The Typeface

Crimson Serif: A “Blended Scotch”

Old Style serifs are prized for their warmth, which is achieved through heavily bracketed serifs, planned inconsistencies, and diagonal stressors accentuating the characters. Modern serifs produce the opposite result through detached, elegant simplicity and aspirations of mathematical precision.

Bridging these extremes is the Transitional serif, which combines the energy and ardor of Old Styles with the contemporary adaptability of the Moderns.

The most functional and enduring subgenre of Transitional is the Scotch, a form of typeface originating at the end of the eighteenth century which has inspired some of the most widely-read and enduring fonts of our time, include W.A. Dwiggins’ Caledonia (1938) and Matthew Carter's definitive anthology Miller (1997), which has been used by Harvard, Yale, Oxford, and the Boston Globe.

Closely modeled after stylish, celebrated workhorses such as ITC Galliard (Carter, 1978) and Chronicle (Hoefler, 2002), Crimson Serif captures the spirit of the Scotch Transitional in one distinct, contemporary family. Crimson has been used by Harvard University, Justin Bieber, Adelle, The Met, Arianna Grande, A24 Films, Republic Records, and Rolex.

The Fleuron

Hedera: Redux

Fleurons are among the oldest typographic ornaments. In early Greek and Latin texts, a fleuron would be used as an inline character to identify a new paragraph, to divide paragraphs in a stylized way, to fill white space, or for pure ornamentation.

The Hedera fleuron, or "floral heart", represents an ivy leaf. It has been a staple of utility and style for bookbinders and typographers, and has held the adoration of bibliophiles and typophiles since the advent of the printing press.

In this case, the classical Hedera has been customized and styled with subtle cuts and stressors to compliment the selected typeface, and to hint abstractly to a flame and lamp through organic, festive ornamentation.