Created by Swedish designer Bo Berndal in 1999, Linotype Dala Text can best be described as a softer, friendlier
blackletter. Blackletter refers to typefaces that evolve out of Northern Europe's medieval manuscript tradition. Often called gothic, or Old English, these letters are identified by the traces of the wide-nibbed pen stroke within their forms.
Linotype Dala Text most resembles the
fraktur type of blackletter. Fraktur types were popular text faces in Northern Europe until the 20th century. Inspired by Swedish folklore, this fraktur is much softer and rounder than most examples. Its connection to the Scandinavian folkloric tradition makes Linotype Dala perfectly suited for such texts as fairy tales, medieval stories, and other things that might appeal to a child's sense of adventure.
To strengthen the medieval fairy tale look, use Linotype Dala Text together with other elements of the Linotype Dala family: Library's
Linotype Dala Pict and
Linotype Dala Border. The characters in these two supplementary fonts were inspired by medieval and renaissance folk art, and were also drawn by Bo Berndal, making them a perfect match.
All three styles of the Linotype Dala Family are part of the
Take Type 4 collection from Linotype GmbH.
