Fern

A Venetian oldstyle for screens & other things by David Jonathan Ross

BuyPDF

From the Renaissance faces of Nicolas Jenson to the great twentieth century revivals like Centaur and Dante, the Venetian Oldstyle represents the typographic Roman letter’s first big break from the calligraphic tradition of the Carolingian Minuscule. When it comes to elegant book typography, nothing beats its light, ribbonlike forms.

Text on the screen is a different story. It’s easy for these designs to get light and splotchy. Web designers frequently pass over these classics, opting for sturdier alternatives based on Baroque and Enlightenment Romans instead (or, let’s be honest, sans serifs).

Fern is a Venetian that is native to the screen. Instead of reducing the diagonal stress that can be so troublesome on screen, I exaggerated it. Fern’s weight clumps in its round strokes and its chunky triangular serifs, giving it a rich texture that shines even on the smallest screen.

Fern is undeniably humanist, but it is not precious or dainty: it is a typeface that lends elegance, strength, and grace to text.

Specimens

Call me Ishmael. Some years ago — nevermind how long precisely — having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world. It is a way I have of driving off the spleen and regulating the circulation. Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people’s hats off, then, I account it is high time to get to sea as soon as I can.

Text Regular (wght 400, opsz 12)

This is my substitute for pistol and ball. With a philosophical flourish Cato throws himself upon his sword; I quietly take to the ship. There is nothing surprising in this. If they but knew it, almost all men in their degree, some time or other, cherish very nearly the same feelings towards the ocean with me.

Text Italic (wght 400, opsz 12)

Though I cannot tell why it was exactly that those stage managers, the Fates, put me down for this shabby part of a whaling voyage, when others were set down for magnificent parts in high tragedies, and short and easy parts in genteel comedies, and jolly parts in farces— though I cannot tell why this was exactly; yet, now that I recall all the circumstances, I think I can see a little into the springs and motives which being cunningly presented to me under various disguises, induced me to set about performing the part I did, besides cajoling me into the delusion that it was a choice resulting from my own unbiased freewill and discriminating judgment.

Chief among these motives was the idea of the great whale himself. Such a portentous and mysterious monster roused all my curiosity.

Micro Regular (wght 400, opsz 8)

I stuffed a shirt or two into my old carpet-bag, tucked it under my arm, and started for Cape Horn and the Pacific. Quitting the good city of old Manhatto, I duly arrived in New Bedford. It was a Saturday night in December. Much was I disappointed upon learning that the little packet for Nantucket had already sailed, and that no way of reaching that place would offer, till the following Monday.

As most young candidates for the pains and penalties of whaling stop at this same New Bedford, thence to embark on their voyage, it may as well be related that I, for one, had no idea of so doing. For my mind was made up to sail in no other than a Nantucket craft, because there was a fine, boisterous something about everything connected with that famous old island, which amazingly pleased me.

Micro Italic (wght 400, opsz 8)

Chief among these motives was the idea of the great whale himself. Such a portentous and mysterious monster roused all my curiosity.

Micro Variable (wght 600, opsz 8)

Micro Variable (wght 500, opsz 8)

Ornaments

Pattern Text

Presets

Grid dimensions

Canvas symmetry

Pattern symmetry

OpenType features

Small caps

font-variant: small-caps;

All small caps

font-variant-caps: all-small-caps;

Lining figures

font-variant-numeric: lining-nums;

Tabular figures

font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums;

Superiors

font-variant-position: super;

Scientific inferiors

font-variant-position: sub;

Fractions

font-variant-numeric: diagonal-fractions;

Discretionary Ligatures

font-variant-ligatures: discretionary-ligatures

Character Set

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

A À Á Â Ã Ä Å Æ Ā Ă Ą Ạ Ả Ấ Ầ Ẩ Ẫ Ậ Ắ Ằ Ẳ Ẵ Ặ B C Ç Ć Ĉ Ċ Č D Ď Ḍ Ḏ Ð Đ E È É Ê Ë Ē Ĕ Ė Ę Ě Ẹ Ẻ Ẽ Ế Ề Ể Ễ Ệ F G Ĝ Ğ Ġ Ģ Ḡ H Ĥ Ḥ Ḫ Ħ I Ì Í Î Ï Ĩ Ī Ĭ Į İ Ỉ Ị I J J Ĵ K Ķ L Ĺ Ŀ Ł Ļ Ľ Ḷ Ḹ Ḻ M Ṃ N Ñ Ń Ņ Ň Ṅ Ṇ Ṉ Ŋ O Ò Ó Ô Õ Ö Ø Œ Ō Ŏ Ő Ọ Ỏ Ố Ồ Ổ Ỗ Ộ Ơ Ớ Ờ Ở Ỡ Ợ P Q R Ŕ Ŗ Ř Ṛ Ṝ Ṟ S Ś Ŝ Ş Š Ș Ṡ Ṣ ẞ T Ţ Ť Ț Ṭ Ṯ Ŧ U Ù Ú Û Ü Ũ Ū Ŭ Ů Ű Ų Ư Ụ Ủ Ứ Ừ Ử Ữ Ự V W Ŵ Ẁ Ẃ Ẅ X Y Ý Ŷ Ÿ Ẏ Ỳ Ỵ Ỷ Ỹ Z Ź Ż Ž Ẓ Þ

a à á â ã ä å æ ā ă ą ạ ả ấ ầ ẩ ẫ ậ ắ ằ ẳ ẵ ặ b c ç ć ĉ ċ č d ď ḍ ḏ đ ð e è é ê ë ē ĕ ė ę ě ẹ ẻ ẽ ế ề ể ễ ệ f g ĝ ğ ġ ģ ḡ h ĥ ḥ ḫ ħ i ì í î ï ĩ ī ĭ į ỉ ị ı i j j ĵ ȷ k ķ l ĺ ŀ ł ļ ľ ḷ ḹ ḻ m ṃ n ñ ń ņ ň ṅ ṇ ṉ ŋ o ò ó ô õ ö ø œ ō ŏ ő ọ ỏ ố ồ ổ ỗ ộ ơ ớ ờ ở ỡ ợ p q r ŕ ŗ ř ṛ ṝ ṟ s ś ŝ ş š ș ṡ ṣ ß t ţ ť ț ṭ ṯ ŧ u ù ú û ü ũ ū ŭ ů ű ų ư ụ ủ ứ ừ ử ữ ự v w ŵ ẁ ẃ ẅ x y ý ÿ ŷ ẏ ỳ ỵ ỷ ỹ z ź ż ž ẓ a o þ ə μ π

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

- – — ― _ ( ) [ ] { } # % ‰ ’ " ’ ’ “ ” ’ „ ’ ’ « » * † ‡ . , : ; … ! ¡ ? ¿ / \ ⁄ | ¦ @ & § ¶ № · • ′ ′′ + − ± ÷ × = < > ≤ ≥ ≈ ≠ ¬ ∂ Δ Ω ∏ ∑ √ ∞ ∫ $ ¢ £ ¤ ¥ € ƒ © ® ™ ° ◊ 1⁄4 1⁄2 3⁄4

✥ ✷ ❖ ☙ ❦ ❧ 