By Patxi Elizalde

 

Font Porn

 

I’ve had this weird obsession with typefaces recently. Ever since our last type masterclass with Ian, I’ve been pushing myself to find fresh and atypical typefaces to spice up my posters and reflection slides. There are so many damn good fonts out there that go unnoticed, and it’s such a damn pity! What’s so great about Helvetica??

 

For me personally, I find type inspiration from sifting through various posters on Pinterest, Google, and the occasional Dafont if I get desperate. Movies posters, bands promotions, design pamphlets, museum event announcements; you never know where you’ll find the perfect typeface.

 

I’ve attached a few of my typographic porn favorites in hope of inspiring you all to spice up your font life. LET’S GET STARTED 😉

 

Squirrel FY

 

Upon coming across this film poster for Ben Wheatley’s ‘Free Fire,’ I was immediately drawn to the typeface. At first glance, the aesthetic reminded me of some of my favorite 70’s & 80’s films; however, after conducting further research, it surprisingly was only released in 2016! The power of type! I personally am always looking for ways to incorporate earlier styles into my own current work, so finding typefaces that help me achieve this aesthetic are always handy to have.

 

 

Langulaire

 

This is a wild one. I found this typeface on a poster promoting the LUCA School of Arts Graduation show in Brussel, Belgium. Just goes to show you really can find inspiration anywhere. I myself wouldn’t ever think to attend a graduation show, but honestly this design made me consider making the trek. The flexibility of this font keeps the readers guessing and engaged. The versatility of the font face also enables the typography to act as the main visual of the poster if configured properly – the perfect blend of art and words. Great job Langulaire – you are a perfectly ambiguous, yet refined and ultimately plain old fun font!

 

Nostra sett

 

Less wild than the last, but nonetheless, still wild. This typeface was featured on a promo poster for DJ Speedsick, whoever that is, at The Play Circle, wherever that is. However, the who and the where don’t even matter when your poster looks this sick!! Graphic designer Caleb Vanden Boom did a great job with this one, drawing people to the event, whether they know the performer or not. The blend of the two typefaces on the headline is masterful. Interestingly, both fonts overlaid on top of each other belong to the same family which I have never thought to try in my own work. Next reflection slide…. 😉 

 

Eckmannpsych

 

This one might just be my favorite on the list. The aptly named ‘Eckmannpsych’ can be found on this band promotion poster by Arnaud Aubry. While I seriously love the orange and black visual on the top of the poster, the font on the bottom half speaks for itself. This font presents us with a feeling of chaotic order I haven’t seen in many others. Each letter stays in its own lane within the grid, while still managing to stay weird. Unfortunately, this font is priced at $50… but hey, great artists steal right?

 

Felsen

 

Finally, ‘Felsen.’ This font is weird. And I don’t know why I like it, but I do. The poster above is a guest lecture event promotion by Thomas Maier. While a bit jarring at first, once pulled in, the font conveys the message of the poster perfectly, encapsulating that damaged look and feel. The erosion and the gaps between the letters guide the readers eye in a unique and interesting way that works beautifully on a poster like this. It could get slightly muddled with added color, but in plain black and white, this font can really add an eye-catching element.

 

Hmu if you have any fonts you’d like to share J

 

Farewell.

 

 

The copy scores 67.1 in the Flesch Reading Ease test