When I first approached this design back in 2003 I wrote myself a design brief that called for a simple sans serif "avec serifs" (with serifs). Its emphasis needed to be on text usage but to be at home in display sizes. A range of weights with a controlled step from one weight to the next, uniform character sets, spacing and kerning throughout the range. Attention to openness of counter spaces would be paramount to work in text sizes. Matching italics should be true italics not merely slanted - with a cursive feel. During extensive testing I decided to include a suite of ligatures to eliminate the hairline gaps that occur between slab serifs at display sizes. The user may activate "Discretionary Ligatures" or "Stylistic Set 1" for ligatures that are not included in the Standard Ligatures (ff, fi, fl, ffi and ffl). A concise User Guide can be downloaded at this link.

Rapsed – Display Serif Font is a captivating work of typographic art that seamlessly merges the timeless grace of serifs with the contemporary edge of stencil-inspired elements and bold reversed contrast. It’s not just a font; it’s a visual narrative that demands attention and ignites curiosity. Imagine Rapsed as a rebellious poet among typefaces, infusing its letters with intrigue and a touch of avant-garde flair. Its unique stencil-inspired accents carve out an element of surprise, while the reversed contrast adds a modern twist. Choosing Rapsed is not merely a design decision; it’s a creative manifesto—an invitation to explore the uncharted territories of expressive typography. Visualize Rapsed on your posters, headlines, or branding materials. It’s the font that guarantees your message becomes a visual masterpiece, one that captures the essence of tradition and innovation in a harmonious dance. Rapsed is your creative accomplice, beckoning you to join the avant-garde and make a lasting impression that leaves audiences both intrigued and inspired.

Drystick is a Sans Serif typographic family of Geo-Grotesque style with 8 pesos plus the italic versions all include small capital letters the symbol of Bitcoin (b #) and other cryptocurrency symbols. It is a geometric typography, minimalist, with neo-grotesque modulations. The typeface has alternative letters and numbers, small caps and advanced OpenType functions. The Italic versions have some of their own characters (&, @, Q, a, g, y), these versions have many optical corrections to balance the deformations created in many curves by the mere inclination of the letters, which in the case of This typography is 9 °. The drawn of the vectors is careful to obtain smooth curves and elegant appearance, the thicker versions have ink traps in the joints of the joints to use in small sizes. The Metric and the Kerning of all the versions I have reviewed individually to obtain maximum readability in any type of text and size.

Introducing Upper Clock Typeface, your ticket to a world of typographic innovation, drawing inspiration from the sleek design of the ETCH Clock. Prepare to explore a myriad of creative possibilities for your Display Text with this cutting-edge typeface. Tired of mundane, uninspiring fonts that lack personality and flair? Upper Clock Typeface is here to infuse your digital designs with the vivacity of Retro Flat, the whimsy of Memphis, and the evocative nostalgia of Modern Nostalgia. Comprehensive multi-language support, including Western European, Central European, South Eastern European, South American, Oceanian, and even Esperanto. Upper Clock isn't merely a typeface; it's your ultimate solution to typographic challenges. This versatile tool is your gateway to crafting visually stunning, one-of-a-kind designs within the realm of Display Text. As you implement Upper Clock Typeface, watch in awe as your typographic dilemmas seamlessly transform into relics of the past. Take your design endeavours to new heights with Upper Clock Typeface today! Upper Case.

Boyers – The Adorable Bubble Font Bubble-Inspired Cuteness Boyers radiates the delightful embodiment of bubble-inspired cuteness, making it the perfect choice for all your display needs. Its playful charm captures the essence of balloons and whimsical awn, creating a font that’s both fun and endearing. Imaginative Playfulness Going beyond mere cuteness, Boyers showcases an imaginative playfulness that makes it a versatile choice for a wide range of creative projects. Whether you’re designing greeting cards, posters, or children’s book covers, Boyers adds a touch of whimsy to your creations. Versatile for Various Creations Boyers boasts impressive versatility that seamlessly enhances designs. No matter the project, Boyers brings a playful and charming flair, making your content engaging and incredibly memorable. In Conclusion In summary, Boyers – Bubble Font, with its inspiration drawn from balloons and awn, offers endless creative possibilities. Its playful versatility guarantees that your projects stand out, accessible to a diverse audience. With Boyers, your designs come to life with a charming, bubbly flair.

The P22 Mystic font knows all. Aside from allowing for type design in a faux eastern script, this font peers into the world of the spirits for guidance and enlightenment. Sure it has small caps and ligatures as OpenType features, but it also has a special “oracle” feature which will answer your most mystifying questions. The design itself was based on an actual Ouija board. Somehow the spirits became embedded into the font itself and now when a question is typed, an answer is revealed—provided the Contextual Alternates feature is enabled. It is not known how the otherworldly harbinger was able to integrate into OpenType scripting, but who are we mere mortals to question this power? Ask and ye shall be amazed! Only the Opentype Pro version will offer the “Magic Eight-Ball” feature. It also contains the small caps and old style figures as found in both TT and PS versions of the fonts.

The award-winning Conrad was created by Japanese type designer Akira Kobayashi. Its design was based on the fifteenth-century type by Conrad Sweynheym and Arnold Pannartz, two German printers active in Rome at that time. They produced a unique, slightly unbalanced yet attractive type. Kobayashi says of his typeface, “I have designed a couple of typefaces inspired from the past, but this time the original print acted merely as a reference. The distinctive lowercase ‘a’ and some other letters were inspired by Sweynheym and Pannartz’s second roman type, but I revived the type in a more informal way. Here I used the historical type as a springboard. The resulting type looks different, taking on a rather temporary and lively look. I assume that the Conrad is the first revival of the Sweynheym and Pannartz type, though it does not closely resemble the original.” Conrad won first prize for the text typeface category in Linotype’s Third International Typeface Design Contest (2000) as well as the Certificate of Excellence in Type Design from the Type Directors Club (2001).

