My favourite condensed typefaces (August 2026)

Quick update to my December 2025 favourite typefaces list.

I frequently find myself wanting to use a condensed typeface (or just a slightly narrower typeface) in my infographics, charts, graphs, and tables. So I made a list of my favourite condensed typefaces :)

Condensed typefaces

(For an explanation of the categories I’ve divided these typefaces into, read my ‘How I think about typefaces’ post.)

Now those are the condensed typefaces I use most often in graphics and tables, but here are a three more that I also use in headings:

Finally, here are two honourable mentions that you might find useful if you’re looking for a neutral typeface that is also condensed:

FYI, you’ll always find the my most up-to-date list of favourites on the ‘Typography’ page on this website.

[Photo walk] Local footy match

We’ve had a couple of sunny days in Melbourne so I’ve managed to take two nice walks around the northern suburbs this weekend.

Yesterday I took a quiet walk through a cemetery but today my environment was much more lively because I walked by a community footy ground when there was a local Youth Footy match on. (Oak Park FC v Maribyrnong Park FC, fyi.)

My Fujifilm camera isn’t designed for taking high-speed sports photos – and I am certainly not a sports photographer! [1] – but I took a few shots of the action as I walked by and I was generally pleased with the results.

Forwards waiting for the play to come to their end of the ground

Photo of a two teenage footy players from opposing teams waiting next to each other at one end of a local Aussie Rules football ground. They are both watching the play at the other end of the ground.

Running after the ball as it bounces forward

Photo of a group of teenage footy players from opposing teams converging on a bouncing football that’s near one of the goals. This game is being played on a local Aussie Rules football ground on a sunny day.

Catching the ball and getting ready to pass it forward

Photo of a group of teenage footy players from opposing teams running towards one of the players who has just caught the bouncing football in her hands. This game is being played on a local Aussie Rules football ground on a sunny day.

Getting tackled before she could make the pass

Photo of a group of teenage footy players mid-tackle on a local Aussie Rules football ground on a sunny day. One of the players has the ball and is attempting to pass it to her teammate, but she has been grabbed by a player from the opposing team and her handball-pass is being blocked by another opposing player.

[1] The last time I took photos at a local Youth Footy match I didn’t get any good photos of the action. This was over a year ago though, and it’s good to look back and see how I’ve kept improving as a photographer as I’ve gotten more practice.

Albums on repeat: Madonna, Charli XCX

Following on from my ‘Music album long list, 2026’ post from May, there are two albums that came out in July that I’ve been listening to from start to finish all month.

Madonna – Confessions II

Cover image for the Madonna album Confessions II

The first album I’ve had on repeat is Confessions II from Madonna, which is a follow-on to her 2005 Confessions on a Dance Floor.

Confessions I, as I guess we should call it now, I also an album I listened to on repeat when it was released; and ‘Forbidden Love’ and ‘Isaac’ from this are among my all-time favourite tracks of hers.

Confessions II is a gorgeously produced, intricately-layered, intimate-yet-universal concept album that is great to listen to from start to finish – especially since each song transitions so perfectly into the next.

I don’t have any favourite songs from this album yet, but I have had bits from ‘Bring Your Love’, ‘Danceteria’, ‘Love Sensation’, and ‘Love Without Words’ stuck in my head on-and-off all month.

If you want to get a feel for the album, check out ‘Confessions II - The Film’ (14 min), which is basically a six-song music video mash-up.

Charli XCX – Music, Fashion, Film

Cover for the Charli XCX album Music, Fashion, Film

I stopped listening to nothing but Confessions II on my work commute only when Charli XCX released Music, Fashion, Film on 24 July – and now I have that on repeat :)

This album is a super smart follow-up to 2024 Brat because it goes in a completely different direction: more guitars, fewer synths, and a move away from the club sound. Of course you wouldn’t expect anything less from Charli because she is hugely creative and constantly evolves her music from album-to-album.

I think this album is great, and if you think so too, check out its accompanying film: ‘Charli xcx presents Music, Fashion, Film’ (42 mins). Charli is an astute cultural observer and this film explains some of the “why” of this album.

Charli is also someone who invests in making consistently excellent music videos, and I particularly love the one for ‘Camera’ starring the fantastic Vincent Cassel. (There’s also a bit in ‘Charli xcx presents Music, Fashion, Film’ in which she pitches the idea of this music video to Vincent via voice note.)

I highly recommend you give this album a listen.

