New Additions: September 2023
30th September 2023
From the hundreds of fonts we add to the Identifont database every month we chose a selection of the most interesting recent additions, and interviewed the designers about their approach to each design:
Carlos Campos – Aljaraz (Cuchi qué Tipo)
Why did you decide to design Aljaraz? Was it for a particular project?
In 2017 I firstly decided to design Aljaraz as a display typeface dedicated to Andalusia, more specifically to the expressions of eastern Andalusia. At that moment I couldn't finish it because I did not have enough time, but last year I resumed, corrected, and improved the project. Also I added an even more groovy, psychedelic, and sixties touch, so this typeface can be used now in broader areas like in music, cinema, arts, etc.
You’ve written that Aljaraz was influenced by early 19th century fat-face lettering. Are there any particular typefaces that you referred to?
I think the best examples could be Thorowgood Italic, or even the revivals of William Caslon’s typefaces such as Caslon Black, but in general I think the “Fat Face” style typical in advertising and display types produced at that time inspired me.
The characters of Aljaraz all have a very dynamic appearance, but the ‘Z’ is particularly sensuous, even psychedelic. What inspired that character shape?
I think I saw this psychedelic shape of the ‘Z’ in some lettering by Benguiat or by the House Industries guys – it is a shape that I have always drawn, but I don't remember exactly what precise typography it comes from.
Why did you call it Aljaraz?
The meaning of Aljaraz is “small bell” in Spanish, and I gave it this name because it includes the two coolest letters of the font, ‘A’ and ‘Z’!
Giuseppe Salerno – Lafleur (Resistenza)
Was Lafleur designed for a particular project?
No, Lafleur was designed as part of Resistenza's diverse font catalogue. Created and refined over the course of the last two years, Lafleur combines flat brush and vector design with an art-nouveau flair.
The closest typeface I can find to compare with Lafleur on Identifont is the Art Nouveau typeface Eckmann. Was that an influence on its design?
What a great reference and honour! Well, some of the character shapes are reminiscent of Otto Eckmann's font. While the resemblance is apparent, it's important to note the distinct differences in the skeleton structure, contrast, and axis of these typefaces.
One notable similarity lies in the graceful and fluid shapes present in both fonts, evoking a sense of smoothness that captivates the viewer. This quality can be seen as a bridge between the elegance of Art Nouveau and the sleek, modern appeal of the 1960s. Lafleur aims to effortlessly fuse these elements, embodying a creative blend of two distinct design eras.
A distinctive feature of Lafleur is the wedge-shaped gaps in many characters, which gives it a psychedelic appearance. What was the inspiration for these?
There is a well-known building called Casa Fenoglio-Lafleur, in Turin, Italy, renowned for incorporating decorative elements in various buildings across the city; see Casa Fenoglio-Lafleur on Wikipedia. Lafleur's architectural style often features a blend of Art Nouveau, Liberty, and other eclectic design influences. The façade of Casa Fenoglio-Lafleur is adorned with ornate decorations, showcasing elaborate floral motifs, wrought-iron work, and intricate stucco detailing. This was the main starting point of the Lafleur font, which includes nature-inspired elements and curves, and a set of floral icons.
Dušan Jelesijević – Locker Room (Tour De Force)
Locker Room is a typeface constructed entirely from straight line segments. What gave you the idea of designing it?
Locker Room is an old design from 2019 when I primary worked with FontLab Studio 5. The idea came from watching basketball and football games and seeing different fonts used for players’ names and numbers on jerseys. but I abandoned it because it was not looking promising to me. From time to time I browse those old designs and see if there's anything interesting to be worked on, and Locker Room is one I revived this year.
Straight-line fonts have traditionally been popular for use on sportswear, perhaps because they are easy to screenprint or cut out and iron on; a classic example is ITC Machine. Did you have sportswear in mind when you designed Locker Room?
That's exactly what I had on my mind. It provoked me to think about the idea of creating a font for the same purposes: sportswear for professional clubs or universities and their sports activities. It might also be suitable for craft beer manufacturers, bars, restaurants, or similar business activities where owners are looking for a typographical style of branding with a vintage look.
Locker Room is more dynamic than typical straight-line fonts because of the triangular serifs, which point in opposite directions at the ends of vertical strokes. What inspired this aspect of the design?
That's true. It's not a typical typeface from this category, and those serifs are one of details that make it unusual. I think they give a visual dynamic to words composed with Locker Room, while on the other hand it takes more spacing between letters. The inspiration for the serifs came from semi-serif typefaces, such as Rotis Semi Serif, Areplos Text, and Ninfa; I love the asymmetry they give.
Michael Paul Young – Luxley (Victoria Kingsley Design Studio)
Luxley is a script typeface with a distinct 1890s look to it. What inspired you to design it?
While it may appear that the aesthetic of Luxley gravitates towards the late 19th-century vernacular, there was no specific intention to encapsulate that particular era. Rather, the impetus for the design lay in vintage nuances with contemporary tools, crafting a typeface that embodies timeless elegance.
The closest font on Identifont I can find to compare it with is Carlsbad Italic, a revival of Berthold’s 1895 typeface Hansa Kursiv. Were you influenced by this or other fonts of this period?
Though it is undeniable that we operate in an environment abundant with typographic history and diversity, there was no direct inspiration from Carlsbad Italic or any other fonts from that historical period. Our creative process was more of an organic evolution, influenced subliminally by the extensive range of typefaces that our platform showcases.
Luxley looks as if it was drawn on paper with a thick nib. Did you sketch the font by hand first, or did you go directly to creating digital outlines on the computer?
The inception of Luxley was an entirely digital undertaking; there was no utilization of analog techniques in its formation. The overwhelming majority of our typographic explorations currently leverage digital mediums, rendering the employment of traditional tools like pen and pencil increasingly infrequent.
Did you have any applications in mind for Luxley when you designed it?
Certainly, Luxley was conceptualized with contemporary trends in mind, notably the resurgence of vintage aesthetics in brand identity and social media marketing. The typeface aligns congruently with these trends, serving as a valuable asset for our target customer base who seeks to imbue their visual narratives with a touch of individuality.