New typeface using intricate designs from Shakespeare's First Folio (2023) | Hacker News Reader

New typeface using intricate designs from Shakespeare's First Folio (2023)

itsnicethat.com

I thought this was going to be about the typeface used for the main text.

If anyone is curious, as I was, there is some academic research on this, although not a lot. The most in-depth "palaeotypographical" analysis I have found was this [1] paper, which also seems to correct a long-standing assumption about the printing:

"Visual and historical evidence have led me to suggest that the font is the second pica roman of the Huguenot punchcutter Pierre Haultin [...] cast for Jaggard’s use probably around 1603 or 1608 by an unknown typefounder who likely inherited the matrices from Pierre’s nephew Jerome Haultin. The font was old and in poor condition when it was used to print the Folio, which supports the view that Jaggard and his pressmen did not see the Folio as an unusually important book."

[1] http://reedreibstein.com/assets/reibstein-first-folio.pdf

Very interesting. Sometimes classics (speaking of the well-used font) are dusted off because they are beloved. Perhaps this was not printed at the greatest expense, but that says little about respect paid to the works. Relatedly, the Bible is sometimes printed using very inexpensive means, even by those who consider it important, because it is considered too important to not distribute.

original title: Shakespeare’s Globe unveils typeface using intricate designs from playwright’s First Folio

So where is the font? I can't find it.

In this image: https://m.itsnicethat.com/original_images/typeland-shakespea...

Why do they make it so damn hard to download for instance?

It's a custom design for the Globe theater. Of course they aren't going to let you download their unique branding, that would defeat the point.

Companies regularly release their custom-made branding fonts under SIL / open licenses.

If someone with a claude subscription could turn this into a font it would be great.

Presumably you’ll be able to leech it from the Globe’s website instead of reverse-engineering it, if they use it as a webfont.

I like how you're advocating for theft, but can't even prompt an LLM yourself and want someone else to do it.

this is not even typography.

The history of typography is full of decorative elements like fleurons and elaborate drop initials.

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