Diotima Classic is a total upheaval for the 21st century of Gudrun Zapf von Hesse's mid-20th-century Diotima, one of the most beautiful types ever cast in metal. Its roots lay in a calligraphic sheet written by Gudrun Zapf von Hesse. The text was the Hyperion to Diotima" by Friedrich Hölderlin; Diotima is the name of a Greek priestess in Plato's dialogue about love. In the philosopher's imagination, she should appear slim and beautiful. In 1948, Gudrun Zapf von Hesse finished the typeface's Roman. The Diotima family was released as a metal typeface for hand setting by D. Stempel AG in 1951-53. This original Diotima is a festive design particularly suited to invitations, programs, and poems. The delicate Italic drew attention to text passages that should be emphasized. Linotype's previous digital Diotima only had one weight, which looked great in display sizes, but was too thin for text setting. Diotima Classic has four weights. The new Regular has more robust serifs and thicker hairlines, making it more appropriate for text sizes. The Diotima variation with finer serif remains under the name Light. Gudrun Zapf von Hesse also took the opportunity in 2008 to add an extremely heavy weight to the family. In comparison to the old Diotima, letterforms of the Diotima Classic are more harmonious and balanced. The rhythm of the Italic letters in Diotima Classic is more consistent. The lining figures of the Diotima Classic align with caps, and the letter spacing of the tabular lining figures in Diotima Classic is significantly better. The forms of the figures have been improved as well."

Iconic Conjuring memories of chunky typefaces from the late-60s and early-70s, and named after the world’s greatest footballer of that and probably any other era, FS Pele is one of a set of Fontsmith fonts designed specifically for headlines and other prominent applications. “We wanted to create fonts that could be integral to the design of posters, album covers and magazines,” says Jason Smith. Welcome to FS Pele, iconic, like its namesake (though, perhaps, a little less nimble). Big Pele, little Pele There was only one Pele. But there are two sizes of FS Pele. FS Pele One, with the finer counters and details, adds considerable weight and style at large sizes, especially in big block headlines on posters. FS Pele Two’s thicker “slots” make it a better choice for smaller-sized text. A load of blocks FS Pele began as an exercise by Phil Garnham in turning squares into legible letters, via the least means necessary. The idea extended his ideas about logo-making, and the search for a stamp-like brand mark that lends authority, stability and instant identification. “The thought that the type was a 2D/3D jigsaw of slotted, architectural pieces was almost an after-thought. I wanted to create a strong, stacking, block aesthetic for the most contemporary poster design. “At the time there were a lot of designers creating their own versions of the same thing but I wanted to take the blocker forms to the next step, and infer a more legible text without sacrificing the idea.”

Iconic Conjuring memories of chunky typefaces from the late-60s and early-70s, and named after the world’s greatest footballer of that and probably any other era, FS Pele is one of a set of Fontsmith fonts designed specifically for headlines and other prominent applications. “We wanted to create fonts that could be integral to the design of posters, album covers and magazines,” says Jason Smith. Welcome to FS Pele, iconic, like its namesake (though, perhaps, a little less nimble). Big Pele, little Pele There was only one Pele. But there are two sizes of FS Pele. FS Pele One, with the finer counters and details, adds considerable weight and style at large sizes, especially in big block headlines on posters. FS Pele Two’s thicker “slots” make it a better choice for smaller-sized text. A load of blocks FS Pele began as an exercise by Phil Garnham in turning squares into legible letters, via the least means necessary. The idea extended his ideas about logo-making, and the search for a stamp-like brand mark that lends authority, stability and instant identification. “The thought that the type was a 2D/3D jigsaw of slotted, architectural pieces was almost an after-thought. I wanted to create a strong, stacking, block aesthetic for the most contemporary poster design. “At the time there were a lot of designers creating their own versions of the same thing but I wanted to take the blocker forms to the next step, and infer a more legible text without sacrificing the idea.”

Many times, when a new creative process is starting, it is triggered by an everyday action or item. In this case, the looks of a lady’s watch inspired Michael Herold to create his new typeface LUX. The sight of the chronograph sparked associations of the 1950s in Mr. Herold: While this decade was predominantly dominated by brush and feather scripts, there was also a bloom of strict and modern architecture. This special mix of strength and retro style is exactly what Michael Herold is trying to capture in his LUX. The result is a typeface which is perfectly suitable for use on book covers, posters and claims – thanks to its striking impression. The name LUX, Latin for light, is inspired by the high bright-dark contrast within the individual characters. Oft sind es alltägliche Gegenstände, die das Bestreben eines neuen kreativen Prozesses auslösen. So entspringt auch die Inspiration zur Erschaffung der LUX von Michael Herold dem Anblick einer Damenuhr. Der Chronograph löste bei Herrn Herold Assoziationen zu den 1950er Jahren aus: Während diese Zeit hauptsächlich von Schreibschriften aus Federn und Pinseln beherrscht wurde, nahm auch die streng und modern anmutende Architektur starken Einfluss auf die Epoche. Diese Mischung aus Strenge und 50er Jahre Retro-Stil soll in der LUX zum Ausdruck kommen. Das Ergebnis ist eine Schrift, die sich mit ihrer plakativen Wirkung perfekt für Buchumschläge, Poster und Claims eignet. Namensgebend war der starke hell-dunkel Kontrast innerhalb der Schrift – festgehalten in dem lateinischen Wort für Licht.

