Das Grotesk was inspired by earlier nineteenth-century grotesques, but it is much more related to American gothic designs such as those by M.F. Benton. Due to their pure geometric structure, most grotesque typefaces tend to have a rather monotonous and lifeless appearance, thus failing to express the ideals of the modern creed. Das Grotesk on the other hand is a lively design with several distinguishable characteristics which attract attention when set at large sizes, whilst they become subtle and blend evenly at small sizes, fostering a neutral identity. This is a very legible and space-saving typeface with a narrow structure. It was designed with slanted curved ends and sheared terminals applied on several straight strokes. It has two-storey ‘a’ and ‘g’ but includes single-storey alternates. The family consists of 14 weights ranging from Extra Thin to Black (including true-italics). It provides simultaneous support for Latin, Cyrillic and Greek and is loaded with several advanced typographic features such as small caps. Download its complehensive PDF Specimen Manual for further details.

Happy Halloween (and All Souls Day and Day of the Dead)! I’ve seen other fonts made up of bones of various kinds, but none with this variety. Henry Gray’s Anatomy of the Human Body (the book, not Grey’s Anatomy, the TV series) was heavily scoured to find more unusual bones shaped like letters. You’ll find Los Muertos both fun and appropriate for the up-coming holidays. (Uppercase is Solid, lowercase is Outline).