Ellora , a captivating piece of typographic art, depicts a harmony between traditional elegance and modern simplicity. With a mesmerizing design, each letter is a carefully carved work of art, creating a stunning yet easily understandable appearance. The combination of sans-serif style with a human touch elevates Ellora beyond a mere set of letters. Every curve and angle is meticulously chosen to create a captivating visual harmony, making it the perfect choice for designs that prioritize clarity and elegance. With balanced letter heights and precision in every detail, Ellora establishes a timeless classical ambiance that is invaluable. It's more than just a font; it's an expression of beauty that transcends words. With each character, Ellora Humanis Typeface radiates timeless magnificence and undeniable relevance in contemporary design. As you explore each letter, you'll feel the profound artistic beauty, inviting you to reflect on the richness of aesthetics and tranquility offered by this perfect typography. Ellorai s not just a communication tool; it's a living work of art, telling its beautiful story on every page

This design incorporates different styles into a consistent look. A pinch of script, a little of geometric and some humanistic shapes as well create a very distinguishable sans-serif. It has an overall good feeling specially on the heavier weights that have intended contrast irregularities to create a 'cartoonish' look. On the intermediate weights the design will preform well on small font sizes because of its large counters, low contrast and large x-height, but as you go to the extremes you will see shapes full of personality that will pop out in large font sizes. The font is loaded with opentype features such as small caps, ligatures, alternates, old style figures, and much more. The italic version is deeply rooted in the calligraphic heritage of the Italics. This way the brush inspired strokes are emphasized as well as an overall calligraphic look. Far from being a mere slant, Mangerica Italic had every lowercase glyph redesigned as well as some uppercase, besides that, every glyph was optically adjusted to ensure not only aesthetics but functionality too.

‘Пивная’ (Pivnaya) means ‘bar’ or ‘brewhouse’ in Russian. Pivnaya Latin is a display font published by Roman Type. Initially designed for a poster, the family quickly turned multi-script. In 2019, the global design community is busy celebrating the centennial of Bauhaus, silently triggering the question as to if or how the phenomenon matters in the lives we lead today, or whether it could rather be reduced to mere historic purposes. At that point, I found myself falling into the Bauhaus trap myself, preparing a typeface design workshop for a group of Lithuanian and Russian students. But by a typing error, I accidently made Google translate ‘Brauhaus’ (brewhouse) instead of ‘Bauhaus’. That is why I called this family ‘Pivnaya’ in the end. Pivnaya Latin works for: Afrikaans, Albanian, Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Norwegian, Polish, Portugese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanisch, Swedish, Turkish, Vietnamese, Zulu. Though being a decorative font, the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) increases usability for all kinds of purposes.

“A couple of years ago, when I was designing a package for a marmalade range, I started having a go at creating a typeface that would suit the package I had in mind. The whole process was intensely appealing to me: from merely using typefaces as an intricate part of my work as an art director, I started exploring the function of each and every element that a typeface consists of. The two things on my mind in designing a typeface for a marmalade brand were firstly, that I wanted it to have a hand-written feel, so as to exude that old-fashioned, homemade quality, and secondly, that it ought to have a certain sweetness and gentleness that would match the product. However, PF Scandal managed to outgrow its original inspiration. As I continued working on it, I toned down some of its elements to make it more versatile. And so, PF Scandal evolved into a typeface that has a contemporary, and yet handwritten look, which makes it suitable for a wide range of uses. The ‘Pro’ version comes with the full array of European characters including Latin, Greek and Cyrillic as well as 120 matching pictograms". -A.S.

Casandra Lie – A Chic Monoline Script Font Casandra Lie, a name like a whispered secret, perfectly embodies the essence of this chic monoline script font. Imagine the delicate stroke of a fine penmanship teacher gliding across paper, leaving behind an effortless trail of ink that dances and twirls with understated elegance. Every letter whispers tales of romance and intrigue, their slender forms adorned with graceful swashes and subtle flourishes that hint at a hidden passion. Think vintage Parisian boudoirs illuminated by candlelight, secret love letters penned under twilight skies, and the airy charm of handwritten invitations to soirees under the stars. Casandra Lie is not merely a font; it’s an invitation to a world of whispered dreams and unspoken promises, etched in ink as delicate as a spider’s web, yet strong enough to capture the beating heart of a story waiting to be told. Casandra Lie is perfect for branding projects, logo, wedding designs, social media posts, advertisements, product packaging, product designs, label, photography, watermark, invitation, stationery, game, fashion and any projects. Fonts include multilingual support for; Afrikaans, Albanian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish.

Condell Bio Poster is part of the bigger Condell family: a project that involves series of typographies that started to be conceived and developed since 2006. It also includes a bigger legibility version and a sans serif. Condell Bio is very versatile and can be used in the agroindustrial production. Thanks to its strongness and its charm, it can be used in different projects where a short and powerful message is required. For instance in a brand marketing campaign. The Condell project follows in terms of time the design of Comalle (a font also designed by Juan Pablo de Gregorio in 2006), but if we compare them, Condell seems to look for a major range of uses rather than a mere stylistic inspiration. And even if it keeps in its shape some organic forms, Condell seems to be much more similar to a sans serif traditional typography. Condell's fat and soft forms and its nice endings, inspired through spontaneous brush strokes, give it a very peculiar pleasant connotation. Its Italic (10 degrees inclination) have been produced singularly, not automatically calculated by the software. Condell Bio Poster is composed of 2 styles: the regular and the italic. Each one of them have 599 characters and is composed of 206 languages.