At VetteLetters we like food but we also appreciate our drinks. Yes, of the non-alcoholic kind as well. Like milk. Contrary to what Arnold Schwartzenegger once said, Milk is not just for babies. It contains a whole lot of stuff that is genuinely good for you. Like proteins, carbohydrates, minerals (calcium a.o.) and many vitamins. One time visiting The Hague, Donald DBXL spotted a tile tableau on a brick wall, advertising a dairy factory called ‘De Sierkan’. Yellow sans serif letters on a bright blue background, dating back to the late 19th century, immediately grabbed DBXL’s attention. Especially because the tableau showed both regular and bold letters with some lovely peculiarities here and there. De Sierkan appeared to have been a milk factory solely operating in The Hague from 1879 until 1961. A number of these wall adverts are still to be seen in The Hague streets today. Photos were taken for later reference. Later is now, the lettering has been digitized, missing characters added, and VLNL Melk sees the light of day. VLNL Melk is an all-caps geometric display sans serif family of three weights, Regular, Bold and Black. The basic shape of the letters is a rectangle with rounded corners, leaving a sturdy no-nonsense look and feel. It has a distinct historic aura, but with both feet in this digital day and age. It can equally well be used for the logo of a hipster coffee place, as the cover of a historic novel. Actually, VLNL Melk kan be applied in a wide range of designs like logos, posters, flyers, book covers and magazine headlines.

A stylish retro script where I have completely redone the spacing to make the text look more even. All of the diacritics have been redone, too - and the character set expanded in our usual fashion. So now this little gem from Nick Curtis is ready for the big time! Nick Curtis says: “This font is basically a design exercise, influenced by a number of contemporary fonts, but unique in its own way. The gentle, fluid motion reminded me of diner lettering from the 30s and 40s, hence the name.” ALL fonts from CheapProFonts have very extensive language support: They contain some unusual diacritic letters (some of which are contained in the Latin Extended-B Unicode block) supporting: Cornish, Filipino (Tagalog), Guarani, Luxembourgian, Malagasy, Romanian, Ulithian and Welsh. They also contain all glyphs in the Latin Extended-A Unicode block (which among others cover the Central European and Baltic areas) supporting: Afrikaans, Belarusian (Lacinka), Bosnian, Catalan, Chichewa, Croatian, Czech, Dutch, Esperanto, Greenlandic, Hungarian, Kashubian, Kurdish (Kurmanji), Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Maori, Polish, Saami (Inari), Saami (North), Serbian (latin), Slovak(ian), Slovene, Sorbian (Lower), Sorbian (Upper), Turkish and Turkmen. And they of course contain all the usual “western” glyphs supporting: Albanian, Basque, Breton, Chamorro, Danish, Estonian, Faroese, Finnish, French, Frisian, Galican, German, Icelandic, Indonesian, Irish (Gaelic), Italian, Northern Sotho, Norwegian, Occitan, Portuguese, Rhaeto-Romance, Sami (Lule), Sami (South), Scots (Gaelic), Spanish, Swedish, Tswana, Walloon and Yapese.

Throughout time, history’s architects have incorporated some of the finest illustrations of type into their great works--cuneiform on Mesopotamian ziggurats; Greek etched into the temples of the gods; inscriptions marking the monuments of mighty Rome. From these Roman inscriptions specifically, we take our capital letters of today; and while we've lost the need for serifs over time, our current characters maintain the classical foundations, even after being distilled to their simplistic forms. Here’s where we have the basis for Le Havre Titling. This updated face is a carefully optimized version of Le Havre that uses purely capital lettering. Originally inspired by the golden period of the passenger ship and the French port that bid a rich bon voyage to so many famed, luxurious ocean liners of the Roaring Twenties and Thirties, the typeface includes an exciting array of ligatures that brings it into the present day and gives designers a tremendous amount of versatility in their work. With its seven weights, Titling looks equally at home on the side of a building as it does in a finely crafted invitation. With over five hundred glyphs, Le Havre Titling offers a multiplicity of options for your projects. Combine ligatures, play around with two sets of art deco forms, use original caps, and more; every one of these is obtainable with the OpenType functionality. The new design also shares five weights with the original Le Havre, allowing you to maximize your potential through its interchangeability. Titling’s Thin weights are delicate but not too fragile, and its geometric forms give each individual composition you create an exquisite and beautiful sense of emotion. Without a doubt, this fresh, fashionable take on the classical forms offers your reader refined, yet unanticipated approach as he or she travels through your text.

