Typophile

Webfont like Tiempos?

nina0 votes

Hi all,
I’m thinking about using Tiempos (Text) for an identity I’m working on. The wordmark is set in Brandon Grotesque, and the two look quite good together to my eye.

Sadly, Tiempos is not (yet) available for web use. Can anyone recommend something similar that comes with a webfont license, and is well enough designed and produced that it can be used at (possibly slightly larger) text sizes on the web? My alternative right now is Benton Modern RE, but its flavor is not quite what I want here.

What I like about Tiempos is that it feels high-class, generous, and classy without being boring or generic… or too cute. I see a bit of Plantin in it, which is very welcome. I like the width and large x-height, and a super bonus is the “M” with the slanted stems at similar angles to Brandon. Also the fact that it has a Headline companion would be great for this project.
The application is clothing/fashion related, but more classy/conservative than extravagant.

I’d love to find something that’s similar enough to Tiempos to just be substituted on the web; but suggestions for other picks that could cover both web and print are welcome too.

Thanks,
Nina

Patch Hofweber0 votes

Hey Nina,
I answered you on twitter, but we might as well keep the discussion going here. As Tiempos has roots as a newspaper typeface, it seems fitting to keep in the tradition. Webtype has Elmhurst, Typekit has, at this point ubiquitous, Meta Serif,Le Monde Journal, & my personal favorite Freight Text.

nina0 votes

Ah, thanks, I’ll delete my Twitter reply, there’s a bit more space here.

I’d like to not overplay the “newspaper” side of things – I need this to feel classy. Tiempos can ride that line, I think, but e.g. LMJ is potentially a bit too harsh/sharp/newspapery. Freight might work, it’s a bit too decorative perhaps with all these balls (I generally like it lots though). Meta Serif is a bit too German (and too ubiquitous), I think. Elmhurst is lovely but only recommended for very large sizes. Hmm. Interesting impulses, though.

Robin Rendle0 votes

Hi Nina,

I've been looking for a similar alternative for a long time. Recently I stumbled across Greta Text by Typotheque. It has that boldness of Tiempos and for the most part it looks like a great solution, although I've yet to try it myself.

It seems really flexible with the available sans and the beautifully dangerous headlines too.

nina0 votes

Thanks, Robin. I like Greta a lot, but for this application it might be a little too… sharp – it does have a lot of bite (especially in the gorgeous Italic), which is great but not what I’m looking for this time.
I might have to take this into a slightly different direction… keep them coming if you have any other ideas :)

David Berlow0 votes

Although I like Benton Modern too, I think Poynter Serif and Turnip are the RE fonts in the classy serif aisle. ;)

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