Typophile

Dear Archer: Why do you always look so good?

sydneynewsom

I've been looking for a serif with the same qualities of Archer. I will admit that I prefer a sans-serif over a serif. Something about the majority of serif fonts makes me feel like I need to arch my back and keep my chin up. I feel like wine and cheese would be served at a serif party while the sans-serif party would have an open bar with a stellar selection of craft beer.

And then there is "Archer", which for me conveys a warmth and friendliness other serifs lack. It says "welcome, have a seat and make yourself comfortable". Yet the font exudes elegance and sophistication at the same time.

Archer has been popping up everywhere for a while. I see it in lots of magazine and ad campaigns. I wasn't surprised when Publix (grocery store in the southeast) used it for their most recent campaign. However I wasn't really ready to find it gracing the title of every Ore-Ida potato product in the frozen food section there. Two days later . . . Quaker Oatmeal.

My point: as a designer and lover of type, I like to keep things fresh. I can't create a logo for a cutting-edge, sophisticated interior designer using the Ore-Ida potato font that is easily spotted in so many common places.

Is there another well-designed font family capable of pulling off all of the same qualities of archer? Can there be another font with such lovely ball terminals that succeeds without coming across as a knock-off? I thought I found the answer a while back in House Industry's "Eames Century Modern". But somehow I never feel as satisfied when using it in designs or copy in which I want to exude friendliness and a bit of personality.

I'm new to typophile and would love to get your suggestions and feedback. I did a keyword search for "archer" before posting and didn't find anything of interest. So please, don't bite if this has been discussed in a previous post/s. (pretend I added a smiley face here using punctuation)

I often have imaginative conversations and sometimes documented dialogues with fonts as if they are human. If you don't find this disturbing I might share the break-up letter I drafted for Archer.

Frank ADEBIAYE

You should have a look at Sentinel, also by HF&J:
http://www.typography.com/fonts/font_overview.php?productLineID=100034

Craig Eliason

Ernestine by Typophile Nina Stössinger, may fit the bill perfectly, but it hasn't seen release yet...
You may want to take a look at Nick Shinn's Bodoni Egyptian too.

sydneynewsom

So happy to have received quick responses!

Frank, I'm not crazy about the way Sentinel reads when used in sentence and paragraph form. I'm sure there is a technical word for that but you will have to excuse me as I am a self-taught designer with an English Literature degree.

eliason . . . Bodoni Egyptian. That's it. I never thought about looking for a slab serif with a feminine side. I've always been drawn to slab serifs for their clean and simple lines. But I never thought one could look so good in paragraph form. I like the fact that it is slightly condensed, as I feel like I am often in need of a more condensed font in order to lend more of my beloved white space. And equally important, it doesn't come across as an archer knock-off.

The lightest version is especially nice. Thank you, thank you!

Aaron Thesing

It is lamentable how widespread Archer's use is becoming.

I will second Bodoni Egyptian Pro.

If you want a sans that has a feminine quality, maybe Bree fits the bill?

blank

It is lamentable how widespread Archer's use is becoming.

The problem is not the amount of use but amount of entirely inappropriate usage. Archer is fine for the many places where a cute and quirky slab serif is called for. But it can look ridiculous when used outside of those places. Two insane uses that spring to mind were a tank-themed Cheetos web campaign and the new identity for Wells Fargo retail banks. Archer is far from the only misused fonts, it just seems that way because H&FJ's great marketing efforts make it easily identifiable.

Nick Shinn

It is also identifiable by its design, which is sufficiently original to distinguish it—particularly the innovative ball terminals on cap C, G, and S.

sydneynewsom

I guess it's obvious how much I know about typography classification and terminology- I wasn't even classifying Archer as a slab serif- just a serif with ball terminals. I think of Lubalin Graph and Rockwell when I think of a slab serif.

Nick, I am in agreement with your statement. That is why I've rarely used archer in all caps- there's never enough of those lovely ball terminals to leave me satisfied.

It's the way I see archer bold used that bothers me but this is probably a personal preference of style.

Bree is nice but a little feminine for my taste.

So are most of the people in here typographers/aspiring typographers?

Nick Shinn

It's quite diverse, by any measure.

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