Hidden Gem PMN Caecilia®
FOUNDRY: Monotype
DESIGNER: Peter Matthias Noordzij
CLASSIFICATION: Slab Serif
WHY PMN CAECILIA
PMN Caecilia has subtle variations of stroke thickness, a tall x-height, open counters, and vivacious true italics. Noordzij combined classical ductus with his own contemporary expression to create a friendly and versatile slab serif family. With numerous weights from light to heavy, and styles including small caps, Old style figures, and Central European characters, PMN Caecilia has all the elements necessary to create rich typographic expression.
ANCESTRY
- Early sketches of what was to become PMN Caecilia date back to the mid-1980s, when Noordzij was a student at Koninklijke Academie vor Beeldende Kunsten (KABK) in The Hague.
- Slab serifs, also known as “Egyptians”, first existed only in the upper case, with the lower case coming later. Some of the major precursors to Caecilia that inspired its design include Rockwell, Egyptienne, Courier, and Clarendon. Slab serifs are usually divided into two categories – clarendon and neo-grotesque – the latter of which Caecilia falls into.
- In 2017, Linotype released PMN Caecilia Sans from Noordzij. The addition of a sans serif counterpart gives designers more possibilities in creating complex hierarchies of textual information. The combination of serif and sans serif makes the use of the PMN Caecilia family suitable not just for editorial design systems, but also for large-scale projects, such as visual identities.
PAIRING PMN CAECILIA
- Sans Serif designs like ITC Franklin Gothic™, Helvetica® Now, or PMN Caecilia Sans make for dynamic contrasting pairings to PMN Caecilia.
- Geometric sans, such as Gotham® and Avenir® Next, also create a typographic counterpoint to PMN Caecilia.
- Typefaces like Neue Frutiger® and Akzidenz-Grotesk® create a similar vibe but also contrast well with PMN Caecilia.
CLASSIC FACTS
Early on, the design was called “Academic” but, by the time the family was released by Linotype in 1991, the name did not seem appropriate and was changed to PMN Caecilia – a combination of Noordzij’s initials and his wife’s first name.
MORE HIDDEN GEMS
Century®
Century is a no-nonsense design, that may not stand out as pretty or clever, but gets the job done, with quiet grace. Century designs tend to be a bit chunky, with Roman weights slightly heavier than Times New Roman®.
Rockwell Nova®
Rockwell Nova evokes a feeling of straightforward honesty. Based on the original Rockwell design, it’s an adaptable face that is excellent for branding, headlines, and other display uses. The simple shapes and robust serifs of Rockwell Nova also make the lighter weights a good choice for short blocks of text copy in both print and on-screen environments.