Alternatives to Mercury

[splinter]

This topic was imported from the Typophile platform

Hello everyone. Can anyone suggest some similar alternatives to 'Mercury' by Hoefler & Frere-Jones (http://www.typography.com/fonts/font_overview.php?productLineID=100017). It is a real shame the face does not have non-lining figures...

Cheers

[Stephen Coles]

First, ask H&FJ how much for the extra figures.

Freight
Fleischman (BT)
Fleischmann (DTL)
Farnham
Pradell
ITC Charter
Miller

[Chris Keegan]

You might also like Newzald.

[John Nolan]

Or Arnhem from OurType.

[SuperUltraFabulous]

Great list Coles!

I also would like to add:

Fenway from Carter and Cone

Eudald from Feliciano Type Foundry (soon to be released at Vllg.com)

Glosa from DSType

Mikey :-)

[Quincunx]

I was also going to suggest Arnhem from OurType, it's used with great success by the Dutch newspaper Het Financieele Dagblad (retail Arnhem for text, custom version for the headings). There is an article about it on Yves' Fontshop blog.

[Jan]

Fenway from Carter and Cone

As far as I know (and searched) it isn’t available at the time.

[kentlew]

> As far as I know (and searched) it isn’t available at the time.

Not for retail license and online download. One would have to contact Cherie Cone directly and see what the availability is. I believe that Font Bureau is able to offer Fenway through their Studio Library, which is geared toward publications and requires a minimum number of licenses. Perhaps not practical for the original poster.

Plus, Fenway has only hybrid numerals, which may or may not fit the OP's criteria. They're not strictly lining, but they're not oldstyle either, and some people find them too unusual as a result. (That was the case with the Georgia hybrid numerals, anyway, which is why later versions opted for more traditional oldstyle proportions.)

[metaspace]

You might also consider Greta Display, Greta text and Greta Grande

JZ

[SuperUltraFabulous]

Ken>>> I didn't know font bureau was involved with Fenway. BTW... I forgot what the original posters issue with the numerals. :-)

I have chatted with Cherie regarding Fenway before (currently on my list of must have Matthew Carter fonts) and it is very much available for license. After all, a Fenway specimen was included in the Indie Fonts book.

Its true there isn't an online retail site. You would have go through Carter and Cone and inquire. Email or call.

http://www.carterandcone.com/

Mikey :-)

Does Chronicle have those numeral options? Might be worth a gander.

[nepenthe]

Carter&Cone has been "working on our website" for like ten or more years. What better way to advertise the awesomeness of a brand than to have a website which more or less says "we're too good for a website".

Back on topic, I liscenced BT Fleischman this year and really like it for larger sizes. It is one of the most pleasant-to-read faces I have used and its details are pleasantly outrageous. It is also a very good value. That being said, its long descenders and light colour make it ill-suited for use at small point sizes. As such couldn't really be considered an alternative to Mercury, despite their common roots.

[SuperUltraFabulous]

Nepenthe> I can assure you that C&C not having a website has more do with it being literally a two person foundry, and less to do with snobbery.

I almost forgot...

Johan Ström’s, Indigo, from Elsner and Flake and from his personal foundry, Fontanova:
http://new.myfonts.com/fonts/ef/indigo/
http://www.fontanova.se

Indigo is lovely sparkly type in the same vein as Mercury and the others mentioned here. Indigo is definitely literary.

Mikey :-)