SmytheSans is the result of a year-long inquiry into exploring a contemporary sans serif that is eminently readable on-screen and in print. It features a large x-height, ample yet economic spacing for capitals, small caps, a Central and Eastern European character set and is offered in five weights: thin, ultra light, light, regular and bold. More…

These are offset by matching italic and oblique cuts of each weight to give designers more variation- the italic has flared, calligraphically-inspired terminals and is a true italic, while the oblique is more mechanical in appearance. (In reality, the “oblique” is actually an italic as well due to the single-storied nature of the the “a” of the typeface, though it’s just easier to call it an “oblique” rather than “italic 2”.)

The typeface also includes five weights of a retro-futuristic display face called SmytheSans Display that bring in more idiosyncratic characters for display setting- a NASA-inspired space age “A”, a decorative "double-V" treatment for the “W”, and a whole lot more.

The lighter weights are slightly slimmer than the regular and bold weights to give the typeface more of a vertical feel, inviting readers' to rapidly read typeset text with a maximum of contrast and a minimum of optical dazzle. The entire family was given rigorous testing using Craig Mod’s Bibliotype html-based book layout system for on-screen rendering checks and innumerable print proofs using actual text (not Greek) in InDesign.

What was the inspiration for designing the font? While in Havana, Cuba I came across some capital lettering on a drugstore that looked quite similar to the ubiquitous capitals throughout New York City that inspired the popular typeface Gotham from Hoefler & Frere-Jones. I wondered what would happen in that typeface’s tendency toward a tall x-height was carried through a single-storied font with more horizontal characteristics for enhanced readability while being super-friendly and bright in appearance.

What are its main characteristics and features? SmytheSans is an eminently readable typeface, particularly at small sizes on-screen. It is reminiscent of Futura, while being infinitely more readable than Futura. The strokes throughout are modulated to enhance humanist expression, with high-contrast horizontal slices taken out of certain letterforms to keep readers' eyes moving forward in text. It is coupled with an eccentric, neo-retro display face for signage, advertising and branding work. There are both italic and oblique cuts of each weight to offer designers a variety of looks in their work.

Usage recommendations: SmytheSans is designed for readability on-screen and in print. It is suitable on the web for @font-face CSS application, in e-books as a text face (and has all of the nuanced characters needed to make a great book face) and in print from books to billboards.