Looking for a slab serif.

[Sahson]

This topic was imported from the Typophile platform

I'm after a cheap, or a free slab serif. with open counters, low contrast, a good x-height making it very legible for academia. A neutral look, with understated curves. Preferably with Light, Regular, and Bold styles.

Thanks.

[Indra Kupferschmid]

Do you want to set body text with the slab-serif? And which kind of slab do you mean? One with some stroke contrast and bracketed serifs (Clarendonish) or one with almost no stroke contrast and square, abrupt serifs (Rockwellish)?

[Té Rowan]

Arvo is freely available, but lacks a Light. It's a Rockwellian slabbie and its italics are slightly wider than the uprights.

I think Bitstream Vera is classified as a slabbie, hence so are its derivatives (like DejaVu).

Computer Modern Concrete... boy, do the snobs like to turn up their noses (and middle fingers) at the CMs.

[hrant]

You don't have to be a snob to turn your nose up at Computer Modern, you just need to have the slightest sense of smell.

BTW why is Arvo's Italic wider? If you can make an Italic wider you can probably also make it uniwidth, which increases functionality (not to mention makes it less ugly).

hhp

[Sahson]

Yeah I pretty sure I'm after a rockwellish type, I'm not particularly fond of brackets, but then I don't want slabs the size of anvils.

I'll have a gander at what's been mentioned.

Thanks.

[oldnick]

What's wrong with this one?

http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/exljbris/museo/

Personally, I think that the overall family is brilliant in concept and execution. I only wish that I had thought of it first. But I didn't: Jos Buivenga did.

Hey: I think I just answered my eBook font recommendation question myself…

[Sahson]

Hi oldnick,

To my eyes it's horrid, too curvy. It's quite feminine. Don't like the r, k, and g. It feels rather geometric. I also don't like the bilateral slabs. I suppose the feeling I'm after is mechanical.

Maybe I should settle for Grotesk, or a Neo-Grotesk Sans. I think I'm far too picky at times with slabs. I like Helvetica, but I really dislike the upper-case R in Helvetica, especially in italics. Akkidenz-Grotesk is pretty good. FF meta deserves a special mention for it's curves, very organic.

I like Frutiger's r but not their a, and q.

[oldnick]

Sahson—

Horrid? Too curvy? What: you don't like girls?

Maybe you should "settle" for a grotesque? Well, since Msueo Sans would undoubtedly be out of the question, I recommend that you go with Akzidenz Grotesk BQ…

http://www.myfonts.com/search/akzidenz/fonts/

That $975 price tag ought to impress your boyfriend…

Naaah: just kidding. Perhaps you should read this thread:

http://www.typophile.com/node/95976

[Sahson]

Old nick - Certainly I like women. However for I've been through a variety of Serifs. I have Adelle basic at the moment for a slab serif. It's pretty good. The shape of the bilateral slabs, I like a lot. The beak of c, and r are very nice indeed.

I just wanted to get more variety.

I prefer the grotesk types in sans because I am obsessed about the ear, link, and loops of the lower case g. Lastly call it snobbery, or you can call it Autism.

Thank you for taking the time though to reply. I sincerely appreciate it.

[oldnick]

Lastly call it snobbery, or you can call it Autism.

Probably, "anal retentiveness" would be more accurate…

[Té Rowan]

@hrant – I think you'll have to ask Arvo's maker about the italics' width.

@Sahson – If you have some old office pack CDs, these may be a source of fonts. I got a few weights of Lubalin Graph that way. Well, Bitstream's Geometric Slabserif 761, anyway.

[hrant]

If you could get him over here more people might benefit from the answer.

hhp

[Ryan Maelhorn]

[Indra Kupferschmid]

If it’s just the uppercase R in Helvetica that bugs you, that’s been remedied: http://www.fontbureau.com/NHG/features/#stylistic_alternates

[oldnick]

Indra,

Actually, the uppercase R problem was "remedied" long before Haas took it upon themselves to refashion a more fashionable (and semi-ubiquitous, for a time) grotesque typeface. Or, is the trade name Helvetica required in some U.S. Supreme Court ruling, as is the typeface Century, of itself and under its Bitstream/Monotype variants?

Does the German equivalent of our Supreme Court dictate font choice for briefs filed with the court? As a person with a solid half-German bloodline, I somehow doubt it…

[Indra Kupferschmid]

I have no idea what you are talking about Oldnick, and please don’t elucidate. Just wanted to let Sahson know that there is an alt R, and long has been.

[nina]

So how come oldnick doesn’t even get any flack for this kind of aggressive behavior towards somebody who dares to (1) ask questions, (2) have a personal opinion, and (3) not be entirely sure yet what he needs? This is the kind of thread that makes me not want to check back into Typophile, ever.

@Sahson: It’s maybe old news to you but I thought I’d mention Museo has a “Museo Slab” companion too that isn’t quite as curvy. Shares the overall shapes of Museo though so probably not your cup of tea.
I think you have a great one with Adelle. I can potentially think of a few more but they’re all in the ~$40-per-style range. Does that qualify as “cheap” for you?
Also, you might hate it, but I thought I’d mention Bree Serif is free: http://www.type-together.com/index.php?action=portal/viewContent&cntId_c...

[hrant]

Nina, note that you just gave him some flak.

"Be the change that you wish to see in the world."
-Gandhi

hhp

[nina]

I know. But I’m not here a lot.

[hrant]

That's a shame - we need a woman's touch!

hhp