The origin of Quirky lay in the Duke Ellington number It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing. For some time I had wanted to create a font from expanded stroked lines. I wanted to produce a light-hearted font, but with some classic touches. One day, whilst doodling in Adobe Illustrator, Quirky’s letterforms just appeared on screen as if from nowhere. First I drew the test word ‘hamburgefonts’ and then just kept going, unable to stop. Character after character appeared as if by magic. From the start, Quirky had a life of its own. The letterforms are rather more sophisticated than merely outlined stroked lines. Subtle adjustments to compensate for optical effects have been been incorporated. For example, horizontal stems have thicknesses slightly less than vertical stems and where stems join together, the thickening effect has been reduced by cutting into the joint. Being almost monoline, Quirky works well reversed out of a solid background and for TV credits. The Quirky fonts are fun fonts, so set, laugh and enjoy! I hope Quirky will give you as much pleasure in using it as I got in creating it! Shortly after the roman version was born, an italic version and then a thin version were created to form a family of three fonts.

History is always in sight; it is constantly being reconsidered and reformulated in the context of now. We see approaches to art, fashion, textiles, homewares, furnishings … not to mention music, graphics and everything else that culturally enriches our daily lives, revisited and made anew for today.    Address Sans indulges in the spirit and aesthetics of mid-century Modern – Italian industrial design, sleek coffee makers, stylish cars, seductive jazz pressed on vinyl – with a charm and charisma that defies time. It evokes history but is decisively created for today.    Its design, in reality, is rooted in the condensed structure and block modulation of early 1950s German lettering intended for use in street signage, but when we started to work on the various weights and widths, the result was a set of fonts in a style similar to the typographic work developed by Butti and Novarese in the 60s. The multitude of potential applications for Address Sans then became clear.    In a range of 3 widths and 8 weights each, Address Sans includes little verses, true italics, small caps and numerous alternative signs for a total of 48 fonts. The result is a functional typeface that is effortlessly seductive, with geometric features and design details that ooze cool, and take it away from mere reinterpretation towards typographic forms that adapt perfectly for contemporary use.

At this pivotal juncture, where every choice casts long shadows, the imperative of pinpointing the archetype of typefaces is of paramount importance. One mere oversight, and the soul of your endeavor risks being lost in the mists of time. Yet, amidst these crossroads, "Winsel" emerges as the North Star in your typographical odyssey. Birthed in the revered sanctums of insigne design, this typeface is a magnum opus, echoing the artistic brilliance of British poster craft from epochs of golden jazz to times of renaissance. Winsel, in its sheer magnificence, stands as a testament to artistry, each stroke demanding undivided reverence. Be it the valiant weights reminiscent of a guardian sentinel or the graceful finesse mirroring a maestro's touch, Winsel is an unparalleled behemoth. Imbued with the finesse of OpenType, it's poised to embrace the multifaceted European Latin tapestry, while its Small Caps and Titling Caps take pride of place across its grand suite of nine weights. Sculpted with precision, Winsel is the beacon that challenges the ordinary and pledges to be an immortal testament. Seldom has the cosmos aligned to present such an illustrious moment. Fortified with Winsel, you stand on the precipice of legend. Carve your tales into the annals of perpetuity, voice your ethos with unyielding conviction, and let each letter be a symphony of undying commitment. In this epoch, in this narrative, Winsel beckons you to etch history.

Sweet Upright Script is the first release for Sweet Fonts Collection, published by MVB Fonts. It is an interpreted revival of a vintage, social engraving lettering style that was popular during the 20th Century. It is probably the first digital version of the design. With the advent of the engraving machine (a pantograph device) around 1900, commercial engraving moved from the use of hand-cut plates to the use of masterplates (lettering patterns). Lettering was traced from the masterplate using the engraving machine, letter by letter, onto a coated steel plate, that would then be etched in a chemical bath. The resulting plate was used to print engraved stationery with the raised print distinctive to the process. Many of these lettering styles were used for decades for commercial and social applications (letterheads, wedding invitations, etc.), but as they were merely traced alphabets, were not "fonts". Many remain unavailable in digital form. Over time, a number of the most popular styles were adapted to phototype, which sped up the process of plating for engraving, avoiding the need to trace each letter by hand with the engraving machine. Later, when type went digital, these phototype fonts were revived as digital fonts. As a result, the styles offered by engravers narrowed over time, as has the range of engraving styles revived in digital form.

Our eye is able to join missing parts of worn letters back into undisturbed shapes. We tend to see things better than they really are. Thanks to this ability we ignore faults of those close to us as we can’t accept the fact that every once in a while we convene with an impaired entity. Typography is merely a man’s invention, hence imperfection and transience, albeit overlooked, are its key features. This typeface is based on worn-out letterings on tombstones in the St. Croce basilica in Florence. For hundreds of years, microscopic particles of marble are being taken away on the soles of visitors: the embossed figures become fossilised white clouds, fragments of inscriptions are nearing the limits of legibility. First missing are thin joins and serifs, then the main strokes finally slowly diminish into nothingness over time. Unlike an archaeologist, for whom even completely featureless stele is valuable, the typographer must capture the proper moment of wear, when the type is not too “new” but also not too much decimated. Such typeface is usable for catalogue jackets, invitations and posters. Calligraphy is a natural human trait. To write is to create characters of reasonable beauty and content, according to the nature of the writer. A natural characteristic of architecture is to create an aesthetic message very similar to the alphabet. A doric column, the gabled roof, the circle of the well plan: these are the basic shapes from which all text typeface is derived.

