As a 12-year-old, Allan Robb Fleming knew that art would be an important part of his life. He studied at Western Technical School in Toronto and at 16 did his apprenticeship with several advertising agencies. When he came back to Canada he established himself as a freelance design consultant. He taught typography at the Ontario College of Art and Design, designed the History of Typography exhibition for the Royal Ontario Museum in 1957 and joined Cooper & Beatty as typographic director and designer. In 1962 he completely redesigned Maclean’s magazine, which increased its circulation. With his design for the book Canada: A Year of the Land, Fleming experienced a critical and commercial triumph, prior to joining University of Toronto Press as chief designer. He also designed stamps, art posters and logos including Ontario Hydro, the Ontario Science Centre and his famous identity programme for Canadian National Railway. He received the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts medal.