Mekon is a modern heavyweight typeface digitised and expanded from Peter Steiners Black Body (1973). Retro style Pacman shapes are combined with small keyhole counters to create a bold and witty font ideal for apparel, books, t-shirts and posters. Mekon is now available as version 2.0 (2021); the remastered version meets higher technical standards that modern-day users demand. Included in the font are over 460 characters, four unique styles, with a free gradient option. Opentype features consist of digital numerals, lining figures, fractions and alternate a, c, e, f, i, k, m, n, r, M and S with language support covering Western, South and Central Europe.

During a ‘type walk’ at the 2007 AtypI conference in Brighton, typographer Phil Baines pointed out what he considered to be a particularly egregious example of over-decorative art nouveau lettering on a war memorial. This made me determined to use it as the basis for a font. Released in Opentype, it now features ligatures, swashes and alternates. It’s not certain if the curved top bars on the E and F are a feature of the original design or due to climbers using them as footholds, but I incorporated them anyway. It has recently been used for invitations and supporting print material for formal charity dinners at the House of Lords.

Monocto is an upright italic, clearly evidenced by the lowercase letters a, e, f, g, i, k, l, v, w, x, y and several capitals. On one hand, the design is inspired by an historical German running hand written with a pen angle of 45°, and on the other, by rational, utilitarian monospace types, similar to those designed for the mechanical typewriter during the Industrial Revolution. As the writing tool touches the paper, a double-square with broken corners is produced, which then, according to ductus, transforms itself into letter components that are either 90°-verticals or 45°-diagonals. The systematic geometry of Monocto offers unexpected design possibilites.