Born on May 8, 1892 in Reno Nevada, Lewis Franklin (“Lew” ) Hymers left an indelible mark as a caricaturist, cartoonist and graphic artist. At the age of twenty [in 1912] he worked for the San Francisco Chronicle. During World War I he worked for the Washington Post. He even was employed for a time by Walt Disney as an animator - but most of his life was spent in either Tujunga, California or his birthplace of Reno, Nevada as a self-employed illustrator. Hymers inked a feature for the Nevada State Journal called “Seen About Town”, which was published during the 1930s and 1940s. In this panel, he caricaturized many of the familiar faces around Reno. He also designed signs, logos, post cards and numerous other commercial illustrations for clients, but what has endeared him to a number of fans was his vast library of stock cuts (the predecessor to paper and electronic clip art) which feature his humorous characters in various professions and life situations. So popular is his work amongst those “in the know” that a clip art book collection of over seven hundred of his drawings that was issued by Dover Publications [but long out of print] commands asking prices ranging from just under $15 to well over $100 for a single copy. Lew Hymers passed away on February 5, 1953 just a few months shy of his 61st birthday. Although his artwork depicts the 1930s and 1940s lifestyles, equipment and conveniences, more than sixty years after his death they stand up amazingly well as cheerful pieces of nostalgia. The twenty-seven images (and some variants) in Hymers JNL were painstakingly re-drawn from scans of one of his catalogs and is but just a tiny fraction of the hundreds upon hundreds of illustrations from the pen of this prolific artist.

Paralucent Slab is an addition to the ever-popular Paralucent family. Paralucent is versatile all-purpose modern sans and slab serif design. Available in seven weights, from Thin to Heavy, with corresponding italics, it avoids some of the more eccentric calligraphic quirks of Akzidenz or Helvetica or the cool precision of Univers for an elegant, functional, yet warm design. Several core ideas inform Paralucent’s design. Prime attention has given to the negative space between characters, giving a more even “colour”, especially in text. For example, the J, L and T have shorter arms than comparable sans typefaces, while the M and W are wider. The A has a lower bar, opening up the interior counter. An unusually high lower-case x-height again helps to give a more even colour and improve legibility. Care has been taken to rationalise repeated elements like the tails on lower-case letters, or the Q and the “ear” of the g. Typographic design solutions that are consistent across all these features add more stylistic cohesion. ‘Ink traps’ are exaggerated incisions used to open up a letter's narrower internal angles, which can become clogged with ink, especially in small point sizes. Now largely redundant due to the high quality of modern print, they are still sometimes used as a stylistic quirk or design feature. Now that digital fonts are often reversed or outlined, or enlarged to enormous sizes, these can also lead to unexpected or obtrusive results. Paralucent takes these inevitable digital manipulations into account, and adds optical corrections without resort to ink traps. The family has been picked up by many UK and US publishers, featuring heavily in magazines like Loaded, Heat and TV Quick, as well as high-end coffee-table photography books and gallery websites. The addition of the Slab family adds even more options for running text and headline.

