Modern typography

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Modern Fonts Jo Lowes

Transcript of Modern typography

Page 1: Modern typography

Modern FontsJo Lowes

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F37 Bella • Based on letterforms of American typographers John Pistilli and Herb Lubalin, and Swiss typographer Jan Tschichold, F37 Bella is an award-winning display font by Rick Banks.• Designed in the classical

French Didot style but with a contemporary geometrical twist, Bella contains alternatives and covers an extensive range of Latin-based languages, including Western and Eastern European.

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Eames Black Stencil

• When you're looking for a great stencil font that's beautifully designed and not in the least bit cheap-looking or gimmicky, this House Industries favourite should be your first port of call. This top font is part of the broader Eames family, developed in homage to the late great Charles and Ray Eames – which comes in its own bespoke wooden packaging. The curves in the stencil font were inspired by the curvature of bent plywood.

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Otto• Otto is a stunning font

from talented design duo Non-Format. Featuring a combination of delicate lines with flashes of block colour, it's a unique display font with two personalities that works well in large formats.

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Poster Bodoni• Okay, so Vignelli already

ticked Bodoni off the list – and a beautifully classy Didone-style serif it is too, thanks to the craft skills of Giambattista Bodoni in the late 18th century. But this display version from the 1920s is something extra special for setting large, high-impact type where the extreme contrast between the stem thickness really comes into its own. A top font that's perfect for setting large, high-impact type where the extreme contrast between the stem thickness really comes into its own.

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Cumulus & Foam• Designed by Stefan

Kjartansson for YouWorkForThem, this utterly unique, quite surreal display font combines simple, ultra-thin lines with bulbous, cloud-like forms to give Cumulus & Foam its tagline, "the most beautifully grotesque font of our time." Although Kjartansson proudly asserts that it doesn't work as a typeface, this top font's "ugly beauty" and "disciplined chaos" can certainly add character to a project.

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Linotype Didot• This Bodoni alternative

was also developed in the late 18th century, and the mutual influence between the two contemporaries is apparent. Both share characteristic sharp, seductive serifs and harsh angles, but with more space allowed for its counterweight, Didot feels like a slimmer version of Bodoni. This top font is great for adding a classic, timeless elegance to your work.

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Mrs Eaves• While its unconventional

name may raise a few eyebrows, Emigre's versatile serif, designed by Zuzana Licko in 1996, is a subtle modern interpretation of the work of legendary 18th century type pioneer John Baskerville, and named after Sarah Eaves, the housekeeper who would become his wife. You may recognise it from its use in the WordPress logotype.

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Bembo• A 20th century revival of

an old-style serif originally cut by Francesco Griffo in the late 15th century, Bembo was reborn under the Monotype label in 1929. Widely considered a great typeface for setting book copy, this top font is generally best used to express traditional, formal beauty, and is particularly notable for its stylish italic ampersand.

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Designed by Stephenson Blake, this modern serif is excellent typographical shorthand for quality and refinement. Designed by Edward Benguiat for Bitstream, it's perfect for adding class to titles the world over, but there's no better testimonial than the fact it's been employed for world-renowned design agency Pentagram's logotype.

Modern No 20

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Rooney• One of a growing

number of modern fonts earmarked as particularly effective for use on screen – particularly for apps and websites – Jan Fromm's Rooney typeface has a friendly feel, without ever being too cheap and cheerful. The subtle rounded serifs and terminals of this top font add personality and impact when used large, as well as having a softening effect when set in smaller sizes. It's available in six weights.

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Although based on the root typeface Akzidenz-Grotesk – the late 19th century precursor to Helvetica, and indeed all modern sans serifs – this rounded version from Berthold has a considerably softer, more informal feel, generous spacing and large x-height, all of which combine to make it well-suited to easy reading in children's books and advertising.

AG Book Rounded

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Wagner Grotesk• Canada Type's original

intention with this extensive redesign of Edel Gothic/Grotesque was to update, enhance and adapt the early 20th century typeface for use on digital platforms. Accordingly, Wagner Condensed is particularly well-suited to screen use, although its impact and legibility ensure it works hard on posters and in headlines too.

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Hermes• A favourite among

designers and an obvious choice for our list of top fonts, Hermes is available in a large range of weights and styles. In 1995, Font Bureau's Matthew Butterick updated an original German design from 1908 – maintaining the blunt corners that once signified wear and tear from the heavy industrial presses, but are now a distinctive characteristic of the modern Hermes typeface as we know it.

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Black Slabbath• Besides Cumulus &

Foam, this is Stefan Kjartansson's other major claim to fame – the headline-stealing, self-proclaimed "heaviest typeface in the world", with slivers of white space in between ultra-chunky geometric letterforms. Suffice to say, this one doesn't function at any size below monster – but then if you use it, you'll want it to roar.

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Enclave• Designed by

Terminal Design's James Montalbano with the goal of being unique but still highly legible, Enclave boasts thick, chunky slab serifs that are nonetheless softened and subtly rounded to take some of the harsh edge off, and warmth, and stop it looking too much like a typewriter font. Another top font that works equally well large or as a text face.