Fonts in Focus, November 2005

Choc™ font is the work of French designer Roger Excoffon, based on the traditions of Japanese brush calligraphy, thick yet graceful. Choc light font was designed by Phil Grimshaw, who had to redraw many times in different weights before finding one that worked as a text face and remained true to the original.

Wilhelm Klingspor Gotisch™ was designed in 1925 by Rudolf Koch for the Klingspor Bros. Foundry in Offenbach, Germany. Koch, who was chief designer at Klingspor, named the font in honor of the foundry’s co-owner. Koch was a remarkable calligrapher, artist, and designer. This face, admired and emulated by blackletter aficionados around the world, is probably the finest existing example of a textura typeface. Both the caps and the lowercase in Wilhelm Klingspor Gotisch are handsome, vigorous, and masterful; and the spacing is almost as good as Gutenberg’s. Use this sparkling gothic gem in sizes 14 point or larger for Christmas greetings, certificates, wedding invitations, advertising, or music collateral pieces.

Whitenights™ is a contemporary text family, which was developed by the prolific Swedish typographer Lars Berquist in 2002. Containing five weights (11 different fonts total), this family contains every tool you need to set splendid text. The entire family is included in the Linotype’s Take Type 5 collection.

Linotype Sunburst™ is part of the TakeType Library, chosen from the contestants of Linotype’s International Digital Type Design Contests of 1994 and 1997. Designed by British artist Ed Bugg, Linotype Sunburst is a font which consistently avoids all that is round. The forms are angular and pointed with triangular serifs which seem almost like flags waving from the paper. This playful font could easily be associated with sun, sand and vacation. Linotype Sunburst is intended for headlines in large point sizes or short texts with medium point sizes, if used carefully.

Linotype Sansara™, from Swiss designer Grégoire Poget, is part of the TakeType Library, chosen from the entries of the Linotype-sponsored International Digital Type Design Contest 1999 for inclusion on the Take Type 3 CD. This fun font is a type experiment behind whose oriental facade hide Arabic letters, recognizable only at second glance. This font displays generous, pointed ascenders and descenders as well as a bar-like emphasis on the upper third of the figures which connects lines and words and gives them a decorative look. Linotype Sansara reveals an astounding variety of details which bring to mind 1001 Arabian Nights, flowing gowns and snake charmers. This font is best for display in point sizes of 14 or larger.

Like Herculanum™ and Pompeijana™, Rusticana™ is one of Adrian Frutiger’s contributions to the Type Before Gutenberg series. Linotype invited accomplished designers and calligraphers to create new interpretations of scripts from the centuries before Gutenberg’s revolutionary invention. Rusticana’s historical roots go back to the Roman Capitalis; the engraved, all-cap writing of ancient Rome that reached its peak in the first century. From this style evolved other Roman forms, and this one was particularly good for text on bronze, as opposed to stone. With its chiseled and playfully geometric letterforms, Rusticana has an earthy, artisan-like appearance. Use it for display typography in magazines, invitations, and advertising. Rusticana also has a companion set of ornamental borders.

Pargrid™ is a grid-based typographic experiment from the young Swiss designer Michael Parson. In the Pargrid family, which contains three separate weights, Parson has created an intriguing system of small circles-similar to LED’s or light bulbs-that live separately on a grid, creating unique letterforms. In small sizes, these circles blend together to create seemingly fluid lines, giving Pargrid’s letters a wide, rectangular appearance. In larger sizes, the letterforms transform themselves into objects d’art-virtual and ordered communities populated by various points. Fantastic in both display settings as well as short strings of text, Pargrid may offer the exact look that your next project is looking for. Pargrid and nine other constructed type designs from Parson are included in Take Type 5 collection, from Linotype.

ITC Matisse™ was designed by Gregory Gray while he was designing an editorial layout for Madame Figaro, a supplement to the Paris newspaper Figaro. While working on a feature on the work of Henri Matisse, Gray created a typeface with paper and an X-Acto knife, and then scanned the cutouts into a computer. The style of the design comes in part from Gray’s passion for African art, with its contrasts between flat areas and protruding surfaces. ITC Matisse is ideal for offbeat display applications and initial capitals.

Lomo, PLC is a Russian optical manufacturer, whose cameras have built up an international cult following since 1992. Swiss designer Fidel Peugeot recently tapped into this phenomenon, creating an astounding series of pixel fonts for use in a variety of applications-from websites to mobile phone displays. Available as a single family from Linotype, Lomo’s versatility extends itself across 37 various faces. Whether on screen or online, Lomo’s different weights deliver great legibility at low resolutions. Additionally, the amazing breadth of this family allows these pixilated faces to crossover into print, bringing a contemporary technology feeling to your more traditional pieces, too.

Kismet™ has the look of a modern, ornamental alphabet, but looks are deceiving: the typeface was designed by John F. Cumming in 1879. The basic forms are strictly constructed, most based on the form of a circle, a shape which also appears again and again in the ornamentation. Cumming decorated his figures generously with spiral elements and tiny circles in the middle of the letters. Characteristics which suggest the beginning of the Jugendstil are the floral designs and some individual forms, for example, T, M or P. Small, pointed serifs add a sobering element to all the flowery, oriental decoration. Used sparingly in headlines, the extravagant Kismet will be sure to attract attention.

Inspired by the large American wood type of the Wild West, Richard Yeend created Italienne™ in 2002. Italienne is both very condensed and very decorative. It sports heavy, band like serifs, reminiscent of other italienne-style fonts, like Westside. Italienne-style fonts rose in popularity during the early 19th Century, when designers were first beginning to experiment with extreme contrast within letterforms, and across lines of text. Interestingly enough, letterforms with similar designs were just as common during the 1970s as during the 1870s, so you may use Italienne for applications ranging from country music concerts to disco parties. Italienne is part of Linotype’s Take Type 5 collection.

Gigi™ is the work of California artist Jill Bell. Its informal features and abundance of surprises make it a charming font, with the spontaneity of handwriting. Tight curlicues on many of the letters, particularly the capitals, are reminiscent of a Parisian schoolgirl’s script. Gigi is a delightful face, ideal for joyous events or for use in the fashion arena.

Linotype Feltpen™ is part of the TakeType Library, chosen from the contestants of Linotype’s International Digital Type Design Contests of 1994 and 1997. This fun font was designed by the Swedish artist Lutz Baar with clear, light forms. The spontaneous, even letters seem to have been written with the felt pen from which the font takes its name. Linotype Feltpen is available in two weights, regular and medium, both suitable for short and middle length texts and medium for headlines as well.

Christo Velikov, a designer from Bulgaria, created the Linotype Zigibacks family in 1997. Linotype Zigibacks is a family of two symbol fonts. Their style is casual and freehand; the pictograms seem to have been drawn quickly, with a felt-tipped pen. Linotype Zigibacks’ light-hearted style is a refreshing alternative to the stoic style of icons commonly seen in contemporary design.