An “eloquent” new typeface from Fontsmith, FS Brabo

The world of typography – especially “bookish” typography – feels quiet, sedate. It’s the studious end of graphic design: calm, dependable and never caught with its trousers down. It’s quite different then to, say, a “terrible duel” with a giant. However, new “eloquent” typeface FS Brabo is inspired by such a grisly tale, taking its name from the Roman hero Silvius Brabo. Fontsmith, the foundry behind the face, explains: “FS Brabo is not a revival, but a very much a contemporary, personal interpretation of a garalde. Brabo’s ‘ct’ and ‘st’ ligatures, uppercase italic swashes and contextual ending ligatures – ‘as’, ‘is’, ‘us’ – all preserve the beauty and character of traditional typefaces, but its serifs are thicker than a garalde.

“Their sharp cuts and squared edges give them a crispness at different text sizes. The contrast in stroke width in Brabo, not as pronounced as in typical 16th Century fonts, allied to the presence of generous counters, gives the family a strong, sturdy, affable character in body text.”

There we have it. Finally a typeface that’s eloquent, affable and handy in a duel.