Other albums

Collage of album covers

Other albums I’ve been listening to over the last couple of months, though not on repeat, have been:

In case you were wondering…

You may have been wondering why I’m suddenly talking a lot more about music on this blog. I feel I don’t talk enough about the things that I love and that I’m enjoying reading, watching, or listening to. So I’m hoping to do more of that going forward.

[Photo walk] Walking around the city and suburbs, part 3

Some more black and white photos from when I’ve been travelling around various parts of the city.

All this month I’ve been using Jonas Schäfer’s darktable styles that mimic Fujifilm’s simulations (in this case, ACROS) to convert the camera-raw images to greyscale before I edit and publish them. This time, however, I used Darktable’s ‘monochrome’ module to do the greyscale conversion and – you know what? – I think it works quite well :)

When the boat is taller than the house

Black and white photo of a tall boat – a mini yacht or cabin cruiser – parked in the front yard of a single-storey house. The boat is on its trailer and is covered with a large tarpaulin. The cabin of the boat has two levels, and so the boat is actually taller than the house that it is parked next to.

Between the goal posts

Black and white photo of an Aussie Rules football pitch for children that is attached to a primary school. The photo has been taken through a chain-link fence.

Give way to trams

Black and white photo looking down at a pedestrian crossing across at a pair of tram tracks that run down the centre of a road. Printed on the asphalt in large, all-capital letters is the phrase, “give way to trams”. Captured in motion-blur in the top-left corner of the photo is a woman carrying a tote bag who is walking across these tram tracks.

Tram tracks on Collins Street in Docklands

Black and white photo taken along the length of a road that has tram tracks running down the centre. This road heads into the city centre and, because it is dark, streetlights, car headlamps, and windows in buildings are all illuminated.

Down the escalators at Southern Cross Station

Black and white photo of a large urban railway station with a dozen tracks terminating under a massive roof. The photo shows trains parked at or leaving from several platforms, with dozens of passengers waiting on these platforms for their trains.

Train at Southern Cross Station

Black and white photo of the front of a Metro-branded train stopped at a large underground railway station.

Mind the (relatively small) gap

Black and white photo of the open doors of a train that stopped at a railway platform. Text painted along the edge of the platform reads, in all-capital letters, “mind the gap”.

Parked outside the industrial showroom

Black and white photo of a car parked directly outside a large, industrial building. The building’s double-storey roller door is open and bright light is spilling out into the dark night, such that the car is almost a silhouette against the brightness.

Train zipping along at a railway crossing – 1

Black and white photo of the front of a train travelling along its tracks as it passes a railway crossing. The photographer has used a slow shutter speed on his camera, so while everything else in the frame looks normal, the train has motion blur.

Train zipping along at a railway crossing – 2

Black and white photo of the middle of a train travelling along its tracks as it passes a railway crossing. The photographer has used a slow shutter speed on his camera, so while everything else in the frame looks normal, the train has motion blur.

Train zipping along at a railway crossing – 3

Black and white photo of the end of a train travelling along its tracks as it passes a railway crossing. The photographer has used a slow shutter speed on his camera, so while everything else in the frame looks normal, the train has motion blur. Since the train only covers half of the frame, in the other half of the frame you can see a line of cars waiting at the railway crossing.

Nadia in black-and-white

I took a couple of photos of Nadia at the Cornish Arms rooftop bar. I’m still getting the hang of editing photos in black-and-white, but I think these ones came out okay.

Nadia at the Cornish Arms rooftop bar

Black and white photo of a middle-aged woman with long hair who is wearing sunglasses and a corduroy jacket over a knit top. The woman is sitting in a rooftop bar with the sun in her eyes, which is why she is also shading her eyes with her hand. She is smiling and talking to someone off camera.

Black and white photo of a middle-aged woman with long hair who is wearing sunglasses and a corduroy jacket over a knit top. The woman is sitting in a rooftop bar with the sun in her eyes, which is why she is also shading her eyes with her hand. She is smiling and talking to someone off camera.

[Photo walk] Around the northern suburbs of Melbourne, part 14

I’ve been taking my camera with me when I got into the office, go shopping, go visit friends, or just go for a walk across the northern suburbs of Melbourne.

Here are some of the photos I’ve taken over the last couple of weeks. (I’m only shooting in black-and-white this July, fyi.)

Underneath a bus shelter, only somewhat protected from the downpour

Black and white photo taken from underneath a bus shelter on a street in an industrial area. It is raining heavily, even though the sun is still shining through a small gap in the clouds.

On Ventura bus #1619

Black and white photo taken from inside a city bus, looking out the front window. The only other person in the bus is the driver.

