Type designers are crazy people. Not crazy in the sense that they think we are Napoleon, but in the sense that the sky can be falling, wars tearing the world apart, disasters splitting the very ground we walk on, plagues circling continents to pick victims randomly, yet we will still perform our ever optimistic task of making some little spot of the world more appealing to the human eye. We ought to be proud of ourselves, I believe. Optimism is hard to come by these days. Regardless of our own personal reasons for doing what we do, the very thing we do is in itself an act of optimism and belief in the inherent beauty that exists within humanity. As recently as ten years ago, I wouldn't have been able to choose the amazing obscure profession I now have, wouldn't have been able to be humbled by the history that falls into my hands and slides in front of my eyes every day, wouldn't have been able to live and work across previously impenetrable cultural lines as I do now, and wouldn't have been able to raise my glass of Malbeck wine to toast every type designer who was before me, is with me, and will be after me. As recently as ten years ago, I wouldn't have been able to mean these words as I wrote them: It’s a small world. Yes, it is a small world, and a wonderfully complex one too. With so much information drowning our senses by the minute, it has become difficult to find clear meaning in almost anything. Something throughout the day is bound to make us feel even smaller in this small world. Most of us find comfort in a routine. Some of us find extended families. But in the end we are all Eleanor Rigbys, lonely on the inside and waiting for a miracle to come. If a miracle can make the world small, another one can perhaps give us meaning. And sometimes a miracle happens for a split second, then gets buried until a crazy type designer finds it. I was on my honeymoon in New York City when I first stumbled upon the letters that eventually started this Affair. A simple, content tourist walking down the streets formerly unknown to me except through pop music and film references. Browsing the shops of the city that made Bob Dylan, Lou Reed, and a thousand other artists. Trying to chase away the tourist mentality, wondering what it would be like to actually live in the city of a billion tiny lights. Tourists don't go to libraries in foreign cities. So I walked into one. Two hours later I wasn't in New York anymore. I wasn't anywhere substantial. I was the crazy type designer at the apex of insanity. La La Land, alphabet heaven, curves and twirls and loops and swashes, ribbons and bows and naked letters. I'm probably not the very first person on this planet to be seduced into starting an Affair while on his honeymoon, but it is something to tease my better half about once in a while. To this day I can't decide if I actually found the worn book, or if the book itself called for me. Its spine was nothing special, sitting on a shelf, tightly flanked by similar spines on either side. Yet it was the only one I picked off that shelf. And I looked at only one page in it before walking to the photocopier and cheating it with an Argentine coin, since I didn't have the American quarter it wanted. That was the beginning. I am now writing this after the Affair is over. And it was an Affair to remember, to pull a phrase. Right now, long after I have drawn and digitized and tested this alphabet, and long after I saw what some of this generation’s type designers saw in it, I have the luxury to speculate on what Affair really is, what made me begin and finish it, what cultural expressions it has, and so on. But in all honesty it wasn't like that. Much like in my Ministry Script experience, I was a driven man, a lover walking the ledge, an infatuated student following the instructions of his teacher while seeing her as a perfect angel. I am not exaggerating when I say that the letters themselves told me how to extend them. I was exploited by an alphabet, and it felt great. Unlike my experience with Ministry Script, where the objective was to push the technology to its limits, this Affair felt like the most natural and casual sequence of processions in the world – my hand following the grid, the grid following what my hand had already done – a circle of creation contained in one square computer cell, then doing it all over again. By contrast, it was the lousiest feeling in the world when I finally reached the conclusion that the Affair was done. What would I do now? Would any commitment I make from now on constitute a betrayal of these past precious months? I'm largely over all that now, of course. I like to think I'm a better man now because of the experience. Affair is an enormous, intricately calligraphic OpenType font based on a 9x9 photocopy of a page from a 1950s lettering book. In any calligraphic font, the global parameters for developing the characters are usually quite volatile and hard to pin down, but in this case it was particularly difficult because the photocopy was too gray and the letters were of different sizes, very intertwined and scan-impossible. So finishing the first few characters in order to establish the global rhythm was quite a long process, after which the work became a unique soothing, numbing routine by which I will always remember this Affair. The result of all the work, at least to the eyes of this crazy designer, is 1950s American lettering with a very Argentine wrapper. My Affair is infused with the spirit of filete, dulce de leche, yerba mate, and Carlos Gardel. Upon finishing the font I was fortunate enough that a few of my colleagues, great type designers and probably much saner than I am, agreed to show me how they envision my Affair in action. The beauty they showed me makes me feel small and yearn for the world to be even smaller now – at least small enough so that my international colleagues and I can meet and exchange stories over a good parrilla. These people, whose kindness is very deserving of my gratitude, and whose beautiful art is very deserving of your appreciation, are in no particular order: Corey Holms, Mariano Lopez Hiriart, Xavier Dupré, Alejandro Ros, Rebecca Alaccari, Laura Meseguer, Neil Summerour, Eduardo Manso, and the Doma group. You can see how they envisioned using Affair in the section of this booklet entitled A Foreign Affair. The rest of this booklet contains all the obligatory technical details that should come with a font this massive. I hope this Affair can bring you as much peace and satisfaction as it brought me, and I hope it can help your imagination soar like mine did when I was doing my duty for beauty.