The letterforms that we now accept as the historical standard for printing latin alphabets were developed in Italy around the end of 1400. Deriving from Roman capitals and from italic handwriting, they soon replaced the blackletter letterforms that were used a few years before by Gutenberg for his first moveable types. Between these two typographical traditions there's an interesting and obscure middle ground of historical oddballs, like the Pannartz-Sweynheym Subiaco types, cut in Italy in 1462. Keratine is the result of Cosimo Lorenzo Pancini's exploration of that territory. Like our Kitsch by Francesco Canovaro it explores the impossible territory between antiqua and blackletter, not as a mere historical research, but rather as a way to re-discover and empower an unexpected and contemporary dynamism. Using contemporary digital aesthetics to combine the proportions of humanistic type with the gestural energy of Fraktur letterforms, Keratine develops a "digitally carved", quasi-pixelated appearance (clearly stressed in Keratine's italics) that allows an unexpected balance between small-size readability and display-size personality. Keratine also relies heavily on a variable identity as the letterforms change dynamically with weight, developing from a contrasted, text-oriented light range to more expressive and darker display range, for a total of 8 weights with italics. Open type features and glyph alternates further enrich the usage possibility of this typeface that embodies our contemporary swap culture by embracing the contradictory complexity at the crossroads between Gothic and Humanist styles, while playfully empathising with a digital, brutalist spirit.

Now available as Opentype font with extended character set, Coranto 2. It is originally based on Unger’s typeface Paradox, and arose from a desire to transfer the elegance and refinement of that type to newsprint. Coranto 2 has a larger x-height and in many places has been made more robust. Over the past 25 years newspaper production has seen spectacular improvements in paper and print quality, the introduction of colour printing, and vastly better register. Newspaper production still demands a lot of letter forms, but advanced printing brings out details better and makes typography more appealing to readers. For text type the newspaper is no longer an environment in which survival is the chief assignment. Today, newspapers are not merely a matter of cheap grey paper, thin ink and super-fast rotary printing, and type design no longer has to focus on surviving the mechanical technology and providing elementary legibility. Now there is also room to create an ambience, to give a paper a clearer identity of its own; there is scope for precision and refinement. One consequence of this is that newspaper designers can now look beyond the traditional group of newsfaces. Conversely, a newsface can be used outside the newspaper — not an uncommon occurrence. The update to this beautiful font family, Coranto 2, includes the addition of over 250 glyphs featuring full Latin A language support, new ligatures, 4 sets of numerals, arbitrary fractions and superiors/inferiors. Furthermore, kerning was added and fine tuned for better performance.

An open-hearted humanist sans-serif. Playful and friendly. Faible is everybody’s darling. You cannot not like this good-natured humanist typeface. Sure, it’s a typeface for serious work—but all serious work is better when you put a smile on your face and a whistle on your lips. The typeface itself isn’t rooted in calligraphy, but there are quite some details in Faible that reference handwriting and add a friendly, humanist facet to its appearance. Take the bowls of B, P, and R: they are merrily bulged, like balloons about to take off. The curved leg of the R adds to this joyful mood. Faible’s italics are rendered playfully, too: they’re not merely sloped Roman styles. Rather, they were designed independently with an internal dynamic that sets them apart on the page. With its trademark glyphs, the swooshin’ K and k, and its friendly details, Faible will radiate optimism in display sizes, titles, and headlines. That makes it a great choice for book covers, posters, editorial design, branding, corporate design, advertising, and packaging. Nontheless, it’s carefully spaced and equipped with plenty OpenType features—a reliable tool for short texts and body copy, too. The font family consists of six weights (ranging from Thin to Black), each with its corresponding italic style. Faible’s glyph set contains more than 600 characters, allowing you to enhance your layouts with ligatures, different sets of figures, case sensitive forms, arrows, and other necessities for the ambitious typographer. Faible is the typeface that puts “fun” back into “functional”.

Here in the heart of Santa Monica, in the disused 1940s aircraft hangar we like to call the Comicraft Studios, we know that times are tough. As we were driving to “work” in the back of our chauffeur driven Humvee limo, sipping martinis out of the navels of Playboy bunnies and wondering what font we should release next, we decided it was time to reach out to the poor people. Yes, we felt it was time to create a font for the huddled masses yearning to breathe free, for the wretched refuse of our teeming shores. A font, if you will, for the tempest-tossed. It’s a little skinny and might be described as pinched and starved, but it’s guaranteed to see you through this current economic crisis as only the 26 letters of the alphabet can. It was a tall order, but Jazzy JG Roshell created this one while he was in line at the bank, waiting for his personal bailout. Meticulously crafted using one of those ballpoint pens attached to the cashier’s station by elastic, Credit Crunch is the Hamburger Helper of comic book fonts. It’s kind of a hybrid -- just like the Priuses our trophy wives drive to their personal plastic surgeons -- and it’s solar powered and also comes with a tank full of good old fashioned Biro ink. The Recession, Climate Change AND Global Hunger will probably end mere minutes after you crack open your life’s savings to buy this font. How can you afford NOT to...? See the families related to Credit Crunch: Credit Extension.

Torcao is one of the sporks of the font universe, a useful and functional outlier. Half square, half circle, this uncommon squircle of a family with its asymmetry of curved and angular shapes drives through headlines and body copy with forward velocity. The robust, technical appearance is light-hearted and inviting, and its organic nature plays off of its one-of-a-kind kinks and hybrid forms. Torcao is not merely an experimental font, though. The figures have been crafted and refined into a functional, hard-working typeface that lends itself to many sizes and environments. The font family features a tall x-height and light modulation, which give the typography its unique color highly effective in headlines but still quite legible in longer text. This family contains a comprehensive range of nine weights--slender to black--and features condensed and extender selections for a complete set of forty-eight fonts. The font has been decked out for experienced typographers, together with swash alternates and simplified titling. The typeface also contains a range of numeral sets, together with fractions and old-style figures. OpenType-capable programs including Quark or the Adobe suite allow quick changes to ligatures and alternates. Previews of these options can be found in the .pdf brochure. Torcao also features the glyphs to enable all Central, Eastern, and Western European languages. In all, the font supports around forty languages that utilize the prolonged Latin script, making it an excellent option for multi-lingual publications and packaging. Simple, technical, and open, the Torcao type family could just be the perfect choice for your web type or print project.

