Excellent but seldom used fonts

[Yehan]

This topic was imported from the Typophile platform

I'm sure we all have certain typefaces we know are really brilliant but somehow they never seem to get the exposure or publicity the rightfully deserve as examples of great type design.

One of those for me is ITC Mendoza. I very rarely see it but it seems to me that it's a really lovely typeface.

Anyone else knows fonts like this?

(granted, this is all personal opinion)

Mark

[hashimpm]

Photina, Linotype Centenniel, Melior, Quorum, the list goes on...

[hashimpm]

Photina, Linotype Centenniel, Melior, Quorum, the list goes on...

[Dunwich Type]

Vialog and Aptifer are probably some of the best stuff to hit the Linotype line in recent years, and nobody uses them. I find this particularly surprising in the case of Aptifer, because it has a killer range of slab weights that I expected to be a big with the recent revival of slab type.

[Simon Robertson]

helvetica.

[Stephen Coles]

I collected some of my favorite underused fonts for the QBN Typecase and ITC Mendoza is one of them.

[Simon Robertson]

@hashimpm - my girlfriend recently read Shopaholic and Sister (UK edition i think) which surprised me when i flicked through it as it was set in melior.

which at first i was happy about cause i love melior, but for some reason i really didn't like it in that book... i think it was too loose and light.

hmmm...

[Randy]

Journal from Emigre

[SuperUltraFabulous]

Noa, Bohemia, Merlo, Today Sans, and I have yet to see a book set in Clifford.

[typodermic]

Joc Line

[SuperUltraFabulous]

Also Indigo, PTL Speech, anything Maniakers, Arrus, Sirenne, Fleischman from Bitstream, Kennedy from Galapagos, anything Pampatype, Lazurski, anything Anatoletype, Nevia BT Pro from Bitstream, Gilgamesh, Iowan Old Style, Really by Gary Munch.... and Prado from Berthold Types

[Stephen Coles]

> I have yet to see a book set in Clifford.

I have a beautiful example I'll have to post on Typo someday.

[h johnston]

Plantin

I love this font, I have used it for my own corporate identity. I have only seen it used one place before, but I'm glad it's not used too much. The italics are sublime.

[Stephen Coles]

Plantin: most prominent recent use is probably Monocle magazine.

[J Weltin]

Silica by Sumner Stone.
Italian Old Style by Frederic W. Goudy.

[Stephen Coles]

Amen, Jürgen. Join me in pestering Sumner every few weeks for Silica italics.

[J Weltin]

Stephen: I would even offer him to produce it. I have this in mind for ages ...

[Dan Petter]

when i read this thread's title, the type nerd living inside my head screamed ITC Mendoza, and, slightly less exited, Silica. how late can you be to join a party...

luckily, there's more. i've yet to encounter Bodoni Egyptian in use, and i'd love to see ARS Maquette printed somewhere other than FontShops own promotional material. (if single weights were available, i might even take matters in my own hands.)

[piccic]

Mendoza is a fantastic typeface. Its low contrast makes it great to set type in small sizes.
I actually found I owned a license (bundled with some old software, I don't recall if it was Freehand), and I hope some day I will have the opportunity to use it…

I do not have a similar feeling for recent faces, besides it seems there are so many gems to de discovered among 1980s designs (which went overlooked because of the frenzy of the digital avant-gardes, pursuing more display-oriented letters).

[Manlio Napoli]

>> I have yet to see a book set in Clifford.

> I have a beautiful example I’ll have to post on Typo someday.

Please, do it soon.

Is there any OT Pro version of ITC Mendoza with CE diacritical marks, etc?

[dan_reynolds]

I do not think that there is yet. Sorry :(

[Frode Bo Helland]

In the case of Elsner & Flake, their website is a nightmare to search. Bad marketing might apply to some of the others.

[Frode Bo Helland]

Forgive me, that should read "was". They've apparently updated: http://www.fonts4ever.com/foundry_detail.php?f_shops_id=8

[Frode Bo Helland]

And: I'll add Stilla to the list. I've only seen it used once.

[Bendy]

I have a Lord of the Rings set in Plantin. It's a delight. Nice and dark too.