Tactile directional tile across a walking and cycling path

Black and white photo looking along the length of a walking and cycling path. Cutting across this path are tactile directional tiles that tell people with visual impairment that there is a bus stop or street crossing in the direction of the raised grooves of the tile. Running along the centre of the path are diverging white lines that guide cyclists around the electricity pole that has been erected in the middle of the path.

Tactile warning tiles just before the walking path crosses the road

Black and white photo looking straight down at a walking path onto which plastic tactile warning tiles have been installed. In the bottom of the photo you can see the photographer’s black jeans and white sneakers.

Reflections on a Mazda console

Black and white photo looking through the front passenger side window of a Mazda sedan. Reflected in the window glass is a brick wall and a garage door.

Nicely-spaced murder

Black and white photo of a murder of four crows silhouetted against the cloudy sky while they stand along the edge of a brick building.

High beams at dusk

Black and white photo taken at dusk of a walking path that runs alongside a road. There is traffic on the road, and one of the cars coming towards the photographer has its high beams switched on, which are outshining everything else around them.

Celebrating 20 years in Melbourne

This week marks twenty years since Nadia and I moved to Melbourne to pursue our Masters degrees.

Why Melbourne?

After we got married in Pakistan in 2004, Nadia and I wanted to go overseas to study. When deciding where to go, we picked three cities that were (a) great places to live and (b) had multiple universities that the two of us could apply to.

The cities we picked were:

We decided all this just as the southern-hemisphere university admissions cycle started and, as luck would have it, both of us applied to and got into the University of Melbourne. [1]

This was great because my older sister was living in Melbourne at the time and she had just completed her PhD from the University of Melbourne. Meaning not only did she know the city we’d be moving to, she knew the exact university we’d be going to as well.

With our university acceptances in hand, a guaranteed soft landing in a new country, and the full scholarship I was awarded for my MBA studies, we leapt at the chance to head down under.

So it was that on 12 July 2006, Nadia and I hopped on a one-way flight to a place almost 11,000 kilometers away and in a hemisphere that neither of us had been to before.

Scan of a Thai Airways paper ticket for Ameel Zia Khan, departing Islamabad at 11:10pm on 12 July 2004.

20 years on

We landed in Melbourne on Tuesday, 13 July 2006, and the very first place my sister and a family friend (who was also my sister’s housemate) took us to for lunch was A1 Bakery on Sydney Road in Brunswick.

It was fitting, then, that on 13 July 2026, Nadia and I went back to A1 for lunch to mark the occassion :)

Selfie of a man and woman sitting at a table in a large, warehouse-sized Lebanese bakery. The woman is holding a knife and is in the process of cutting the Lebanese pizzas that are lying on platters on the table between them.

Settling down

Nadia completed her MA and went on to do a PhD from UniMelb as well. I completed my MBA and went into the job market. Nadia did a couple of other things, but eventually made her way back to UniMelb, which is where she now teaches.

I don’t remember exactly when we decided that Melbourne was the place we were going to call home, but a big part of why we decided to stay was the people we met here along the way. Which is why we also marked our twenty years in this city with our friends and family at the Cornish Arms rooftop bar this weekend.

Photo of a rooftop bar on a sunny day, with space that's been set aside for a private function. A sign in front of this reserved area has the Cornish Arms logo and reads, “Nadia and Ameel 20 years in Melbourne, 1-4pm”.

Looking forward

What are our plans for the next twenty years? I have no idea, because Nadia and I plan our lives in four-year increments.

I mean that literally, by the way. Ever since Nadia’s PhD graduation in 2013, when our lives were finally disconnected from the degree-seeking schedule that universities impose on you, we’ve been making and documenting four-year life plans.

Actually, that’s not entirely true. We do have over 26 years left on our mortgage. So, if nothing else, in 2046 we’ll still be paying that off!

But my point is that twenty years is a long time so, instead of planning that far ahead, we’re just going to do what we can and roll with the punches when we can’t. That is life, and we’re looking forward to what the next twenty years in Melbourne will bring us.

[1] Yes, technically I got into Melbourne Business School which, back then, was only half-owned by the University of Melbourne. MBS is now wholly owned by UniMelb.

Crediting typefaces in books

Following on from my post about ‘Typefaces on book copyright pages, check out this recent Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) FAQ titled ‘Citation, Documentation of Sources’:

Q. Do typefaces or fonts used in a book or other document need to be credited? CMOS 4.106 makes me think they should, but maybe I misunderstood something.