Orlock was developed by Michael Scarpitti from a sample of hand lettering on the poster of the classic silent film Nosferatu. It is a bit different from the types of fonts Mike has done for us previously. The style of the letters is characteristic of graphic design of the German Expressionist movement of the 1920s. The name of the character is borrowed from the Vampire villain of the film.

Ondine is one of the early typefaces of Adrian Frutiger. It looks as though it were written with a broad tipped pen, however, Frutiger actually cut the forms out of a piece of paper with scissors. The forms of Ondine are reminiscent of the humanist period, the high point of the Italian Renaissance text typefaces of the 15th century. This movement was centered in Florence, the base of the Humanist movement overall, and the home of a famous type school of the time. The main goal of the educated writers was to faithfully recreate the writing of the admired literary works, whose aesthetic was as important as their content. Ondine displays a regular and open character. Texts set in this typeface give the impression of being hundreds of years old. Ondine should be used in point sizes of 12 and larger and is best for short texts and headlines.

AngloAngkor is a display face of Western characters inspired by the elegant “round script” style of the Khmer alphabet of Cambodia. It is the first of a projected series inspired by some of the beautiful lesser-known native scripts of Southeast Asia.

The concept of this letter is ‘pleasure’. The shape of the letters with the rain is refreshing. The hardness of the letters, which can tolerate a certain amount of rain, and the intensity of the strong rain create a sense of pleasure.

Based on examples of common medieval Gothic typefaces, High German has lots of character, giving an immediate impression of the densely packed pages of the 'traditional' backward looking printers of the day.

Eirinn was designed by Norbert Reiners for Linotype in 1994. Its forms are based on those of Irish scripts of the 7th and 8th centuries, an example of which can be found in the Book of Kells in Dublin. Characteristic of this style are for example the lower case f with its short cross stroke on the base line and long cross stroke above, the unusual form of the g, and the t, whose form is almost like that of a c. This style consisted of a mixture of lower case and capital letters at the time of its conception, but Eirinn has a full set of both lower case and capital alphabets. At first glance the viewer is reminded of ancient and indecipherable writings of the Celts before the forms of our contemporary letters and words become evident. Eirinn will lend a touch of mysticism and secrecy to any text.

By the enchanted amulet of the all-seeing eye of Agamotto, by the Seven Moons of Munipoor and the beards of the eternal Vishanti, there are Strange Magicks in the Crimson Circles of Cyttorak that only a Sorcerer Supreme -- a Master of the Mystic Art Nouveau -- can comprehend. This font, transcribed by the Hoary Hand of the Host of Hoggoth, will admit you to the inner sanctum of The Ancient One. Not transferable. Void where Dark Arts prohibited by supernatural law.

