Typographic Capsule Library
Serif: My three serif typeface choice were Palatino Linotype, Sitka and Javanese Text. All three of them are fairly similar, but each have unique characteristics that make them better suited for different uses.
Palatino Linotype is probably my favourite serif typeface that I’ve ever used. The letter shapes are very thin and have nice rounded serifs which give it a fairly prim and proper look. It works very well in large bodies of text and can still be legible even at fairly small font sizes.
Sitka is thinner and tighter than Palatino Linotype, not only that but Sitka has a huge font family to choose from which makes it a fairly versatile typeface. Sitka is a fairly delicate typeface however, so I’d likely only use it for text set in relatively larger point sizes.
Javanese Text, unlike Sitka or Palatino Linotype, offers no families to choose from, but is a strong and very legible serif typeface that works very well on screen due to the more consistent widths of its characters. For a print job, Javanese Text wouldn’t be my first choice, but it’s a very good choice for any text heavy digital work.
Handwriting: These typefaces are heavily stylized and not well suited for large bodies of text, but could be used for effect in small quantities or be used for headers.
Ampersand has a nice handwritten look to it and avoids looking overly digital. One unfortunate thing is its lack of variation in the characters, so if you have too many of the same letterform next to each other its digital nature will be visible. That being said, it’s a strong handwritten typeface.
Colors of Autumn is an exciting typeface that works well for use as a header of for poster design. I’d never even think of using this in a body copy though, it only works when used sparingly. I like the way the letterforms are on a slight angle and overlap with each other.
Dadhand is similar to Ampersand, but a little cleaner, making it easier to read. Unlike Ampersand, Dadhand is on a slight angle, but is slanted in the opposite direction of a typical italic or slanted font which makes it somewhat unique.
Sans-Serif: Sans-serif fonts are very clean and appealing for use on screens or for headers.
Futura PT is a classic, it’s clean and has a good font family to choose from that can make it work very well for headers or for body text depending on what you need. It’s very clean and geometric.
Gotham has more curve to the letterforms than Futura does. Like Futura, it also has a good font family that can allow it to be used as both an effective header or body text, although Gotham wouldn’t be my first choice for body copy, it’s better suited for headers or shorter text.
Museo Sans lacks the font family support of Futura or Gotham making its uses slightly more limited. However, it’s an incredibly clean and thin typeface that could work very well in the right situations, which is why it’s a part of my library.
Slab Serif: Slab serif fonts are not ones that I gravitate to naturally, and thus, these typefaces will probably gather the most dust in my library, that doesn’t mean they don’t have their uses though.
Alfa Slab One is a strong, bold typeface that has a historic look to it and could work well for a historic manuscript or possibly headers. It’s not a very versatile typeface though.
ChunkFive is a lighter slab, making it somewhat more versatile. It could be used effectively as a header choice when paired with a sans-serif typeface, but I certainly wouldn’t want to use it for body text.
DIN Next Slab Pro is the lightest and most flexible out of my slab font choices. Its thinner stroke widths make it easier on the eye and thus usable as body text (but it would have to suit the text). It could also make for a very nice header or even be used as part of a sign quite effectively.
Decorative: These typefaces are not usable for body copy and are very limited in use, but can create awesome effects if used properly.
Millesime is the least extravagant typeface out of my four. I really like it though, its letterforms are rough and have a great grunge look to them without losing legibility (like most grunge-y typefaces do), in the right context this typeface could really shine.
Big John is wonderful for headers, but requires a lot of tweaking as it’s not a very well optimised typeface. The crude nature of this typeface can make working with it slightly frustrating as it doesn’t always follow leading properly, always needs to be kerned and has no glyphs, but, if you can put up with all its flaws, Big John can be a beautiful typeface.
Electrix OT is a really neat typeface. Its use is very limited, but if used effectively it could be a really strong type choice. I can picture it being used for posters or as onomatopoeia for an electric shock in a graphic illustration.
Mailart Rubberstamp is similar to Millesime as it features a relatively subdued design. I think the name really summarizes what Mailart Rubberstamp is best at, imitating a rubber stamp. I’ve used this typeface in order to digitally recreate a stamp before and the outcome would certainly fool most!
