Colophon

This site uses typefaces in the woff and TrueType formats for compatibility with the widest possible variety of browsers. svg versions of these typefaces have been removed from the site due to rendering issues in WebKit browsers.

Headlines, navigation and ancillary text are set in Fontin Sans. The masthead is set in Museo Slab. Both faces were designed by Jos Buivenga, whose foundry blog can be seen at exljbris.wordpress.com. Web embedding of these faces on Monochromatic Outlook conforms to the terms of the exljbris Font Foundry Free Font License Agreement.

Museo Slab is part of the Museo family of faces and was chosen for its bold, stark (dare I say monochromatic?) look. Compared to other slab-serif faces, Museo Slab exhibits a subtly subversive feel with its hidden stylistic quirks.

Fontin Sans was chosen over Museo Sans for its humanist qualities. As a match for Apollo MT, Fontin Sans has a similar ascender-to-capital relationship and generous aspect ratio, making it highly readable even in small sizes. What really hooked me, however, was the lowercase g.

Body text is set in Apollo MT, licensed for embedded document use by Adobe. Apollo MT was designed by Adrian Frutiger in 1962 for use in small settings. It is one of the earliest typefaces designed specifically for phototypesetting.

Its wide aspect ratio makes Apollo MT especially readable at small sizes. The relatively low x-height of Apollo MT retains perceived word shapes, while the low height of the capitals in relation to the ascenders gives the warmth and readability of a face with a higher x-height. Simultaneously, the tall ascenders add a delightful personality to the face. These same characteristics that make Apollo MT so clear in small sizes in print make it an excellent choice for reading in digital settings. Adrian Frutiger is best-known for his geometric face Avenir, neo-grotesque Univers, and of course the humanist face Frutiger, all sans-serif typefaces.