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LUC DEVROYE

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The best typefaces of 2014: Luc's selection

This is my own selection of the best commercial and non-commercial typefaces published in 2014, grouped by category.

Text typefaces: Amster Pro (Francisco Galvez Pizarro, Pampa type). The original is from 2008. Berenjena (Javier Quintana Godoy). This charming antiqua text typeface from 2007 won a Tipos Latinos award in 2012 but was only published in 2014 by Pampa Type. Kaius (Lisa Fischbach). A University of Reading typeface family created for very small text. See also Kaius Pro (2020). Pratt Nova (Nick Shinn). Shinn's 17-style large x-height typeface family strives for visual and semantic opulence, equipping the typographer with a comprehensive array of harmonized fonts, all rigorously drawn, superbly fitted iterations of a single, profoundly original design. GT Sectra (Dominic Huber, Marc Kappeler and Noel Leu at Grilli Type). Broad coverage, angular design, readable yet elegant, the works. Milio (Josep Patau Bellart). A ten-style transitional family. FF Franziska (Jakob Runge). A multidimensional typeface family based on Runge's 2012 Masters project. Big Moore (Matthew Carter, Font Bureau). Based on a 1766 specimen by Isaac Moore. Mengelt Basel Antiqua (Christian Mengelt, Linotype). Based on the Basel types from the 16th century, this typeface family for Latin, Cyrillic and Greek brings classical and relaxing Venetian charm. Garibaldi (Henrique Beier, Harbor Type). Angular and based on calligraphic strokes, this is quite powerful and legible. Tautz (Mariya V. Pigoulevskaya, The Northern Block). Essay Text (Stefan Ellmer, TypeTogether). A warm slightly angular and extremely legible book text typeface. Epica (Oscar Guerrero, Sumotype). Leidener (Jesus Barrientos). Based on letters used by the Elzevir family in their workshop in Leiden. Pesaro (Dieter Hofrichter).

Sans typefaces: London Luton Airport (Atipo). A wayfinding sans typeface commissioned for London Luton Airport. FF Bauer Grotesk (Thomas Ackermann and Felix Bonge). A revival of the Trennert & Sohn metal art deco era sans Friedrich Bauer Grotesk (1933-1934). Pembroke (Jeremy Tankard). Galano Grotesque Alt (René Bieder) and Galano Classic. An important geometric sans family. Free demos of some styles. Karlsen (Type Union). Minimalist in conception. Naste (Josep Patau). Sixteen styles in a strong-willed purely geometric exercise. Dic Sans (Luciano Perondi, CAST). Eurostile-inspired, the Extra Bold and Ultra Black Dic weights are yummy (and expensive). Balto (Tal Leming, 2007-2014). An American Gothic family. Brix Sans (Hannes von Döhren and Livius Dietzel). A typeface family, wichich together wioth Brix Slab (2011) has carefully engineered glyphs for use in information design and corporate applications. This could possibly become a blockbuster package. Franz Sans (Mona Franz). Certa Sans (Elena Kowalski). Klef (Adrian Talbot). A geometric sans family influenced by Avant Garde. Orgon (Dieter Hofrichter). Orgon as in organic, and in Argon, the inert gas---uncomplicated, unpretentious, neutral, but still distinctive. Lipa Agate (Ermin Mededovic, Type Together). A sans workhorse family for very small print. Founders Grotesk Mono (Kris Sowersby, KLIM). Glober (Ivan Petrov, Fontfabric). Nokio (Type Union). A geometric rounded minimalist family for mobile devices. Como (Ryoichi Tsunekawa). A rounded sans family with large x-height. Campton (René Bieder). Arquitecta (Miguel Hernandez and Daniel Hernandez, Latinotype). Museo Sans Display (Jos Buivenga). Great new Hairline and Extra Black weights. Bague Sans (Panos Vassiliou). A geometric grotesk. Also take a look at PF Bague Inline Pro and PF Bague Round Pro to get a fuller picture.

Type systems: Parmigiano Typographic System (Riccardo Olocco and Jonathan Pierini). Rleud (Stawix Ruecha). A 160-style sans system started from DIN with humanist elements and non-geometric curvature.

Art deco typefaces: Roxic (Greg Ponchak). Emblema and Emblema Headline (Duvan Cardenas). The tall-legged styles of Emblema and the 52 layering fonts of Emblema Headline will surely oomph their way up hundreds of billboards. Pontiac Inline (Fanny Coulez and Julien Saurin). This all-caps typeface family can be layered. Lyceum (David Nalle, Scriptorium). Statendam (David Kerkhoff). Dutch art deco from the inter-war era. MB Vinatage (Ben Mecke-Burford): a 6-style 1920s sans family. Core Deco (Hyun-Seung Lee, Dae-Hoon Hahm, Min-Joo Ham, S-Core). A 14-font family with various Broadway styles. MB Picture House (Ben Mecke-Burford).

