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Anisette Std Petite

Anisette® Std Petite

by Typofonderie
Individual Styles from $59.00
Complete family of 4 fonts: $157.00
Anisette Std Petite Font Family was designed by Jean François Porchez, Deberny et Peignot Design Studio and published by Typofonderie. Anisette Std Petite contains 4 styles and family package options.

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About Anisette Std Petite Font Family


Geometric font inspired by shop signs in 4 styles


Anisette has sprouted as a way to test some ideas of designs. It has started with a simple line construction (not outlines as usual) that can be easily expanded and condensed in its width in Illustrator. Subsequently, this principle of multiple widths and extreme weights permitted to Jean François Porchez to have a better understanding with the limitations associated with the use of MultipleMaster to create intermediate font weights.

Anisette built around the idea of two widths capitals can be described as a geometric sanserif typeface influenced by the 30s and the Art Deco movement. Its design relies on multiple sources, from Banjo through Cassandre posters, but especially lettering of Paul Iribe. In France, at that time, the Art Deco spirit is mainly capitals. Gérard Blanchard has pointed to Jean Francois that Art Nouveau typefaces designed by Bellery-Desfontaines was featured before the Banjo with this principle of two widths capitals. The complementarity between the two typefaces are these wide capitals mixed with narrow capitals for the Anisette while the Anisette Petite – in its latest version proposes capitals on a square proportions, intermediate between the two others sets. Of course, the Anisette Petite fonts also includes lowercases too.


Anisette Petite, a geometric font inspired by shop signs in 4 styles

So, when Jean François Porchez has decided to create lowercases the story became more complicated. His stylistic references couldn’t be restricted anymore to the French Art-déco period but to the shop signs present in our cities throughout the twentieth century. These signs, lettering pieces aren’t the typical foundry typefaces. Simply because the influences of these painted letters are different, not directly connected to foundry roots which generally follow typography history. The outcome is a palette of slightly strange shapes, without strictly not following geometrical, mechanical and historical principles such as those that typically appear in typefaces marketed by foundries. As an example, the Anisette Petite r starts with a small and visible sort of apex that no other similar glyphs such as n or m feature, but present at the end of the l and y. The famous g loop is actually inspired by Chancery scripts, which has nothing to do with the lettering. The goal is of course to mix forms without direct reports, in order to properly celebrate this lettering spirit. This is why the e almost finishes horizontally as the Rotis – and the top a which must logically follow this principle and is drawn more round-curly. This weird choice seemed so odd to its designer that he shared his doubts and asked for advise to Jeremy Tankard who immediately was reassuring: “Oddly, your new top a is fine, it brings roundness to the typeface, when the previous pushes towards Anisette Petite to unwanted austerity.”

The Anisette Petite, since its early days, is a mixture of non-consistent but charming shapes.


Anisette, an Art Déco typeface

Anisette Petite


Club des directeurs artistiques, 46e palmarès

Bukva:raz 2001

Designers: Jean François Porchez, Deberny et Peignot Design Studio

Publisher: Typofonderie

Foundry: Typofonderie

Design Owner: Typofonderie

MyFonts debut: Apr 15, 2008

Anisette® Std Petite is a registered trademark of Typofonderie.

About Typofonderie

Founded in 1994 by Jean-François Porchez, Typofonderie is an independent digital type foundry in France, designing, manufacturing and distributing a selection of high quality typefaces for adventurous digital typographers. This is the first place in the world to buy our digital fonts. Based in Clamart (France) from the end of 2008, Typofonderie as foundry, is dedicated to the distribution of a selection of high quality typeface designs, while ZeCraft focuses on the bespoke typefaces and lettering projects. Many of the Typofonderie typefaces have won prizes in international competitions.

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