FontShop Newsletter | December 21, 2011

FontShop's Best Typefaces of 2011

Another year has whizzed by! While last year saw the real breakthrough for webfonts, this year we witnessed the introduction of mobile fonts and the promise of more diversity and typographic refinement in mobile apps. Yet the news in type was not dominated only by technology. Our beloved type designers cooked up delicious new digital faces for FontShop’s menu of typographic treats.

To celebrate the end of another exciting year in type, our type experts put their heads together to compile our annual “Best Of” list, highlighting the typefaces that surprised, impressed, and delighted us. (And if the “Best Of“ list whets your appetite for fonts, check our Newsletter Archive for more morsels. All this year’s new typefaces are in there.)

Drawn from engravers’ masterplates, Sweet Sans follows the curves like the many hands that have before, keeping the message formal and human.

More about Sweet Sans »

South American foundry Sudtipos kept a steady stream of work coming to us in 2011. Fiance, a cuddly, full-figured script, is one of the best.

More about Fiance »

Spaceship UI designers rejoice! In 9 weights and 5 widths, Design System goes as wide as your holographic flight deck controls can handle.

More about Design System »

Gordon Black knows exactly what he’s about to say. And then he says it — in a nice, strong voice no one strains to hear.

More about Gordon Black »

Brian Willson of Three Islands Press captures a dimension of Frederick Douglass’s character in Douglass Pen, his take on the 19th-century abolitionist’s legendarily superb penmanship.

More about Douglass Pen »

Justus Erich Walbaum never said to himself “Maybe I should do a companion sans.” But if he had, Walbaum Grotesk would be it.

More about Walbaum Grotesk »

Art director and toy designer Max Phillips impressed us with FF Spinoza, a sincere text face made for body copy, versatile enough to perform in the occasional display setting as well.

With Supria Sans, pair your Roman with one of two inclined forms: the bouncy italic or restrained oblique. Or, better yet, both!

More about Supria Sans »

Crescendo is triple the fun! Create scintillating type settings and Moorish-inspired word mirages with this mind-boggling triline beauty.

Abril boldly crosses classifications. The titling weights are a contemporary take on classic Didone styles, while the text weights were inspired by 19th-century slab serifs and Scotch Roman types.

More about Abril »

If you are looking for a compact display sans with some funk in its strut and some glide in its stride, Filmotype Gem is the one you need.

More about Filmotype Gem »

In a world heavily influenced by electronic communication, Rubrik’s disarming texture makes it perfect for a new generation’s version of old-fashioned correspondence.

More about Rubrik »

Warm yet serious, feminine yet firm, charming yet sturdy, FF Ernestine has good looks and a nice personality. Generous characters, strong slab serifs and playful ball terminals make it one of the friendliest fonts around.

More about FF Ernestine »

Fakt walks the line between the Geometric and Realist Sans. Its extensive set of alternates allows typographers to strike any balance between the two.

More about Fakt »

Although the original never really was formal, FF Mister K Informal, the most friendly-looking K family member, will charm you with its personable, relaxed, yet reliable air.

More about FF Mister K Informal »

While the reversed contrast in Satura and Satura Parts surprises and enthralls, the more conventional Satura Core and Satura Text are surprisingly versatile.

Inspired by IBM’s Prestige and sprung from a vintage Selectric typewriter, Alix FB is a monospaced font that preserves the liveliness and comfortable readability of a proportional design.

More about Alix FB »

Almost two decades after its initial release, FF Quadraat has been completely overhauled. Carefully redesigned and fine-tuned, with added weights and an expanded character set, it reclaims its position as one of FontFont’s key type families.

More about FF Quadraat »

It took seven years of development for the classic letter forms of FF Sero Web to mature into a balanced, dignified typeface. It barely takes seven seconds to reveal this is a wonderfully readable and versatile webfont.

More about FF Sero Web »

FF Good Mobile’s sturdy upright forms, in straight-sided Grotesque/Gothic tradition, are so eminently legible it’s our go-to choice for mobile apps.

More about FF Good Mobile »

People’s Choice: Best of 2011

When we put an ear out for People’s Choice nominees, you gave us outstanding recommendations. Thanks for that! Here are some of the great ones you selected.