Hipster typefaces: Pitchland (Jan-Christian Bruun).

Script typefaces: Alipe Script (Thierry Gouttenègre). With chancery oozing out of every curlicue of this calligraphic beauty, it is clear that Thierry is a couple of genetic iterations closer to the Venetian artists that invented this style. Saarinen (Miranda Roth, P22). A set of architectural scripts based on the hand of Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen. Bowling Script (Alejandro Paul). Love Script (Neil Summerour). Undergone (Måns Grebäck). Bodler (Ira Lensberr). An inky calligraphic beauty for Latin and Cyrillic. Raw and powerful. Woolen (Jessica McCarty): based on a 17th century italicized serif by Jean Jannon. Luxus Brut Sparkling (Roland Hörmann). Haltrix (Daniel Sabino, Village). An angular script. Dream Script (Maximiliano Sproviero). A high-contrast chancery script with many features. Courtesy Script (Alejandro Paul). Based on a connected Zanerian script from 1876, it is loaded with opentype features and alternate glyphs. In and Out (Emil Karl Bertell). A connected retro script. Bouquet (Dzianis Serebrakou). A fat brushy signage script for Latin and Cyrillic. Genica Pro (Natanael Gama). A creamy fun-loving semi-script. Abelina Pro (Yanina Arabena and Guillermo Vizzari at Sudtipos). A rhythmic signage script. Beatle (Maximiliano Sproviero). A flowing Spencerian script with some psychedelic touches. P22 Marcel Script (Carolyn Porter, P22). Based on WWII letters written from a prison camp. The Carpenter (Emil Karl Bertell). Meritage (Stephen Miggas). A contrast-rich calligraphic brush face.

Sketched, Layered or Poster typefaces: Clown (Tereza Smidova). An 18-style layered caps typeface with a circus font appeal. Regato (Ewen Prigent). Joe Cool (Keith Tricker). A bold condensed headline sans. Bellavista (Iris Kirchner). Festivo LC (Ahmet Altun). Minotte (Jim Lyles, Park Street Studio). Core Magic (S-Core: Hyun-Seung Lee, Dae-Hoon Hahm, Min-Joo Ham). A slab serif version of the hugely successful layered type system Core Circus (2013). Industry Inc (Mattox Shuler, Hold Fast Foundry). An extensive easy-to-use industrial strength layered system. Sutro Deluxe (Jim Parkinson). Strictly speaking, not a 2014 design since the original is from 2003. But the novel layering and chromatic effects inject a vigorous dose of adrenaline in this wood emulation typeface family.

Blackletter typefaces: Febrile (Jonathan Cuervo). Whisky (Corradine Fonts). A large family for layering. Normandie Gothic FY (Julien Priez, Fontyou).

Dingbats and ornaments: Tepu (Sergio Ramirez Flores, Latinotype). A large set of infographics icons with rounded shapes.

Garalde typefaces:

Display typefaces: Orwellian (Shiva Nallaperumal, Lost Type). The Italian genre refitted for 2015. Jeames (Kyle Benson). Spot Mono (Lauri Toikka and Florian Schick). Attractively rounded monotype typeface. Vezus Serif Texture (Slobodan Jelesijevic). Brute (Kirby Matherne, Ten Dollar Fonts). A layered beveled type system with oomph. Manola (Ira Lensberr). An expressive lapidary typeface family with applications in stonecutting. Getter (Camilo Zamora). A large family influenced by Japanese robots and advertized as Bogotá cyberpunk. Attica RSZ (Giuseppe Salerno). A Western typeface inspired by Caslon's Italian and Aldo Novarese's Estro. Rubik One (Elvire Volk Leonovitch, under art direction of Philipp Hubert and Sebastian Fischer at Hubert and Fischer). A rounded heavyweight sans of attractive proportions. It is a free Google Web Font. Hedon Display (Dusan Jelesijevic). Valter (Nikola Djurek, Typotheque). A variable contrast sans inspired by pointed-pen writing. Helsinki XXL (Ludwig Übele). Helsinki XXL Black and Helxinki XXL Thin are free additions to Übele's successful Helsinki typeface family. TDL Ruha Hairline and Latin (Tipos das Letras). A didone foundation morphed into a slab serif and wedge serif pair of typefaces. Marigny (Tal Leming). This warm roundish display typeface might just as well fit into the text typeface category. Briller (Nikola Kostic). A striking ultra-wide sans typeface family. UT Amen (Marco Virgillito). In search of the fattest and artsiest poster typeface. Jack London (Terezija Donlic). A fat and lively poster typeface family based on a revival. Terrorista (Tony de Marco and Bernardo Faria, Just in Type). A masculine sans headline typeface created to honor all those who fought against Brazil's military regime from 1964 until 1985. Lichtspiele (Stefan Huebsch). Retro cinema marquee and lettering typeface family.