You stand, poised at the brink. If you do not choose the right, the best typeface, this may be one of the greatest disasters in your history. The whole root and core and brain on which and around which your project is built seems about to perish into an ignominious end. But I do not for a moment fail to believe that Winsel shall prevail for you. This bold new face, founded from the tested mind of insigne design, will in the moment of need wield for you the full might of its ancestors. The entire strength of the British Empire’s vernacular poster lettering spanning the 1920’s to the 1950’s drives the very heart of every feature and weight this font has to offer. Winsel’s expanded design is sharp and angular, based on pointed brush strokes. Its thick, sturdy appearance will draw and direct your reader’s mind to the weight and importance of your messages and titling. Within the font’s full forces work a range of styles to achieve victory in the contest ahead: thick weights that are compact and muscular for carrying a heavier load and lighter, finer weights to lead you through your more sensitive operations. It stands equipped with OpenType features, ready to support most European Latin-based languages and providing features such as Small Caps and Titling Caps in all nine of its weights. Well-honed for the task ahead, Winsel has been crafted to ride out the storm of mediocrity and to outlive the merits of inconsequence, if necessary for years, if necessary alone. There has never been in all the world such an opportunity for you. With Winsel, you shall go on till the end. You shall write on the beaches. You shall write on the landing grounds. You shall write with growing confidence and growing strength in print or on the air. Every morn has brought forth a noble chance. Your chance this day is Winsel.

In the world of graphic design, the typeface is everything. It’s the foundation on which you build your message, the first impression your reader gets of your brand. And when it comes to creating a unique and memorable brand, there are few typefaces more distinctive than Shnixgun. Based on the venerable Franklin Card Gothic, this inky, textured typeface takes inspiration from the age-old tradition of metal type, infusing it with a modern, edgy twist. Its rustic, weathered appearance is the perfect choice for anyone looking to add a touch of authenticity to their work. But Shnixgun is more than just a pretty face. Thanks to its custom letter pairs, it breaks up the monotony of repetitive letters and adds a level of nuance and sophistication to your message. With Shnixgun, your words become more than just a series of letters—they become a work of art. But what really sets Shnixgun apart is its rusty texture. This is a typeface that wears its age proudly, with every letter infused with the character and patina of a bygone era. Whether you’re designing a vintage-style poster, a hand-crafted logo, or an art magazine spread, Shnixgun is the perfect choice for anyone looking to infuse their work with a sense of warmth, authenticity, and honesty. So don’t settle for a bland, soulless typeface. Let Shnixgun’s rusty glyphs permeate your message with affection and depth, and bring your designs to life with a touch of artistic flair. Most Latin-based European writing systems are supported, including the following languages. Afaan Oromo, Afar, Afrikaans, Albanian, Alsatian, Aromanian, Aymara, Bashkir (Latin), Basque, Belarusian (Latin), Bemba, Bikol, Bosnian, Breton, Cape Verdean, Creole, Catalan, Cebuano, Chamorro, Chavacano, Chichewa, Crimean Tatar (Latin), Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dawan, Dholuo, Dutch, English, Estonian, Faroese, Fijian, Filipino, Finnish, French, Frisian, Friulian, Gagauz (Latin), Galician, Ganda, Genoese, German, Greenlandic, Guadeloupean Creole, Haitian Creole, Hawaiian, Hiligaynon, Hungarian, Icelandic, Ilocano, Indonesian, Irish, Italian, Jamaican, Kaqchikel, Karakalpak (Latin), Kashubian, Kikongo, Kinyarwanda, Kirundi, Kurdish (Latin), Latvian, Lithuanian, Lombard, Low Saxon, Luxembourgish, Maasai, Makhuwa, Malay, Maltese, Māori, Moldovan, Montenegrin, Ndebele, Neapolitan, Norwegian, Novial, Occitan, Ossetian (Latin), Papiamento, Piedmontese, Polish, Portuguese, Quechua, Rarotongan, Romanian, Romansh, Sami, Sango, Saramaccan, Sardinian, Scottish Gaelic, Serbian (Latin), Shona, Sicilian, Silesian, Slovak, Slovenian, Somali, Sorbian, Sotho, Spanish, Swahili, Swazi, Swedish, Tagalog, Tahitian, Tetum, Tongan, Tshiluba, Tsonga, Tswana, Tumbuka, Turkish, Turkmen (Latin), Tuvaluan, Uzbek (Latin), Venetian, Vepsian, Võro, Walloon, Waray-Waray, Wayuu, Welsh, Wolof, Xhosa, Yapese, Zapotec Zulu and Zuni.

