TastyType #28 – The Good Stuff

It was a Herculean task but I’ve managed to select my 20 favorite typefaces. The hardest part was removing over half of the typefaces in my shortlist. It was a good lesson in killing your darlings to get to the best version of my list.

I’m a logo designer with a specific style, which attracts a certain type of clients. This means I’ve developed a preference for a certain style, but I’ve tried my best to keep the list as diverse as possible.

Anyway, enough chatting, please enjoy these awesome typefaces in alphabetical order!

The Good Sh*t

Aeonik

Imagine Helvetica but with cleaner, more interesting shapes and a lot of alternate characters. Perfect if you want something strong yet versatile. Aeonik is quite popular these days but I just had to share it just in case.

Armin Grotesk

To the average non font-obsessed person Armin Grotesk does not look all that different from Aeonik. But to me they have a totally different five. This one is more friendly and open. Look, it just feels different, m’kay?

Build

Most designers love the Bauhaus style like a bee loves honey. And rightfully so, there’s something satisfying about the combination of geometry, simplicity, and ruthless utilitarianism.

Cera Pro Round

No designer’s toolkit is complete without a few high-quality rounded fonts. Cera is great because it’s both highly readable yet fun and friendly. Great for both poster or book design, and consumer oriented branding. (Also check out its non-rounded sibling, which didn’t make the cut for this list but I cannot help sneaking it in…)

Domaine Sans

This is a unique high contrast sans-serif. It’s elegant and intriguing, and the thin italic versions are almost script-like. Comes in three flavors: Fine, Display, and Text with Display being my favorite. You should totally add this to your typeface design kit and just hope of an opportunity in the near future to put it to good use.

Eina

As you may have gathered, I like it when a typeface gives me options. Eina comes in four distinct versions, all offering different takes on the same characters. I like all of them but Eina 04 is particularly great for branding.

Faktum

Surely this one looks different from the other sans-serifs I’ve shared so far? It’s inspired by Mid-century modern architecture and interior design and honestly you can tell. It’s geometric but not perfectly so, and I like the hard edges. The Narrow versions are also really nice.

Gelion

Because counting is hard I had initially ditched Gelion but when writing the newsletter I was once short. So glad I can include it in the list because it’s one of the best geometric typefaces out there. Check out this post on Bēhance to see why.

Gruffy

I like this one because it does not take itself serious, it’s fun and over-exaggerated. Sometimes you need something a bit more offbeat to add some character to a design. Btw, there’s also a Gruffy Soft with round edges, making it even more fun.

Italian Plate No1 Expanded

I know the font name leaves a lot to be desired, but it’s a lovely typeface. I mean just look at the g in the last word on the image above and tell me you’re not at least partially charmed by it.

Moranga

Browsing this list you might think I have a thing for geometric sans-serifs… and you would not be wrong. But the retro serifs or Moranga are too nice to ignore. This one is all about good vibes and honestly we could all do with a bit more of those.

Neulis

This is what you get when a designer throws convention out of the window and combines a sans-serif with script-style letterforms. We need more of this because it just looks so good. Please don’t use this for body copy but its great if you want to stand in branding, packaging, or logo designs.

Nutmeg

Both the regular and Headline (seen above) versions of Nutmeg are a joy to look at. It’s warm and fun, and it’s all in the small details. It’s distinct and easy on the eyes – a perfect branding typeface.

Oktah Neue

Don’t ask me why it’s both called Okta and Oktah, I’m just here to share it because it’s an awesome typeface. It’s a workhorse typeface that is versatile and gets out of the way. But the good thing is that while doing so it never looks bland or boring.

Peckham

I love slab-serifs because they are basically sans-serifs with some block-like serifs bolted to it. Peckham is nice because if its geometric roots and clean legibility. Wish more people used slab-serifs to be honest.

Rubrik

I used this typeface religiously as a young logo designer nearly a decade ago. And with the updated version it is still one of my favorite rounded typefaces.

Silka

Whenever I look for a nice typeface to go with one of my logo designs, Silka is bound to pop up at and least get my attention. All of the characters seem carefully crafted and stand out just enough to make for an enjoyable whole.

Torque

This typeface is what you get when you mix 80’s sci-fy typography with athletic lettering and the result is just awesome. I told you I’d try to keep this list diverse? Also, as with many other fonts in the list, this one comes with alternative designs for many of the letters.

Qualion

ROHH Type Foundry has a lot of fonts that I am fond of, but Qualion is especially nice. The image above does not do this typeface justice. The italics have clear calligraphic roots and the typeface has some of the best, wild, and fun OpenType features. Make sure to also the Round and Text versions.

Vadelma

No one does brush scripts like Mika Melvas, all of his typefaces are amazing. Brushs scripts give me warm fuzzy feelings and they are perfect for branding collateral. Vadelma comes with lots of ligatures, swashes, and alternative characters so it’s an obvious must-have.