Ganelon is a new, original design by Dave Nalle in the style of the Arts and Crafts movement of the late 1800s. It draws on some of the design characteristics of lettering by artists from English and American branches of the movement, with additional original features. Ganelon Lower Case features the main upper case character set of Ganelon, but instead of small caps it has a full set of lower case letters.

Devil Candle evokes a symphony of sinister whispers, a reflection of the murky depths of hell. Its refined serif characters, in narrow to wide stances, echo the undulating flames of a devil's candle, flickering ominously in the abyss. Ideal for the bone-chilling narratives of horror movies, this typeface encompasses the raw essence of Halloween and satanic lore, effectively encapsulating the pulse of terror that courses through the veins of the enchanted and the damned.

Inspired by food labels, signs and coats of arms, PR-Scrolls is a collection of images which can be used for framing text in contexts where antiquity, craftsmanship, or traditional quality are conveyed. There are several sets of glyphs which work together to make a variety of shapes, or banners of custom length. Most of the glyphs are presented in a range of three or more widths. Scrolls 3 has a greater unity of detail, and a greater variety of form than our earlier designs.

Digital Stitch is the embroidery of digital era. This font is a blend of pixel stylization of traditional cross-stitch embroidery and stylization of printed circuit boards. There is a big collection of ornaments in the symbols set.

Wittenbach is based on lettering by Rudolf Koch which really embodies the essence of classic gothic-style poster lettering of the 1920s. It brings together the traditional style of gothic lettering and a strong, more modern sensibility characteristic of Koch's work and his era. It is very vertical and stylized, but also extraordinarily attractive without the harshness of many of the designs of that period.

Gjallarhorn is based on uncial-style lettering by artist Willy Pogany from his titles for Padraig Colum's classic collection of Scandinavian myths, The Children of Odin. It has various peculiar letter forms, and the font includes two or more different versions of many of the characters. An excellent example of stylized hand lettering by one of the great decorative artists of the Art Nouveau period.

Inspired by food labels, signs and coats of arms, PR-Scrolls is a collection of images which can be used for framing text in contexts where antiquity, craftsmanship, or traditional quality are conveyed. There are several sets of glyphs which work together to make a variety of shapes, or banners of custom length. Most of the glyphs are presented in a range of four or more widths.

Inspired by food labels, signs and coats of arms, PR-Scrolls is a collection of images which can be used for framing text in contexts where antiquity, craftsmanship, or traditional quality are conveyed. There are several sets of glyphs which work together to make a variety of shapes, or banners of custom length. Most of the glyphs are presented in a range of three or more widths.

Eckhardt Poster Brush JNL is part of a series of fonts emulating many of the various styles of hand lettering employed by sign painters and show card writers. The series is named in honor of the late Albert Eckhardt, Jr. - a talented sign writer and a good friend of the font's designer, Jeff Levine. Eckhardt Poster Italic JNL is an angled treatment of the font.

General Chang JNL is one of a number of fonts redrawn by Jeff Levine from the creative output of the late Alf R. Becker. Becker's alphabets were a monthly feature of Signs of the Times Magazine from the 1930s through the 1950s. Thanks to Tod Swormstedt of ST Media (who also is the curator of the American Sign Museum in Cincinnati, Ohio) for the resource material.

The numerals and alphabet of the Semaphore Flagging Code, as well as black and white version of the flags and pennants of the International Code of Signals.

Pacifista takes advantage of the well-tested structure of our constructed typefaces, the directness and simplicity of which are by far the best suited to stencils. Straight lines, regular arcs and purity of drawing facilitate maintaining the maximum possible legibility even in a typeface that is practically devoid of any joining of strokes.

Zahariel is a stylish script font based on samples of turn of the century calligraphy. It has a different, cleaner look in comparison with many of our other script fonts, and features alternate versions of many of the lower case characters.

