Tré Seals

Tré Seals is the founder of Vocal Type, a font foundry that draws from the histories and progressive movements of underrepresented cultures worldwide. Inspired by social movements, his work has also become part of them, appearing in national and international marches and movements. Seals has been recognized by Forbes 30 Under 30 and named a Black Design Visionary by Instagram and the Brooklyn Museum.



Seals’s double-sided insert re-creates the chain of states, a symbol designed by Benjamin Franklin for the first continental currency of the United States in 1776. The original featured thirteen interlocking rings—each bearing a colony’s name—surrounding the motto “WE ARE ONE.” It was among the first pieces of government-issued ephemera calling for national unity, circulated the same year as the Declaration itself.