The Englishman William Caslon punchcut many roman, italic, and non-Latin typefaces from 1720 until his death in 1766. At that time most types were being imported to England from Dutch sources, so Caslon was influenced by the characteristics of Dutch types. He did, however, achieve a level of craft that enabled his recognition as the first great English punchcutter. Caslon's roman became so popular that it was known as the script of kings, although on the other side of the political spectrum (and the ocean), the Americans used it for their Declaration of Independence in 1776. The original Caslon specimen sheets and punches have long provided a fertile source for the range of types bearing his name. Identifying characteristics of most Caslons include a cap A with a scooped-out apex; a cap C with two full serifs; and in the italic, a swashed lowercase v and w. Caslon's types have achieved legendary status among printers and typographers, and are considered safe, solid, and dependable. A few of the many interpretations from the early twentieth century were true to the source, as well as strong enough to last into the digital era. These include two from the American Type Founders Company, Caslon 540 and the slightly heavier Caslon #3. Both fonts are relatively wide, and come complete with small caps, Old style Figures, and italics. Caslon Open Face first appeared in 1915 from the Barnhart Bros & Spindler Foundry, and is not anything like the true Caslon types despite the name. It is intended exclusively for titles, headlines and initials, and looks elegant whether used with the more authentic Caslon types or by itself.

We are very happy to announce the release of our first collaboration with master calligrapher, designer and illustrator Gabriel Martínez Meave from México. The first in the series of new designs is Wordless Script, an emotional calligraphic typeface published by Sudtipos. Speechless. Breathless. Wordless. There are letters that transcend simple functionality and sheer legibility, to be recognized instead by their style, their charm, their emotion. It’s like when we don’t remember the exact sentences, but we recall the tone of the voice of a loved one: it just doesn’t matter WHAT he or she said, but HOW he or she said it. Wordless Script is the font of choice for writing those things that go beyond words. Based on the connected-scripts of late 18th-century England, this typeface preserves the irregular finish and gestural strokes of the pointed nib. It is, so to speak, a personal rendition of the English roundhand as originally executed with the bird’s quill. Imbued with a Rococo, neoclassical, romantic spirit, Wordless radiates the gallantry of a time when the celebrated «douceur de vivre» that Talleyrand was so fond of was still alive and well; echoes of which still haunt us in our eclectic 21st-century, which has once again come to appreciate these magnificent styles of old. Wordless features alternate variants of most letters, ligatures and multiple calligraphic endings, ideal for elegant labels, high-end packaging and personalized stationery, as well as compositions for selected brands, exquisite titlings, verses, letters and short texts, like those meant to be read with the eyes only or intended for whispering into someone’s ear.