Aquawax FX was developed by Francesco Canovaro as a new variant of the Aquawax family, one of the most beloved Zetafonts classics. This new typefamily is characterised by a contemporary and elegant design, that revisits the original design of 2008 with new geometric inventions, twisted with the current fluid zeitgeist. Aquawax FX builds on the original Aquawax family by adding counter-inktraps to the letterforms and emphasizing the inner contrast of curves and corners creating a smoother, flowing and dynamic look. While inktraps are a design feature that prevents ink from bleeding or filling small spaces in letterforms to achieve a cleaner, more readable look, anti-inktraps characterize the design with a distinctive watery appearance, suitable for logo design and titles. This watery effect is possible through a slight rounding of the inner and outer corners, keeping the original cuts at the letter terminals. A Space variant pushes FX experimentation furthermore, providing an alternate stencil-like style that takes legibility to the extreme, ready for logos and sci-fi headings. This does not limit the usability of Aquawax FX to mere display intent. The Aquawax FX font family includes two versions (Roman and Space), each with nine weights, ranging from Thin to Heavy, and matching italics. With a total of 36 variants plus one variable version, Aquawax FX is a versatile type family that can be used for a variety of design projects, from branding and packaging to editorial design and advertising. Aquawax FX offers a fresh re-interpretation of the original Aquawax letterforms and proportions, with a dynamic and flowing look that is sure to make your projects stand out.

CA Normal is a typeface aiming for beauty without ostensible effects, merely relying on clarity and well balanced proportions. True beauty is not to be found in perfect geometry, so slight irregularities and inconsequences are spread throughout the typographic image. That’s perfection through imperfection. CA Normal merges influences from European grotesques and American gothics, breeding an experimental mongrel. The underlying concept stays in the background, giving the design a great self-evidence. Although it is doubtful if there can be such thing as neutrality, CA Normal comes pretty close to what people mean when speaking of a neutral font. Nevertheless it’s not faceless, anonymous or confound able. It’s just that the charm comes from subtle details rather than obvious design features. As good text typefaces must not be too smooth nor too agitated, CA Normal is smuggling little uneven details into the typographic image, that keep the readers eye awake. The well crafted oblique follows the grotesque tradition which knows no individually drawn italics. A rather unexpected addition is the reverse oblique, a style mainly used for maps. Under the classic surface lies a modern well equipped font, featuring small caps, a Central European character set and numerals in all kinds of flavors. Numerous ligatures round up the overall impression. By default CA Normal will set numbers as proportional lining figures. But if you prefer oldstyle figures, or tabular figures, just use the OpenType functions of your layout program. These allow access to the small caps as well, which feature a complete central European character set, brackets, punctuation and lining figures in small caps height.

From the beginning “Esmeralda” was born with a strong influence of the classical “capitalis monumentalis”, carved in stone. In the same way, the origin of this majuscule writing emerged from the brush, from a way of writing made merely by hand. For this reason, these two universes were intended to lie beneath the shape of each letter, redefining them. And this combination of styles should also be reflected in a lower case set that also allows to open up the spectrum of usage possibilities. Foundational calligraphy represented a solid base for the development of lower case glyphs, ensuring proper interaction with the upper case letters. “Esmeralda” features a great number of ligatures that mix classic structures with a more contemporary impression. With more than eleven hundred glyphs, it provides a multiplicity of uses across a wide combinatory of ligatures, alternative signs, initial caps, miscellaneous and connectors; each one of them accessible through Open Type. “Esmeralda” is perfect to speak with a classical yet fresh, modern – and a little bit bold – tone of voice. Designed by Guille Vizzari, together with the tough and remarkable work of Ale Paul, in use “Esmeralda” stands out in a subtle and unexpected way that’s almost unnoticeable. Its delicate yet solid curves, serifs and endings give each composition a fine, elegant and exquisite feeling, along with a firm and sturdy look. “Esmeralda” was initially born as a typographic project developed by Guillermo Vizzari – tutored by Ale Paul and Ana Sanfelippo – under completion of the Specialization in Typography Design at University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, during the years 2011 and 2012.

Introducing "Riseria" – a bold and avant-garde typeface that seamlessly blends the raw power of brutalism metal with the intricate elegance of blackletter, enhanced by haunting thorn decorations. This font is a striking testament to the fusion of divergent design elements, resulting in a visually arresting and unique typographic experience. With 839 meticulously crafted characters, Riseria stands as a versatile typeface that transcends conventional boundaries. Its design exudes an industrial and unapologetically bold aesthetic, drawing inspiration from the robustness of brutalist architecture and the mystique of blackletter scripts. The fusion of these elements creates a harmonious balance between strength and intricacy, making Riseria an ideal choice for projects that demand a powerful and visually captivating presence. The font boasts a comprehensive set of ligatures, allowing characters to seamlessly merge and create a fluid and organic appearance. Alternatives provide additional flexibility, enabling users to experiment with different stylistic variations for a truly customized look. Riseria's multilingual support ensures its adaptability across a wide range of languages, making it a globally accessible and inclusive typographic tool. One of the most distinctive features of Riseria is its spine-chilling thorn decorations. These frightening adornments add an element of darkness and mystique to the font, elevating it beyond mere letters and transforming it into a visceral and evocative design element. The thorns, intricately intertwined with the characters, create an otherworldly aura that is both mesmerizing and unsettling. In essence, Riseria is not just a font – it's an artistic statement that pushes the boundaries of conventional typography. Whether used in branding, album covers, posters, or other design projects, Riseria is sure to leave an indelible mark with its brutalist metal aesthetics, blackletter charm, and spine-tingling thorn decorations.

