Welcome to issue 105!

I was awaken this morning by a tropical storm, and it took me a minute to realize that I wasn’t in an exotic location, but home in Lausanne, Switzerland. I’m definitely having a confusing summer over here, but I take it as a sign that I should take some time off very soon. Unfortunately, “an exotic location” is not on the agenda this year, but I will be in Amsterdam at the beginning of September. If you are reading this and will be in Amsterdam too, give me a shout, I would be so happy to meet up with the locals 🤗

Enjoy! ✌︎ — Noemi

Typeface of the Month

Don’t just look at it, play with it! Upgrade to our paid membership and get a license of our typeface of the month 🥳

Quasar by Raoul Gottschling

Quasar is not your usual workhorse typeface. As you can see, Quasar is a warm and witty typeface combining wonky movements and angular lines. It has been classified by scientists as an intergalactic display font that does not exceed the baseline or cap height, making it suitable for the tightest headlines in the known universe, even when accents are present. You can mix and match its wide set of characters to influence the overall tone of the typeface. For example, you can choose between two sets of hairline punctuation: default (round) or square. The typeface also includes many symbols, alternates, and ligatures — personal favorites include the staircase ‘Z’ and the ‘www’ ligature. Quasar comes in ten weights, stretching from Hairline to Black to everything in-between thanks to its variable font version. Have fun with this one!

For a limited time, upgrade to our paid membership and get a lifetime license for a company size of maximum 5 employees. The license allows for the following usage:

• The complete Quasar family (10 font styles + variable font)

• Use in your personal and commercial projects (license is not transferable to clients)

• Desktop use (on unlimited devices within your company)

• Web use (on one domain, without limitation on traffic)

• Note that usage in logotypes and on social media is not allowed (but separate licenses are available for this shall you need it)

By upgrading to our paid membership, you’ll receive a new typeface every month, unless you cancel your subscription, which you can do at any time. You will be granted a perpetual font license, so you can keep using this typeface in your projects even after you cancel your paid membership. More info on our paid membership and FAQ on the Typeface of the Month offered as its main perk.

Fresh Releases

Symphony by Playtype

Designed by Jonas Hecksher, Symphony is a transitional serif typeface that embodies the sophisticated elegance of classic movie titles. With Roman capital proportions and short-carved serifs, it pays homage to the once iconic cinema titles — and adds a modern twist of its own. The family contains six different weights and their italic counterparts, as well as multiple swashes and stylistic sets that can be utilised for diverse purposes.

Sub Sans by Out of the Dark

Designed in Zurich by Filip Despotovic, Sub Sans emerged from the research exploration of subtitling typefaces. Thanks to its dynamic curves, low contrast, and uniquely angled-cut stroke endings, the typeface is excellent in delivering high legibility, even at small sizes. Sub Sans draws construction inspiration from the humanist sans-serif genre, but its italic cuts were created with a calligraphic approach, to further differentiate them from the Roman styles.

MD Lórien from Mass-Driver

MD Lórien is a new English interpretation of the Dutch Baroque. It gently adapts the decorative Baroque designs into a practical and contemporary text typeface. “I didn’t intend for it to be a Caslon — rather, it was an exercise in retracing William Caslon’s footsteps: another British type designer analysing the same Dutch sources, and, like him, reinterpreting them to fit both my own preferences, and the standards of today.” explains the designer. MD Lórien comes in five weights, complete with support for Latin and Vietnamese, and a wide set of swash caps, ligatures and alternates, including historical variants.

Fonetika by Tokotype

Fonetika is Tokotype’s take on the contemporary sans-serif genre. With this one, the Indonesian type foundry is introducing a typeface whose readability and adaptability is useful across Text and Display applications. In addition to its core sans-serif design, Fonetika comes with a monospace sister family. And there is also a variable font version, allowing you to seamlessly go from the proportional family to the monospaced one, thanks to its ‘Monospace’ axis.

Squil by Black[Foundry]

Black[Foundry] released Squil, a joyful and cozy sans-serif that also comes as a variable font. Its variable font version includes a ‘round’ axis, allowing you to tweak the terminals from straight-edged to fully-rounded. “Want to amp up the friendliness? Just crank up the ‘round’ axis for extra smooth, rounded terminals for a softer look.” Squil spans five weights, ranging from Light to ExtraBold, and future updates could include italics and further enhancements.

Creative Spotlight

Jordan Metcalf

Jordan Metcalf is a South African creative director, brand designer, and artist based in Portland, Oregon. He focuses on thoughtful identity design and experimental custom lettering. One of his projects that particularly caught our attention is the poster pictured above, designed to accompany an article by Jon Cockley, co-founder of Handsome Frank, reminding all of us creators on social media to make art for our own excitement. And what’s more, you can even download the A2 print file here and hang the poster on your wall 👌

Goods