A typeface with lightly-worn futurism, Sagittarius is equally at home among the beauty and wellness aisles, or the coils of the warp core. The Sagittarius typeface was designed by Jonathan Hoefler in 2021. A decorative adaptation of Hoefler’s Peristyle typeface (2017), Sagittarius’s rounded corners and streamlined shapes recall the digital aesthetic of the first alphabets designed for machine reading, a style that survives as a cheeky Space Age invocation of futurism. Sagittarius was created for The Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction, where it first appeared in 2021. From the desk of the designer: Typeface designers spend a lot of time chasing down strange valences. We try to figure out what’s producing that whiff of Art Deco, or that vaguely militaristic air, or what’s making a once solemn typeface suddenly feel tongue-in-cheek. If we can identify the source of these qualities, we can cultivate them, and change the direction of the design; more often, we just extinguish them without mercy. Sometimes, we get the chance to follow a third path, which is how we arrived at Sagittarius. During the development of Peristyle, our family of compact, high-contrast sans serifs, I often found myself unwittingly humming space-age pop songs. Nothing about Peristyle’s chic and elegant letterforms suggested the deadpan romp of “The Planet Plan” by United Future Organization, let alone “Music To Watch Space Girls By” from the ill-advised (but delicious) Leonard Nimoy Presents Mr. Spock’s Music from Outer Space, but there they were. Something in the fonts was provoking an afterimage of the otherworldly, as if the typeface was sliding in and out of a parallel universe of high-tech spycraft and low-tech brawls with rubber-masked aliens. It might have had something to do with a new eyeglass prescription. But I liked the effect, and started thinking about creating an alternate, space-age version of the typeface, one with a little more funk, and a lot more fun. I wondered if softer edges, a measured dose of seventies retrofuturism, and some proper draftsmanship might produce a typeface not only suitable for sci-fi potboilers, but for more serious projects, too: why not a line of skin care products, a fitness system, a high-end digital camera, or a music festival? I put a pin in the idea, wondering if there’d ever be a project that called for equal parts sobriety and fantasy. And almost immediately, exactly such a project appeared. The Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction Jesse Sheidlower is a lexicographer, a former Editor at Large for the Oxford English Dictionary, and a longtime friend. He’s someone who takes equal pleasure in the words ‘usufructuary’ and ‘megaboss,’ and therefore a welcome collaborator for the typeface designer whose love of the Flemish baroque is matched by a fondness for alphabets made of logs. Jesse was preparing to launch The Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction, a comprehensive online resource dedicated to the terminology of the genre, whose combination of scholarship and joy was a perfect fit for the typeface I imagined. For linguists, there’d be well-researched citations to explain how the hitherto uninvented ‘force field’ and ‘warp speed’ came to enter the lexicon. For science fiction fans, there’d be definitive (and sometimes surprising) histories of the argot of Stars both Trek and Wars. And for everyone, there’d be the pleasure of discovering science fiction’s less enduring contributions, from ‘saucerman’ to ‘braintape,’ each ripe for a comeback. A moderated, crowdsourced project, the dictionary is now online and growing every day. You’ll find it dressed in three font families from H&Co: Whitney ScreenSmart for its text, Decimal for its navigational icons, and Sagittarius for its headlines — with some of the font’s more fantastical alternate characters turned on. The New Typeface Sagittarius is a typeface whose rounded corners and streamlined forms give it a romantically scientific voice. In the interest of versatility, its letterforms make only oblique references to specific technologies, helping the typeface remain open to interpretation. But for projects that need the full-throated voice of science fiction, a few sets of digital accessories are included, which designers can introduce at their own discretion. There are alternate letters with futuristic pedigrees, from the barless A popularized by Danne & Blackburn’s 1975 ‘worm’ logo for NASA, to a disconnected K recalling the 1968 RCA logo by Lippincott & Margulies. A collection of digitally-inspired symbols are included for decorative use, from the evocative MICR symbols of electronic banking, to the obligatory barcodes that forever haunt human–machine interactions. More widely applicable are the font’s arrows and manicules, and the automatic substitutions that resolve thirty-four awkward combinations of letters with streamlined ligatures. About the Name Sagittarius is one of thirteen constellations of the zodiac, and home to some of astronomy’s most inspiring discoveries. In 1977, a powerful radio signal originating in the Sagittarius constellation was considered by many to be the most compelling recorded evidence of extraterrestrial life. Thanks to an astronomer’s enthusiastically penned comment, the 72-second transmission became known as the Wow! signal, and it galvanized support for one of science’s most affecting projects, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI). More recently, Sagittarius has been identified as the location of a staggering celestial discovery: a supermassive black hole, some 44 million kilometers in diameter, in the Galactic Center of the Milky Way. <

Sun is a family of compact typefaces closer to old industrial-style American newspaper headlines than to Luc(as)’s other designs. The fonts also work in text, and have been used for corporate identity and editorial projects for more than two decades now.

EbuScript by José Manuel Urós. OpenType, 1 style The very first font of Type-Ø-Tones, EbuScript, comes from the pen of José Manuel Urós —nicknamed Ebú in those times. Now it is still in our catalogue thanks to a completed and improved version.

The title on the 1925 sheet music for “By the Light of the Stars” was hand lettered in an eccentric Art Nouveau type style with varying character shapes and line widths. This is now available as Erratic Nouveau JNL in both regular and oblique versions.

AS Nerd is a contemporary brush script. AS Nerd is a beautiful typeface that mimics true handwriting closely. Use AS Nerd, and your documents will look stunningly beautiful from now on. Perfect for printing your personal thoughts be they silly, pensive or absolutely nonsense!

A bold, condensed slab serif face A July 9, 1935 trade paper ad for Paramount Pictures’ 1st quarter film releases sported hand lettering with chamfered slab serifs. This condensed type design is now available as Preferred Shares JNL in both regular and oblique versions.

Modifi is a straight cut modern monospace font. This typeface is inspired by the digital monotone living in urban lifestyle. Modifi has a few alternates to supply you with variety in your work and is perfect as a headline, title, branding, logo and many others.

Dikta Neue is a neo-grotesque sans serif typeface inspired by Swiss Design in The 1960s. With a solid and minimalist letterform make this typeface suitable for text and display. Dikta Neue is available in 18 different styles from thin to black including italics.

Hand lettered titling on the 1945 sheet music for “Don’t Forget To-Night, To-Morrow” is in a simple, condensed sans serif style with a slight hint of Art Deco influence. This is now available as Handmade Headline JNL, in both regular and oblique versions.

Lunema is a highly stylized contemporary neo-grotesque sans serif typeface with strong geometric contrasts. The font to be highly legible in smaller point sizes due to the distinct deep ink traps. All 10 weights have an extended Latin glyph set with alternatives and ligatures.

A unique and stylized type design with Art Deco influence was found within the French publication “Modèles de lettres modernes par Georges Léculier” (“Models of Modern Letters by Léculier”). This lettering is now digitally available as Deco Wide JNL in both regular and oblique versions.