Introducing "Trace," a captivating display font that seamlessly marries the ancient mystique of Nordic symbols with a bold, futuristic modernity. This unique typeface transcends traditional boundaries, emerging as a striking fusion of historical symbolism and cutting-edge design. "Trace" is not merely a font; it's a visual journey that bridges the past and the future, offering a distinctive and versatile aesthetic. Inspired by Nordic symbols, "Trace" breathes new life into these ancient motifs, infusing them with a sleek and contemporary vibe. Each character carries the rich storytelling heritage of Nordic culture, interpreted through a lens of modern sophistication. The result is a font that is both timeless and forward-thinking, making it an ideal choice for those seeking a balance between tradition and innovation. As a display font, "Trace" commands attention with its bold and commanding presence. Its carefully crafted letterforms embody a sense of strength and purpose, while the subtle Nordic influences add an air of mystery and intrigue. Beyond its role as a traditional typeface, "Trace" transcends expectations by doubling as a symbol font. Unlock a treasure trove of symbolic possibilities, allowing you to weave intricate narratives or create visually stunning patterns that go beyond the constraints of traditional alphabets. Whether you're designing for futuristic branding, creating a visual language for a tech-forward project, or simply seeking a font that tells a story of cultural richness, "Trace" is your creative companion. Versatile and impactful, this font opens doors to a realm where ancient symbols and modern design converge, allowing you to explore uncharted territories in your creative endeavors. Embark on a design journey that spans centuries with "Trace. What you get, you will get: 1. Trace - Clean San serif font including Uppercase & Lowercase (ALL CAPS) characters, 2. Numbers and Punctuation 3. Support Multi language (Western Europe Latin)

TE Mona Tharwat Emara," a masterpiece of Arabic calligraphy crafted by the renowned Egyptian calligrapher, Tharwat Emara. This exquisite Ruqaa font seamlessly blends tradition with innovation, offering a timeless elegance that captures the essence of Arabic script. Tharwat Emara, a distinguished figure in the world of calligraphy, has lent his artistic prowess to create a font that is not merely a collection of characters but an embodiment of cultural richness. Each stroke of the pen reflects the heritage of Egyptian calligraphy, echoing the historical echoes of an ancient civilization. "TE Mona Tharwat Emara" stands as a testament to Emara's dedication to perfection. The font's graceful curves and meticulously designed letterforms pay homage to the classical Ruqaa style, while subtle contemporary touches infuse it with a modern flair. It is a harmonious blend of tradition and innovation, making it an ideal choice for projects that demand sophistication and cultural resonance. Designed with precision and passion, this font is not just a typographic tool; it's a work of art that brings the beauty of Arabic calligraphy to the forefront. Each character is a brushstroke of inspiration, contributing to a seamless flow that captures the eye and mesmerizes the reader. Whether you are working on a branding project, publication, or artistic endeavor, "TE Mona Tharwat Emara" adds a touch of timeless class. Embrace the elegance of Arabic script with this font, where every detail reflects the expertise of a master calligrapher. As you embark on your creative journey, let "TE Mona Tharwat Emara" be your muse. Elevate your designs, captivate your audience, and embrace the heritage of Arabic calligraphy with this exceptional font. Embrace the legacy, embrace the art – TE Mona Tharwat Emara awaits, a font that transcends time and tradition

A typeface is a tool. Sure, there are frilly fonts that are more art than craft, showy faces that exist merely to call attention to themselves. But, in the end, any functional typeface worth its salt lives to serve one thing first: the text, the content. Everything else—the fashion of the moment, the allure of individual words and letters—is secondary. MVB Solitaire™ epitomizes this universal typographic mandate. As a tempered sans serif somewhere between a humanist and a gothic, MVB Solitaire captures a 21st-century neutrality. But practical doesn’t have to mean banal. MVB Solitaire has a soul. While some “neutral” type is dead the moment the ink hits the page, MVB Solitaire delivers text that feels lively, contemporary, relevant. Readers will not tire of this type. Behind the useful exterior is an arsenal of thoughtful technical features. It’s no surprise that this family’s creator, Mark van Bronkhorst, was first a graphic designer before becoming a type designer. Mark built all the goodies into MVB Solitaire that he would appreciate as a user: case-sensitive punctuation; alternate forms that can be invoked individually or together; oldstyle and lining figures in both tabular and proportional widths; slightly shorter lining figures that don’t stand out in running text, but also cap-height figures for all-cap settings; and the ability to speak nearly any Latin-based language. MVB Solitaire aspires to be the sort of workhorse that a designer keeps installed on their system at all times. It is a family bound to have a permanent spot in the font menu, always at the ready for projects (those most common of all) where the typography mustn’t mask the message. It has that quality that all truly useful typefaces have: the capacity to get the job done without getting in the way.

