font suggestion for photography monograph?

hereandthere16 May 2005 · 00:45

i could really use some font suggestions.

i am in search of a stylish, contemporary looking font to be used for small amounts of body copy in a photography monograph.

this font should work well when placed next to another section that is set in Univers Light.

i would like the font to be clearly and instantly read as separate from the paragraphs set in Univers.

this font will possibly replace the garamond face used in the PDF sample attached.

in my mind, i am looking for something like a sturdy but not overbearing slab-serif face - but i could be totally wrong about that and i’m willing to consider anything at this point.

unfortunately, the client don’t have much of a budget, so whatever it is, it should be inexpensive or free (or perhaps something that i already own that i might have overlooked!) i know, that is a lame requirement and i am embarrassed to have to mention it, but what can you do???

thanks for any help!!

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timd16 May 2005 · 03:29

If you want to go with slab serif, I’d suggest something with a larger x-height like
http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/efscangraphic/candida-sb/
http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/efscangraphic/clarendon-sh/
They are both $17.50 from MyFonts
Tim

hereandthere17 May 2005 · 01:15

thanks tim!

ideally, i am looking for something a little more contemporary looking. it certainly doesn’t have to be a slab-serif font.

Forrest L Norvell17 May 2005 · 02:01

If you want a contemporary slab serif, try Serifa or PMN Caecilia — the latter seems to be popular lately, but I guess I don’t have a problem with that as I love it. I’ve been using it and TheSans for my own materials (résumé, business cards, etc) lately.

If you want something that is distinctive and will look nice next to Univers, I humbly suggest either Van Dijck or Zuzana Licko’s Filosofia. Van Dijck may be too delicate for what you’re trying to do, but Filosofia (or another didone) will match the weight and width of Univers well.

hereandthere18 May 2005 · 02:14

i’m quite fond of PMN Caecilia as well, and it was one of the first fonts that i tried! unfortunately, it feels a little too “light” or “whimsical” (for lack of a better word) in this context.

i had also previously used filosofia, but the client seems to prefer garamond instead.

i thought i had finally found the perfect font in reform from psy/ops, but that doesn’t seem to fit so well either.

our deadline is quickly approaching and i might just have to settle for the garamond/univers combo.

Forrest L Norvell20 May 2005 · 01:52

Wow, the whole reason I chose PMN Caecilia was because it was like Clarendon, only more “boring”. I like things that are “boring”. I’m a photographer myself, and call what I do taking “boring pictures of nothing”, which is of course mildly disingenous, but I’ve never found a better name for what I do. In this case, “boring” means “businesslike”. I’m surprised it turned out to be too whimsical, but I suppose I can see what you mean.

You may already be stuck with Garamond, but on the off chance you aren’t, there’s a thread here about Clarendons (started by yours truly). You may find the faces discussed too quirky for your needs, but it’s a pretty good rundown on recent slab serifs. Or you could try Bitstream Charter, which is conservative but squared off and won’t clash too badly with Univers. Hmm...

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