Typophile

Here's A Challenge: A Good Serif Companion to Giorgio Sans

badben

Dear Typophiles,

I am looking for the 'right' text companion to Christian Schwartz' breathtaking Giorgio Sans. (I'm aware there's also a serif but that isn't going to work for anything other than decorative text.)

It's for a company that, ironically, does branding itself. They are a nice kind of snobby, if you know what I mean, somewhere between high-brow and witty. That's why I'm looking for something classic (Antiqua), not too low on the x, with nice contrasts but also quite legible on screen. I was thinking along the lines of Weidemann's Corporate A, but I don't want them look like a Mercedes knock-off, especially since they are based in Germany.

Thanks in advance for your suggestions. This is my first venture into the hallowed halls of typophile, so please be nice.

Ben

Riccardo Sartori

What about something subtly squared?
Example: http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/paratype/deca-serif/

badben

Wow, that was quick! Cheers riccardo. I did consider ›subtly squared‹, as in Guardian Text or Parachute's Centro Slab. But even as, technically, those go rather well will Giorgio Sans, I found them to lack the ›je-ne-sais-quoi‹ factor I'm after, the one that comes with the more classic form language of the Caslons and Bodonis, especially when printed. (I hope I am making sense here.)

Riccardo Sartori

What about a Walbaum (http://www.myfonts.com/search/walbaum/), then?
Classic and German.

badben

It definitely ticks most of the aforementioned boxes: stylish, classic, rich in contrast, high x. My only reservation would be legibility in small sizes and on screen: The Walbaums I worked with (Linotype's and Storm's 120) didn't do too well in those departments. Can you recommend a specific edition?

Nick Shinn

Fenice.

Les O'Neill

Or Slimbach's 'Kepler' or even Mr Shinn's very own 'Walburn'

badben

Indeed! Humbled as I was by your reply, Mr Shinn, you shouldn't have hidden your own light under the bushel. I'll take your Walburn anytime over Felice (even though the latter does have all the frivolity of the native Giorgio but without its uselessness in text). As for Kepler, Les, I'd be the biggest fan if it wasn't for the italics that, personally, I consider somewhat clumsy.
My shortlist right now would be Walburn, Felice, Didot HFJ (6pt/11pt) and maybe a neat digital Walbaum that I have yet to discover.

R.

You said that you have used Storm’s Walbaum 120. I presume that you know that this is the display cut of the family (it takes its name from the approximate point size it is best used at; cf. this PDF). You might not know that there is also Walbaum 10 for text (at around 10 point) and even Walbaum 10 XL with increased x-height. I can recommend both. Have a look at them!

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