Typophile

A Slab-Serif Companion to Serif?

Maxim Zhukov

Can any of you type geeks give me an example, or several examples, of a good type superfamily with the primary design serif (better Old-Style) and the companion design slab-serif. I only know of two such superfamilies: Erik Spiekermann’s and Christian Schwartz’s DB Serif / DB News, or Jean-François Porchez’s Le Monde Livre / Le Monde Courrier. I know there are more styles to either family, but I am primarily interested in the serif/slab-serif relationship. I suspect there should be more similar designs out there. Thank you in advance.

‹ Nick in the Toronto Star +&-=X Exhibition ›
Patricia Fabricant

TheAntiqua/TheSerif, altho TheAntiqua is kind of slab-ish to begin with.

Stephen Coles

ITC Stone Serif and Stone Informal have a relationship similar to the Le Mondes.

FF Nexus Serif and Mix, though there isn’t really a “primary” style in the family.

Freight Text and Micro, though the later was designed to be used specifically at small sizes it will work anywhere.

Maxim Zhukov
  • TheAntiqua/TheSerif, altho TheAntiqua is kind of slab-ish to begin with

Thanks for this example. It’s a relationship similar to Lucida’s (Regular/Bright) and Lucida Fax’s, or Lucida Typewriter’s.

Maxim Zhukov
  • FF Nexus Serif and Mix, though there isn’t really a “primary” style in the family.

Right... Neither DB Serif or Le Monde Livre are the primary ones in their respective superfamilies. I find the FF Nexus example quite relevant. Thanks a lot.

Patricia Fabricant

I wouldn’t call TheAntiqua the “primary” style either tho since it’s much newer. I don’t even have it yet.

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