Very close thematically and in style to the rest of our “whimbats” (the Absurdies, Bizarries, Illustries, Genteta and Whimsies series), the Ombres contain a number of peculiar silhouettes and illustrations of people that range from cute to scary, with everything in between. Ombres offers152 pictures in 3 files. These imaginary characters were produced with different techniques: quick pencil sketches, ink, watercolour, though once digitized and simplified to bring them into the font files there is little apparent difference. The silhouettes, rather than flat shadows are more dimensional in their look, because they have been digitized retaining the original brushwork or pencil strokes of their source drawings. Some of them remind of the venerable tradition of metal stock cuts from vintage type foundries. The digitized results are quite different, but the energetic nature of the subjects has been mantained. Their vectorial file format means you can use them at any size with no loss of quality. Every Ombres dingbat offers ready-made images for a variety of creative projects. They can be used as they come or easily customized in any graphics program. At small sizes they are ideal spot illustrations with a whimsical touch; at large sizes they can bring a whole page, a spread or even a big poster to live.

Here I am, once again digging up 60-year sign lettering and trying to reconcile it with the typography of my own time. The truth is I've had this particular Alf Becker alphabet in my sights for a few years now. But in the typical way chaos shuffles the days, Buffet Script and Whomp won the battle for my attentions way back when, then Storefront beat the odds by a nose a couple of years ago. Nevertheless, revisiting Alf Becker’s work is always a breath of fresh air for me, not to mention the ego boost I get from confirming that I can still hack my way through the challenges, which is something I think people ask themselves about more often as they get older. You can never tell what may influence your work, or in this case remind you to dig it out of dust drawers and finally mould it into one of your own experiences. On my recent visits to the States and Canada, I noticed that quite a few high-end steak houses try their best to recreate an urban American 1930s atmosphere. This is quite evident in their menus, wall art, lighting, music, and so on. The ambience says your money is well spent here, because your food was originally choice-cut by a butcher who wears a suit, cooked by a chef who may be your neighbour 20 minutes from downtown, and delivered by a waitress who can do the Charleston when the lights dim and who just wouldn't mind laughing with you over drinks at the bar later. So Steak is just that, a face for menus and wall art in those places that see themselves in the kind of jazzy, noirish world where one-liners rule and exclamation points are part of a foreign language. As is usual with my lettering-inspired faces, there is very little left of the original Alf Becker alphabet. Of course, the challenges present in bringing typographic functionality to what is essentially pure hand lettering gives the spirit of the original art a hell of a rollercoaster ride. But I think that spirit survived the adventure, and may in fact be even somewhat magnified here. This font is over 850 glyphs. It’s loaded with ligatures, swashes, ending forms, alternates, ascender and descender variations, and extended Latin language support. Steak comes in 3 versions. According to your taste you can choose Barbecue, Braised or Smoked. It’s up to you!

It's smooth, it's cute, it's fun, and it's mighty tasty: it's Godehyda! It is perfect for headings, flyer, greeting cards, product packaging, book cover, printed quotes, logotype, apparel design, album covers, etc.

Giambattista Bodoni (1740-1813) was called the King of Printers; he was a prolific type designer, a masterful engraver of punches and the most widely admired printer of his time. His books and typefaces were created during the 45 years he was the director of the fine press and publishing house of the Duke of Parma in Italy. He produced the best of what are known as "modern" style types, basing them on the finest writing of his time. Modern types represented the ultimate typographic development of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. They have characteristics quite different from the types that preceded them; such as extreme vertical stress, fine hairlines contrasted by bold main strokes, and very subtle, almost non-existent bracketing of sharply defined hairline serifs. Bodoni saw this style as beautiful and harmonious-the natural result of writing done with a well-cut pen, and the look was fashionable and admired. Other punchcutters, such as the Didot family (1689-1853) in France, and J. E. Walbaum (1768-1839) in Germany made their own versions of the modern faces. Even though some nineteenth century critics turned up their noses and called such types shattering and chilly, today the Bodoni moderns are seen in much the same light as they were in his own time. When used with care, the Bodoni types are both romantic and elegant, with a presence that adds tasteful sparkle to headlines and advertising. The Bauer Bodoni was done by Heinrich Jost for Bauer Typefoundry in 1927. This version has finer details of the original Bodoni types. It works well for headlines, logos, advertising.

It's bold, it's blocky, it has rounded corners and was inspired by hand lettering on a vintage booklet for children's craft gift projects. It has regular and oblique versions. It's Gift List JNL.