Martin Wilke’s underrated yet influential deco classic from 1932 has both feet firmly planted in the high traditions of Western European calligraphy while carefully and subtly introducing some traits from the sweeping geometric/minimalist vision of the time. In a way, it was one of the representatives of the European anti-type typefaces of that era, when print media was searching for the elusive aesthetic balance between humanism and geometry. This typeface enjoyed some popularity in Germany for a few years, and went on to influence further type designs in Holland and Italy. After the second World War, the black hole that swallowed a big chunk of Europe’s print culture, new influences and technologies overtook the scene, and selective historical emphasis ensued, highlighting some of the era’s designs and overlooking others. Further selective picking in the digital era all but buried Wilke’s body of work - unfairly so, because he was just as important in German type history as Bernhard, Post, Schneidler, Tiemann and Trump. The original metal Wilke Kursiv came in one weight. This digital version goes a long way in expanding on that original offering. Now Wilke’s masterpiece comes in three weights, and with a full Pro treatment including swash caps, small capitals, five types of figures, automatic fractions, and plenty of other OpenType niceties. Each of the Wilke Kursiv Pro fonts comes with over 700 characters, and contains support for most Latin-based languages. Also available are three non-Pro fonts in each weight.

An Art Deco, script inspired typeface for 'modern' times, Pauline Didone is a full type family with a unique and flavorful design. It has a sense of femininity and naïveté that comes from its predecessor, Pauline. It's a typeface useful for short bits of copy, logotypes and interesting titling. This typeface family of 10 different fonts includes 5 weights and their italics and a wide range of OpenType alternates. The original Pauline was inspired by and has a strong influence from retro scripts. The typeface is geometric, formed with deliberate contrasting brush strokes and a ostentatious flair. Pauline Didone's high contrast strokes give it a very interesting look that is up to date with latest design trends and very useful for today's design environment. Pauline Didone pairs nicely with the original sans-serif Pauline. The typeface family also includes a full array of alternate forms, including over 150 alternate characters. These alternates can be accessed by activating OpenType features and style sets. Note: In order to use these OpenType features, you will need a program with advanced typography capabilities such as the Adobe Suite or Quark. These alternates also include a group of ball terminals that can be accessed under the swash alternates. Pauline Didone is the latest in a trusted line of typefaces from insigne. Why settle for the ordinary when you can choose Pauline Didone to lend its unique look to your art work?

The main inspiration is from Art Nouveau which flourished in Europe at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. This design included furniture (Majorelle, Lalique) and architecture (Victor Horta, Henry Van de Velde, Gaudi, Alfons Mucha). But Hector Guimard remains the favorite for all aspects of its art and, of course, its typefaces used on the Parisian Metropolitan posters. In particular, the various kerning of the various letters he used to make the poster a whole design from singular designs, leading to numerous variations. As a designer, I first worked with the individual glyphs Hector Guimard designed and I discovered that they vary constantly from a poster to another, depending on the overall result he was looking for. Another difficulty in transferring his design to printing is that there was no lower case. I was excited to create the whole font from the original designs of Hector Guimard, incorporating its variations and "crazy kerning". After several attempts, it appeared to be impossible to include all variations and I slightly moved to my own new design as a complete font, upper and lower case, with kerning. I voluntarily limited the ascenders and descenders to the usual typography so that it can be used from 10 / 12 points. This version can be used to edit letters and books in the context of Art, specially Art Nouveau and Art Deco of course, posters of any kind.

P22 Klauss Kursiv is the first ever digital revival and expansion of the last face Karl Klauß designed for the Genzsch & Heyse foundry in Stuttgart before he died in 1956. Karl Klauß’s classical training in the graphic arts gave him solid chops to use as a springboard for design ideas that remained relevant among the countless trends fleeting around the turmoil of two world wars. By the mid-1950s, a kind of ornamental deco aesthetic was well on its way into mainstream design in post-war Europe, and demand was high for unique, lively and non-minimal ad faces. Klauß, a reliable designer with a proven track record of calligraphic faces, pushed the envelope on his own calligraphy and designed something that packages elegance in a boldness seldom seen before in luxury scripts. Quite a bit of talent is on display in Klauss Kursiv. In spite of the restraint this kind of design imposes on itself almost by default, the interplay between thick and thin never seems forced or challenging. Clear, natural strokes build a compact alphabet that demonstrates the wrist control of a veteran calligrapher. Creative nib angling segues into very clever start-and-stop constructs to make attractive forms that work quite well together, yet stand well to individual scrutiny. P22 Klauss Kursiv comes with a load of built-in alternates and ligatures in a font of over 470 glyphs, providing extended support for Latin languages.