite nice. The personal touches make all of the difference.
Hey, just a heads up, I’ve now opened the package. Fits great. 🙂
I just got my t-shirt, and it’s great. One thing bothered me though: The international shipping was already steep, and on top of that the declared value for customs was $40.00! This meant I had to pay over 10 euros of additional taxes. Why didn’t you declare the real selling price? Is it not expensive enough yet for us ‘foreigners’?
djfa lajyur
Any hope of a Hel-Fucking-Vetica reprint? I work at Microsoft and am currently in a heated debate about Helvetica usage in Office 2007, and such a glorious bit of clothing would deftly communicate my loyalties.
My friend and I (maybe more just him) came up with an idea for a shirt along the same vein a few months ago. We used Helvetica Neue (his favorite). Ours is (no surprise) a lot goofier. I’m trying to get him into making some… if we do, yours is on the house.