Quill-formed roman/gothic with an olde-worlde flavor. Some background in the designer's own words: "A series of fonts came to mind which would be rooted in the medieval era -for me, a period of intense interest. Prior to Gutenberg's development of commercial printing with type on paper in the mid-1400s, books were still being written out by hand, on vellum. At that time, a Bible cost more than a common workman could hope to earn in his entire lifetime. Men like William Tyndale devoted their energies to translating the Scriptures for the benefit of ordinary people in their own language, and were burned to death at the stake for doing so. Those in authority correctly recognized a terminal threat to the fabric of feudal society, which revolved around the church. "This religious metamorphosis was reflected in letterforms: which, like buildings, reflect the mood of the period in which they take shape. The medieval era produced the Gothic cathedrals; their strong vertical emphasis was expressive of the vertical relationship then existing between man and God. The rich tracery to be seen in the interstices and vaulted ceilings typified the complex social dynamics of feudalism. Parallels could be clearly seen in Gothic type, with its vertical strokes and decorated capitals. Taken as a whole, Gothicism represented a mystical approach to life, filled with symbolism and imagery. To the common man, letters and words were like other sacred icons: too high for his own understanding, but belonging to God, and worthy of respect. "Roman type, soon adopted in preference to Gothic by contemporary printer-publishers (whose primary market was the scholarly class) represented a more democratic, urbane approach to life, where the words were merely the vehicle for the idea, and letters merely a necessary convenience for making words. The common man could read, consider and debate what was printed, without having the least reverence for the image. In fact, the less the medium interfered with the message, the better. The most successful typefaces were like the Roman legions of old; machine-like in their ordered functionality and anonymity. Meanwhile, Gutenberg's Gothic letterform, in which the greatest technological revolution of history had first been clothed, soon became relegated to a Germanic anachronism, limited to a declining sphere of influence. "An interesting Bible in my possession dating from 1610 perfectly illustrates this duality of function and form. The text is set in Gothic black-letter type, while the side-notes appear in Roman. Thus the complex pattern of the text retains the mystical, sacred quality of the hand-scripted manuscript (often rendered in Latin, which a cleric would read aloud to others), while the clear, open side-notes are designed to supplement a personal Bible study. "Tyndale is one of a series of fonts in process which explore the transition between Gothic and Roman forms. The hybrid letters have more of the idiosyncrasies of the pen (and thus, the human hand) about them, rather than the anonymity imbued by the engraving machine. They are an attempt to achieve the mystery and wonder of the Gothic era while retaining the legibility and clarity best revealed in the Roman form. "Reformers such as Tyndale were consumed with a passion to make the gospel available and understood to the masses of pilgrims who, in search of a religious experience, thronged into the soaring, gilded cathedrals. Centuries later, our need for communion with God remains the same, in spite of all our technology and sophistication. How can our finite minds, our human logic, comprehend the transcendent mystery of God's great sacrifice, his love beyond understanding? Tyndale suffered martyrdom that the Bible, through the medium of printing, might be brought to our hands, our hearts and our minds. It is a privilege for me to dedicate my typeface in his memory."

Adelphi is a geometric sans, redefined for the northern side of the English Channel. Typographic modernism was a late arrival in Britain — due partly to the Second World War and to the strong local type tradition. This delay provided for fruitful divergence, thus modernism was not adored in quite the same way as it had been in Germany and central Europe. It was instead rethought and repurposed against the backdrop of the bleak British weather and postwar social reform – a continental fashion statement reshaped into a more humanist variant. Likewise, when crafting Adelphi, Nick Job reimagined the constraints that defined the geometric sans as a genre. Whereas other typefaces seem overly bound by the rules, Adelphi feels relaxed and approachable. Elementary square and circular shapes are merely implied. A keen observer may notice that the uncomplicated letterforms occasionally reveal a subtle naïveté associated with early Grotesques. Brunel’s bridges and Harry Beck’s tube map spring to mind alongside the Bauhaus and Futura. But Adelphi is by no means nostalgic! It is a contemporary, comprehensive, and durable system with a pragmatic set of features. These include a wide array of weights, ‘uniwidth italics’, and variable extenders that go from tall and flat in Adelphi Text to short and sharp in Adelphi Display, with default Adelphi standing midway between these two extremes. You can set the extenders to your preference in the all-inclusive variable font or use one of the three static fonts that come packed together, priced as a single font. The pan-European support for Latin, Cyrillic and Greek scripts already makes for a vast character set, but Adelphi takes things a step further by including alternate glyphs to satisfy the DIN1450 legibility norm, a range of ordinals that can be used to create specialist compositions in all three scripts and two kinds of fractions and arrows. Play with the alternates or use it as-is. Either way, this understated beauty will carry you through.

Buffet Script is based on fantastic calligraphy by Alf Becker, arguably the greatest American sign lettering artist of all time. The Alf Becker series of nameless alphabets published by Sign of the Times magazine in 1941 has attracted letter digitizers for a few years now, so it’s really a wonder that a few of those alphabets are still in the non-digital realm. It is understandable, though, that the basis for Buffet Script was not digitally attempted until now. The page presenting this alphabet shows a jungle of letters running into each others and swashes intertwining. The massive amount of work involved in digitizing such lettering, where scanning is nowhere near being an option, is quite obvious at a mere glance. If anyone was going to commit this particular alphabet to a digital form, it would have to be redrawn stroke by stroke and curve by curve on the computer. And don't we love a challenge! But seriously, the challenge was not the main attraction. In a way, the Becker approach to lettering is so far from digital that the imagination is almost forced to work out possibilities and letter combinations to solve problems presented by the scant showings in that magazine. After a few imaginative visualizations, the digital potential becomes clear in the mind, and the eye and hand follow. The result with Whomp (another Alf Becker-inspired work) was an enormous font with a lot of alternates and ligatures. With Buffet Script the imaginative process was no different, but the result particularly shines here, because this is some of the most fascinating flowing calligraphy ever seen. Calligraphy is where the accountability of all the little extra touches, such as alternates and swashes and ligatures, is raised to a higher level than in most other type categories. Buffet Script’s OpenType programming contains discretionary ligatures, stylistic and contextual alternates, interacting with each other to allow the composition of just the right word or sentence. This font is best used where lush elegance is one of the design’s requirements.