Read the FAQ page for the full answer, but the tl;dr is that, no, in most cases font licences don’t require you to credit them in your publications.

Bright yellow cover page of a book titled The Chicago Manual of Style, 18th edition

Like I said in my earlier post, I do appreciate it when publishers share which typeface(s) they’ve used in their publications – like the University of Chicago Press folks do on the colophon page of the CMOS Online website.

Oh, and in case you don’t know, this website has a colophon page too :) You’ll find that in the footer.

Black-and-white in July

I haven’t done much photography in the last couple of months. I’ve been both busy and unwell, and it has rained a lot in Melbourne.

Now that I am going out more often and taking my camera with me when I do, I’ve decided to keep things interesting by developing a new photography skill. So during all of July I’ll shoot only in black-and-white.

I’ve configured my Fujifilm X-S10 camera to use the ACROS film simulation, which means the camera’s electronic viewfinder shows me everything in black-and-white. And when I import these photos in to darktable, I use Jonas Schäfer’s darktable styles that mimic Fujifilm’s simulations– specifically the ACROS one.

Here, then, is my first batch of black-and-white-only photos.

There’s roadworks happening in a nearby suburb and I wanted to see what photos I could take there, so Nadia and I walked around the area while I took some photos.

Nadia is ready to head out

Black-and-white photo of a woman standing in a hallway leading to the front door of a house. The woman is wearing a bulky waterproof coat and a baseball cap.

Cat in the driveway

Black-and-white photo of a cat standing next to some bushes and bins at the top of a driveway. The cat is looking over its shoulder at the photographer.

Hanging plant baskets on the front porch

Black-and-white photo of the front porch of a house with a tiled roof. Hanging from the edge of the roof are five alternating round and conical woven plant baskets with small plants in them.

Detour to the left

Wide-angle, black-and-white photo of a “detour” sign taken from close to the ground. The sign has been placed on the nature strip next to an intersection that has been closed off using tall wire-fence segments due to roadworks.

Twisted-metal rope

Black-and-white photo of a loop of twisted-metal rope leaning on a “road closed” sign in front of a roadworks site.

End of the detour

Wide-angle, black-and-white photo of a “detour” sign taken from close to the ground. The sign has been placed on the nature strip next to a road running through a residential neighbourhood.

Creative sign from Claudio+Marwan Residential

Black-and-white photo of a large real estate sign erected in front of a house. The sign is almost completely white with plain black, all-capital text on it. This text reads, “Just another sign (to contact us)”. Below this is a QR code and the C+M logo of Claudio+Marwan Residential real estate agents.

Tiny, wonky lighthouse in the garden

Black-and-white photo of a pebbled area at the end of a residential garden. This photo has been taken through the bars of a wrought iron fence. A few cacti and other plants are growing in this area and a couple of calf-high metallic objects have been placed along its edge. The object in the centre of the photo depicts a slightly wonky lighthouse.

Your speed is 41km/h

Black-and-white photo of an LED sign affixed to a pole along a residential street. This sign shows the speed of cars driving along this road. Text painted at the top of this sign reads, “your speed”. At the time of this photo the variable, LED-based part of this sign reads, “41”, meaning the approaching car is driving at 41 kilometres per hour.

You are under the speed limit

Black-and-white photo of an LED sign affixed to a pole along a residential street. This sign shows the speed of cars driving along this road. Text painted at the top of this sign reads, “your speed”. At the time of this photo the variable, LED-based part of this sign shows a smiley face icon, meaning the approaching car is driving under the speed limit.

Telephone and internet wires running underground

Black-and-white photo looking straight down at lines and text that have been spray-painted onto the pavement. These lines indicate where telephone and internet wires are running underground. At the very bottom of the photo frame you can see the photographer's sneakers and jeans.

No roadworks on Sunday afternoon

Black-and-white photo of a fenced-off area of a residential street. Parked within this fenced-off area is an excavator, and there are several precast concrete pipe segments lying along one side of the street.

I’m really enjoying the process of learning this new skill! I’m having to look at things in a different way and adjust my composition to accommodate the lack of colour in my photos. It is challenging and a whole lot of fun :)

Melbourne in winter

There’s always something fun happening in Melbourne. This winter we have a Ferris Wheel at Southbank.

I love Melbourne in winter

Photo taken at night through a rain-splashed window of a Ferris Wheel that’s on the other side of the river from the photographer. A circular sign in the middle of the wheel reads, “I love Melbourne” with a heart icon instead of the word “love”.

