Weekly Roundup: December 9
Here is the fourth regular update by TYPE of font releases, custom type launches, and type-related events.
FontLab Studio 6
12 years after the release of FontLab Studio 5—the premier typeface design tool in its time—FontLab Studio VI has been made available to purchase on both Windows and Mac. The new program. Which FontLab is describing as its “ultra bold” font editor, hopes to regain ground lost to RoboFont and Glyphs by packing a clean user interface and plenty of features. Some of these new tools include a Power Brush, a Pencil, and a Rapid tool, among others, in addition to the standard Pen tool. FontLab Studio VI also promises painless type hinting and interpolation, as well as color and 3D type. Licenses are available on the FontLab website.
Ida by Paratype
Paratype released Ida, Maria Kharlamova’s latest sans serif typeface, this week. The “simple and utilitarian typeface,” comes in 18 styles—6 weights of roman, italic, and condensed—both Latin and Cyrillic, and support for an undisclosed but clearly large set of languages. Designed to “create an impression of both rationality and comfot,” Ida is available on the Paratype website.
Trade Gothic Display
Linotype released Lynne Yun’s Trade Gothic Display, a colorful, layered typeface based on Trade Gothic Condensed Heavy. The typeface includes multiple sets of highlight, outline, and bevel layers that the user can pile on top of each other to achieve various effects for “posters[,] advertising[, or] branding projects.” Trade Gothic Display is available on the Linotype website.
Mazarin
A2-TYPE, a London-based foundry created by design firm A2/SW/HK, published Mazarin this week. It’s a revival of a early 1920’s “a Garamond-inspired metal typeface,” which until now existed in only one weight of roman and italic. A2-Mazarin, on the other hand, includes “6 weights, with corresponding italics, and supports and advanced character set, including small caps.” You can find Mazarin on the A2-TYPE website.
Attribute Mono and Text
Viktor Nübel’s Attribute Mono and Text were released by FontFont this week. Each of the two sans serif typefaces includes seven weights of roman and italic, combining for a total of 28 fonts between the two. Advised uses include “theme-based headlines, posters, short-form text copy, banners and navigational links,” especially when you need a “no-nonsense, minimalist vibe.” Attribute Mono and Attribute Text are available on Fonts.com.
Send your announcements and tips to TYPE’s digital editor, Lucas Czarnecki.