Slab serif typefaces: DIN Next Slab (Linotype). One of the major releases of the year, this next installment of the DIN Next family is due to Akira Kobayashi, Tom Grace and Sandra Winter. Cargan (Dieter Hofrichter). Choplin (Rene Bieder). A slab serif companion of Campton. Gist (Ryan Martinson, Yellow Design Studio). An inline slab serif family.

Copperplate: Handsome Script (Drew Melton). A copperplate style wedding script. Ciao Bella (Cindy Kinash and Charles Gibbons). The copperplate-style script is accompanied by four sets of floral ornaments. Krullcoplate Script (Cami Alama). This calligraphic copperplate Dutch krulletter script is Cami's graduation project at EASD Valencia. Nautica (Giuseppe Salerno, Resistenza). See also Nautica Line in 2018. Dylan Copperplate (Gert Wiescher). Vicomte FY (Joachim Vu, Jérémie Hornus and Alisa Nowak). A copperplate script that reminds us that such scripts are rooted in penmanship.

Wood type revivals: HWT Artz (Erik Spiekermann, P22). A true wood type with a digital version added to support the Hamilton Wood Type Museum. Dobro (Mariana Alen).

Letterpress emulation: Nexa Rust (Radomir Tinkov, Ani Petrova, Svetoslav Simov, Vasil Stanev). A set of 83 weathered letterpress emulation fonts. True North (Cindy Kinash and Charles Gibbons), Eveleth (Ryan Martinson). Brandon Printed (Hannes von Döhren). An eroded letterpress version of Brandon Grotesque. Caps only. Bold Pressing (Fontscafe).

Didone typefaces: Jeles (Slobodan Jelesijevic, Tour de Force). A soft-edged didne typeface family with large x-height. Surveyor (Hoefler). A mapmaker and newsprint font family. Lewis (Alexandre Saumier Demers). A graduation typeface family at KABK in Den Haag, this didone family was specially designed for typesetting mathematics and for use with TeX. Yo Italic series by James Montalbano. One hundred didone italics were added in 2014 to the 100 regular didones from 2010. Parmigiano Typographic System (Riccardo Olocco and Jonathan Pierini). Encorpada Essential (Eduilson Wessler Coan). A fat didone that completes the Encorpada font series started in 2011. Barkley (Poster and Block) by Björn Gogalla, Letter Edit. Normandie Modern FY (Julien Priez, Fontyou). A wide fat typeface didone. Caponi (Christian Schwartz, Paul Barnes, Miguel Reyes). A sturdy didone family in Text, Display and Slab versions that can survive the flagellations of print.

Fashion mag typefaces: Uberschrift (Friedrich Althausen). Bodoni Sans Display (Jason Vandenberg). Réal (Sandro Dujmenovic). Argö (Anthony James). Port Vintage (Joao Oliveira).

Stencil typefaces: Punch Pro (Vorathit Kruavanichkit and Sumpatha Jadee). Proyecta (Sumotype). Fluo (Xavier Meurice and Stéphane Delobel). A rounded stencil face.

Multilingual typefaces: Raylaw (Ryota Doi). A Latin / Greek / Cyrillic Latin typeface family for use in travel magazines. Makar (Leo Phelp). This graduation project at the University of Reading covers Cyrillic, Greek, Latin and Gurmukhi. Mirna (Teja Smrekar). Her graduation project at the University of Reading covers Latin, Cyrillic, Greek and Khmer. Source Han Sans, a new open source Pan-CJK typeface family brought by Adobe and Google for Japanese, Korean, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese, all in one font. It also includes Latin, Greek, and Cyrillic glyphs from Adobe's Source Sans Pro. Each of the 42 fonts has 65,535 glyphs. This monolinear sans design is not beautiful or artsy---it is a basic and useful workhorse. The Google version is called Noto. Journal Sans New (Alexandra Korolkova and Maria Selezeneva, Paratype). A typeface family for Latin and Cyrillic that updates and extends the old Journal Sans (1990s) with charming new Erbar Grotesk-based styles such as an Inline and tall-legged Display. Gion (Mariko Takagi). A modern serif typeface for multi-lingual typesetting in Latin, Japanese and Chinese. Bustan (Jamal Bustan and Mamoun Sakkal). An Arabic jewel with tens of stylistic sets and opentype features, based on calligraphic originals.

Wonderful, adorable, refreshing typefaces: Shequalin (Mark Frömberg). A typeface for humoristic applications completed for his Masters at the KABK.

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Articles on type design written by Luc Devroye ⦿ Best typefaces of 2014 ⦿