Looking for a libre Venetian

[Robin Parmar]

I am compiling a list of libre (open and free) typefaces, in historical and stylistic categories. The aim is to provide a minimal set of tools for first-year design students. I insist on libre faces to ensure a level playing field. This discourages visits to those nasty "1001 typeface" websites.

I notice that I have no Venetian faces, something that would represent the Italian humanists, specifically Nicolas Jenson. The touchstone here would be Bruce Rogers' Centaur, but any reasonable rendering of Venetian hands would do.

Advice and recommendations are welcome!

[Abraham Lee]

25 minutes ago, Robin Parmar said:

I am compiling a list of libre (open and free) typefaces, in historical and stylistic categories. The aim is to provide a minimal set of tools for first-year design students. I insist on libre faces to ensure a level playing field. This discourages visits to those nasty "1001 typeface" websites.

I notice that I have no Venetian faces, something that would represent the Italian humanists, specifically Nicolas Jenson. The touchstone here would be Bruce Rogers' Centaur, but any reasonable rendering of Venetian hands would do.

Advice and recommendations are welcome!

A good starting point for a Centaur-like face is Coelacanth, which comes in a plethora of weights and optical sizes, but still lacks italics (apparently in the works, but it's said that for a while now.

https://fontlibrary.org/en/font/coelacanth

I can't tell if this is the original author (Ben Whitmore), but there appears to be some recent development on it here: https://github.com/Fuzzypeg/Coelacanth

[Robin Parmar]

That looks perfect for my needs. Thanks so much for such a prompt reply.

As for italics, they are effectively a different face. Bringhurst states that though the roman in Centaur was drawn by Bruce Rogers from Jenson, the italic was drawn by Frederic Warde from Ludovico degli Arrighi. So it's more a matter of finding social pairs of faces, though the refinement of the two in parallel is no doubt part of what makes Centaur so beautiful.

[Robin Parmar]

Currently Coelacanth is the only example of a Venetian in my libre collection. If anyone has other suggestions, they are also most welcome.

[Riccardo Sartori]

If having a sloped |e| is enough to be classified as Venetian:

• Goudy Bookletter 1911;
• Linden Hill (regular and italic).

[Robin Parmar]

Yes, the matter of definitions!

Preferably, for pedagogical purposes, it would be best for a Venetian typeface to be designed around a hand from the time period in question. Stylistically, I suppose they would be roman letterforms, though calligraphic, flowing, and open. Nonetheless, I am liking Linden Hill.

[Melchior]

I have yet to find any digital font with correct spacing, including this Coelacanth. Why aren't the side-bearings symmetrical on most characters? j and y alone need to be asymmetrical. I have been working with some commercial fonts (using FontForge) and have succeeded in making the spacing for most letters perfect. Try this sample and see what I mean:

AmInMhiliN

MlinklinlhkP

anlKixvywur

In my finished fonts, all the gaps are identical. No other font that I own is like this!

 

See attachment.

 

 

 

 

 

Document4.pdf

[Riccardo Sartori]

11 hours ago, Melchior said:

No other font that I own is like this!

There probably is a reason for that.

11 hours ago, Melchior said:

Why aren't the side-bearings symmetrical on most characters?

https://www.fontshop.com/content/adventures-in-space_spacing

https://ohnotype.co/blog/spacing

[Melchior]

12 hours ago, Riccardo Sartori said:

There probably is a reason for that.

https://www.fontshop.com/content/adventures-in-space_spacing

https://ohnotype.co/blog/spacing

No, you are confusing kerning with spacing. Again, look at:

AmInMhiliN

MlinklinlhkP

anlKixvywur

All of these combinations should be spaced equally! There is no excuse whatsoever for not doing so. Look at my attachment. There is no kerning applied at all to these combinations. Look at the attachments, and see how sloppy the Georgia spacing is!

AmInMhiliN.pdf

GEORGIA AmInMhiliN.pdf