Hypnerotomachia Poliphili, which can be translated in English as “Dreaming Love Fighting of Poliphilus”, is a romance about a mysterious arcane allegory in which the main protagonist, Poliphilo, pursues his love, Polia, through a dreamlike landscape. In the end, he is reconciled with her by the “Fountain of Venus”. The author of the book is anonymous, however, an acrostic formed by the first, elaborately decorated letter in each chapter in the original Italian reads “POLIAM FRATER FRANCISCVS COLVMNA PERAMAVIT”, which means “Brother Francesco Colonna has dearly loved Polia”. Despite this clue, the book has also been attributed to many other authors. The identity of the illustrator is less certain than that of the author. It was first published in Venice, in December 1499, by Aldo Manutio. This first edition presents an elegant and unique page layout, with refined woodcut illustrations in an Early Renaissance style and a refined Roman font, cut by Francesco da Bologna, which is a revised version of the type used in 1496 for the De Aetna of Pietro Bembo. The print quality is very high for the time, but nevertheless it presents many inconsistencies and imperfections due to the non-ideal inking and adherence of the matrix to the paper. For that reason numerous samples of the original have been used to create every single glyph which will result in an appropriate reconstruction and not a mere and humble reproduction. Some letters like \J, \U and \W were extrapolated, because they are not part of the original alphabet of the period. Some letters like \Q, \X, \Y, \Z and \h have been updated to more modern variants, but the original shape is accessible by Stylistic Alternates Opentype Feature, which also changes the shape of the \V and the \v. The original numerals \zero, \one, \tree, \four and \six have been accompanied by reconstructions of the missing numbers and extended by modern figures. Finally, swashed lower cases and original scribal abbreviations were also included. The font has joined by a matching Italic variant, closely inspired from Aldo Manuzio's 1501 "Vergilius", the first book printed entirely in Italic type by Francesco da Bologna.

Type designer Xavier Dupré’s Garalda is a charming 21st century family that renews a legacy of finesse. As paragraphs on a page, Garalda’s overall impression is of a workaday personality, committed to the main purpose of the job: easy long-form reading. But setting it in display sizes proves something different: This reinvented Garamond is anything but basic. The Garalda story begins with the serendipitous finding of a book typeset in a rare Garalde, called Tory-Garamond, with which Dupré was not immediately familiar. This Garamond was used in bibliophile books in the decades surrounding 1920, but after that it became déclassé for an unknown reason. Dupré found the italic styles especially charming and discovered the family was probably the mythical Ollière Garamond cut from 1914. He obtained low resolution scans of the typeface and used them, rather than high resolution scans, as the basis for his new type family. This allowed Dupré the mental freedom to experiment and remix as he saw fit, culminating in a contemporary family with heritage. As seen in the simplistic rectangular serifs, Garalda is a humanist slab serif, but with a mix of angles and curves to give the classic shapes a fresh, unorthodox feeling. While almost invisible in paragraph text, these produce a graphic effect in display work. The set of ligatures in the roman and italics lend themselves to unique display use, such as creating lovely logotypes. In the italics, some swashes inspired by different historic Garamonds are included, sometimes breaking their curves to be more captivating. Just look at how the italic ‘*-s’ ligatures create ‘s’ with a cursive formation rather than merely a flowing slant. And how the roman ‘g’ link swings as wide as a trainer’s whip. These are all balanced by squared serifs in the roman to keep an overall mechanised regularity. The Garalda family comes in eight styles, includes some of the original arrows and ornaments, and speaks multiple languages for all typesetting needs, from pamphlets to fine book printing. The complete Garalda family, along with our entire catalogue, has been optimised for today’s varied screen uses.

Who haven't heard the phrase that ‘any past time was better’?. Although I sometimes find this phrase a little too pessimistic (because I try to think that the best is yet to come), it may be true regarding my passion, typography. I'm too young (29) unfortunately, and this means I did not have the pleasure of being contemporary with maybe the man who has influenced my work the most (1). The man that showed that letters are more than just letters to be read. Herb Lubalin (1918-1981), also called sometimes as ‘the rule basher’ (2), smashed the taboos and sacred rules of type design and gave it personality. He rejected the functionalist philosophy of europeans in favor of an eclectic and exuberant style. To him, letters were not merely vessels of form, they were objects of meaning. (3). Nowadays, when looking at his portfolio, who dares to deny that the term ‘typography’ and ‘beauty’ may go hand-in-hand without any problem? Ed Benguiat, one of Herb’s partners, still likes making jokes with the phrase “screw legibility, type should be beautiful” and what I understand of this is not to forget the rules, but to know and break them carefully. In an era of pure eclecticism, we, the lovers of flourishes and swashes, can't do nothing but admire all the legacy that Lubalin, this wonderful type-guru, left. My font Lubaline read as “the line of Lubalin” is my humble tribute to him. Those who know his work, may see the influences easily like in his ‘Beards’ (1976) and ‘The Sound of Music’ (1965) posters; the art-deco forms in many of his amazing logos and practically in all his creations where letters seem to be alive just like you and me. I really hope that the future finds me still learning more and more about type-design and letterforms, and like him, always willing to make innovations in my field: Because letters are not just letters to be read. NOTES (1) These are some of my fonts in which some of Lubalin’s influences can be seen (in order of creation): Reina, Aire, Erotica, String, Beatle, Heroe, Selfie, Model, Seventies, and many others that are still in progress. (2) (3) Steven Heller. Herb Lubalin: Rule Basher. U&lc (1998) http://www.printmag.com/imprint/my-favorite-lubalin/