A revival of one of the popular American Clarendon wooden types of the 19th century.

Klute references stylised forms of writing; historic Germanic, blackletter letterforms and graffiti and tagging. Its references are based on a personal idea of lettering - the action of writing is more personal and human than the craft of calligraphy or the mechanics of typing. These references suggest the idea of saying something particular and personal.

The pages of a vintage sign painter's manual yields many interesting typefaces that reflect on the design styles of years gone by. Eckhardt Display Serif JNL is a distinctive, hand-lettered serif face that has a hint of Art Noveau. Part of a series of sign painter's fonts named in honor of the late Albert Eckhardt, Jr. who owned Allied Signs in Miami, Florida, Jeff Levine continues this series of fonts in tribute to his friend and the art of sign lettering.

Linotype Balder is a part of the Take Type Library, winners of Linotype’s International Digital Type Design Contest. Designed by Lutz Baar, Balder is reminiscent of advertisement and poster typefaces of the 1950s and 1960s. It is composed of only capital letters, making it perfect for initials and headlines. Balder looks as though it were written with a broad tipped pen. Its light serifs at the tops of the characters and the slant of some of the strokes give Balder a dynamic feel.

The original superellipse typefaces coincided with the emergence of the CRT (cathode ray tube) TV screen, but there is more than this visual analogy of high-tech in play, as the pumped up angularity of the curved components of the genre also informs the quality of set text. In particular, due to the straightness of the round letters’ side stems, there is a neat modularity of vertical letter spacing, which denotes authority, with precision, complementing the tautness of the face’s curves.

The starter point of the Wienerin typeface is based on the work of Austrian designer and artist Carl Otto Czeschka who was part of The Wiener Werkstätte, an early twentieth century association of designers, architects, craftsmen, ceramists, jewelers and other graphic arts in his country. This collective of artists was influential for both Bauhaus, art deco and Scandinavian design. Wienerin is a revision and expansion of the Olympia typeface designed almost 100 years ago by Czeschka but adapted for contemporary use with the inclusion of numerous alternative signs and ligatures. Variable font technology allows a greater variety of weights to be achieved. One of the features of the original design was the inclusion of "eifassungen" or modules to create frames. Wienerin presents a repertoire of 500 in 3 weights. With an upward elongated design we have decided to also create a version of the typeface with a larger x-box that allows for a wider use of the typeface family. Because of its contrast it is ideal for use in delicate design pieces such as editorial design, elegant labels, stationery and fashion. All styles of the Wienerin typeface family cover most Latin languages.

The XStellaStern group consists of five fonts of stars, star-like pictures, and derivatives of them.

Inspired by the shape of a 3.25" floppy disk this unicase font was designed from the combination of three square modules. Made in 1998 Disquete is one of the first projects of Buggy, founder of the Brazilian type foundry Tipos do aCASO.

Latimer is one of a series exploring a fusion of Roman and Gothic forms. Characteristics of each genre can be seen: the fluid tapering serifs and rounded shapes of the Roman form, contrasted with the angular diamond and hexagonal shapes of Gothic.

Three of the four letters of the name “Jane” on the cover of a vintage piece of sheet music inspired So Nouveau JNL. The free-form swoops emulating the pen lettering of the early 1900s adds a nostalgic charm to this typeface.

As the most classic and traditional style pack of the Fonts Café, the Ottanio family take a place of honor in the list of the Fonts Café handmade Vintage style fonts. Clearly born for being noticed, the boldness and the almost imperceptible, but present to the eyes of subconscious mind, irregularities of the Ottanio Family has been well balanced to create a set of handmade Serif fonts that can be used as “jack of all trades” where traditions, origins and a touch of Vintage style are required. From the integrity of the Ottanio Regular, the stronger style of the Shaded version and the scraped look of the Stamp option, the whole Ottanio Pack will be the perpetual solution always useful to have on hand!