Vintage packaging [circa 1940s] for a sewing machine attachment used for making lattice-type stitching had its information hand lettered in a casual Art Deco sans serif design. This became the basis of Home Economics JNL, which is available in both regular and oblique versions.

Bastard is a contemporary blackletter typeface and was one of the first created using a personal computer. It was drawn using primitive font design software in 1988, and refined and published two years later. It has now been revised to feature an expanded character set.

A classic example of Art Deco lettering made with a round nib ink pen was found within the pages of “Lettering” by Harry B. Wright (circa 1950). Now available as a digital type font, Pen Moderne JNL is available in both regular and oblique versions.

The Dec., 1936 - Jan., 1937 edition of Radio Mirror offered up a condensed, hand lettered sans serif type design that - although an Art Deco style- is also somewhat futuristic in design. This is now available as Condensed Moderne JNL in both regular and oblique versions.

The hand lettered title on the 1945 sheet music for the song "Louisiana Hayride" is an Art Deco design with a nod to the preceding Art Nouveau era. It is now available as Barn Dance JNL, which is available in both regular and oblique versions.

An ad in the May 3, 1928 issue of “The Film Daily” for the movie “Drums of Love” featured extra bold, sans serif hand lettering in an Art Deco style. This is now available as Drum Rhythm JNL in both regular and oblique versions.

The cover of a 1932 edition of “Sunset magazine” (a publication for homeowners living in the west and southwest area of the United States) featured a lovely Art Deco serif alphabet that is now available as Western Suburbs JNL in both regular and oblique versions.

The 1938 sheet music for the official Coast Guard Marching Song "Semper Paratus" "(Always Ready)" offered up a hand lettered title in a bold block style with rounded corners and an inline. This is now available as Stationer JNL, in both regular and oblique versions.

Hustlers™ was inspired by carnival, circus and tattoo signs shop from the late 1800's. It works well with normal size text, but works even better for large displays, short words, or just to incorporate a few or single characters in a design.

The 1907 sheet music for "Take Me Back to Dear Old Dixie" had the song title hand lettered in a decorative serif typeface with strong Art Nouveau influences. This design is now available digitally as Fancy Nouveau JNL, in both regular and oblique versions.

An ad for the film "Marine Raiders" in the June 16, 1944 issue of Motion Picture Daily features the movie's title hand lettered in a bold, slab serif stencil design. This is now available as Forward March JNL in both regular and oblique versions.

In the 1909 edition of the Atkinson Sign Painters’ instruction books is an extra bold sans serif alphabet and numerals called “Advertisers’ Thick and Thin Plug”. This hand lettered display face is now available digitally as Sign Lettering JNL in both regular and oblique versions.

“9 Garcons...Un Cœur” (“9 Boys...One Heart”) is a 1948 French musical starring Edith Piaf. The hand lettered credits for the film are done in a condensed Art Deco sans alphabet, now available digitally as Stage Show JNL in both regular and oblique versions.

A light and playful sans serif type design with Art Nouveau influences was called “Tasso” within the pages of the 1893 edition of the Barnhart Bros. & Spindler type specimen book. This is now available as Nouveau Boutique JNL in both regular and oblique versions.

I was commissioned by Publish magazine to digitize Trio in 1990. Originally designed in a Light weight only, Trio is now available in Medium and Bold weights as well. Uppercase only, but each weight includes two alphabets, one more "deco," the other more "modern."

In the December, 1934 issue of Modern Screen magazine, a number of feature article headlines were hand lettered in a condensed slab serif with a relatively uniform stroke weight. This is now available digitally as Fan Magazine JNL, in both regular and oblique versions.

Titles hand lettered for articles appearing in the November, 1938 issue of Hollywood Magazine were done in a condensed Art Deco stencil style in just lower case. This novelty type design is now available as Deco Display Stencil JNL in both regular and oblique versions.

An ad promoting the 1919 silent film comedy “Back Stage” starring Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle was hand lettered in a thick-and-thin sans style with Art Nouveau influences. This lettering is now available digitally as Picture Show JNL, in both regular and oblique versions.

This came from an early-1900s lettering book. Never was an actual font, but it has a quaint look that should be useful. We hate to see alphabets just fade away, which is why we make fonts like this. We added a few touches.

The design for this typeface is based upon four sheets of an old latin book I purchased in Hanover (Germany) a couple of years ago. The letters preserve the rough edges of the original printing, I just added a few missing letters and some ligatures.

The very first Speedball-Lettering Book was published in 1915, and within its pages was a rough-hewn example of lettering with the name "Rapid Sho-Card Style". The design is now available as Antique Show Card JNL, in both regular and oblique versions.

A typographic conundrum presented itself with the hand lettered title on the cover of the 1919 song "I Am Always Building Castles in the Air". The capitalized portion ["Castles in the Air"] was a hybrid mix of a few Art Nouveau-influenced rounded letters, yet along with this were squared letters with rounded corners (reflecting the upcoming Art Deco movement to take place in about another decade). As a complete alphabet, it didnít mix as well as in those few short words. What to do? It was decided to go with the squared look and save the rounder characters for a future project. The end result became Last Date JNL; available in both regular and oblique versions.