Multitudinous alphabets

The challenges of extended Latin typeface design

This essay covers the history and design of extended Latin characters. It celebrates the highs (Monotype Garamond 156 extensions of the 1920s), documents the lows (most digital phonetic types of the 1980s), and addresses some of the key design challenges.

It was due to be published in a journal, but has long been delayed. I’ve decided to make it available here soon.

Related articles

Typeface design

Projects and techniques

Typeface design is a craft—a set of skills applied to creating objects that are artistic in nature but are designed for a specific practical purpose. The following articles give examples of my type design projects and address a few useful topics for type designers. Read more...

The type design process

For Latin-script typefaces

Coming soon One of the products of my research into the design of italics is a fresh look at the general type design process, based on analysis of the decisions a designer makes throughout the process. Read more...

Problems of diacritic design

For Latin-script typefaces

The design of diacritics has cultural and linguistic dimensions, however it is mostly an exercise in problem-solving. This essay looks at the some of the difficulties of designing diacritics and how designers have approached solutions. Read more...