Outside Scienceworks

My niece is in town so I took her to see the Pride Month Stargayzing Show at the planetarium at Scienceworks. The show was really fun, and if you’ve never been to a planetarium before, I highly recommend a visit.

I got there a little early and managed to take a few photos outside.

Scienceworks museum in Melbourne

Photo of the front of the Scienceworks building taken on a partly overcast day.

Scienceworks museum members entry

Zoomed-in photo of the museum members entrance of the Scienceworks building. The photo has been taken through the branches of a tree.

1966 Ford Falcon XP outside Scienceworks

Side-on photo of a black muscle car parked on a street in front of a tall chain-link fence in a semi-industrial area.

Ford Falcon outside Scienceworks

Side-on, black-and-white photo of a black muscle car parked on a street in front of a tall chain-link fence in a semi-industrial area.

Bus stop at night

I walked by a bus stop on a night when I had my Fujifilm mirrorless camera with me. The advertisement space of the bus shelter was empty, making the wall look and act like a massive soft box light that illuminated the space around it – with only the yellow street light across the street providing some colour balance. Naturally, I stopped to take a few photos :)

Naked bus stop shelter at night

Black-and-white photo of a bus stop shelter at night. The illuminated wall of the shelter where an advertising poster is supposed to be installed is empty, which makes this wall look like a massive soft-box light.

Blank bus stop shelter

Photo of a bus stop shelter at night. The illuminated wall of the shelter where an advertising poster is supposed to be installed is empty, which makes this wall look like a massive soft-box light. There is motion blur on a car driving by the shelter.

No need to stop when there's no one there

Photo of a bus stop shelter at night. The illuminated wall of the shelter where an advertising poster is supposed to be installed is empty, which makes this wall look like a massive soft-box light. A bus that would otherwise stop here is driving past without slowing down which, in the photo, gives it a motion blur.

No one at the bus top

Black-and-white photo of a bus stop with a bench and a bus shelter. The photo is taken at night and the illuminated wall of the shelter where an advertising poster is supposed to be installed is empty. That makes this wall look like a massive soft-box light.

Naked bus stop shelter

Black-and-white photo of a bus stop shelter at night. The illuminated wall of the shelter where an advertising poster is supposed to be installed is empty, which makes this wall look like a massive soft-box light

Pie and paracetamol

Pie and paracetamol is how I’m making it through work today.

I’m not ill, just tired. It’s week four of the roughly six weeks it takes me to fully get over each bout of post-viral fatigue.

Happily, this time around I was 80% back to normal by week two! That’s fantastic compared to how debilitating this was last year.

Close-up photo of a slice of cherry pie and two paracetamol tablets lying in a take-away cardboard tray.

How lucky are we?

How lucky are we that some artists now proactively release multiple version of their songs.

Like Peter Gabriel who, since his 2023 album i/o, has been releasing “Bright-Side” and “Dark-Side” mixes of all his songs.

And Dua Lipa released regular and extended versions of Radical Optimism in 2024 – though the extended versions were on digital and streaming only.

There have always been multiple versions of songs, of course – album, radio, live, remix, 20th anniversary, etc – but releasing multiple studio versions from the get-go is a new and very cool development.

Album art for the Peter Gabriel song Been Undone

Also, I know Peter Gabriel’s “Been Undone” was released on 3 and 18 January 2026 – the Dark-Side and Bright-Side mixes, respectively – but I think this is going to be my song of the year.

Music album long list, 2026

I love music singles and mixtapes, but at heart I’m an album person. I love listening to entire LPs and EPs from start to finish, over and over again.

Screenshot from the YouTube Music smartphone app showing the badges received by this listening. The most recent badge is from 3 May 2026 and is titled, “Top Listener of U2”. Text below this reads, “You were in the top 0.25% of their audience of 15 million in April 2026”.

Here are the 36 albums I’ve listened to on repeat over the last five years or so, listed in alphabetical order by artist name.

I did listen to lots of other albums, of course. They didn’t make it to this list because I only liked a handful of songs from them.

Take Lady Gaga’s Mayhem (2025), for example. I listened to that from start to finish a few times and then I picked the songs I liked the most (seven of them, it turns out) and added them to my ‘Current’ playlist. But this wasn’t an album I listened to on repeat all the way through.

Same with albums from Aly & AJ, Cannons, The Chemical Brothers, Folk Bitch Trio, FKA Twigs, Kesha, Kita Alexander, London Grammar, Mammoth, Miya Folick, Moby, Neil Finn, Nine Inch Nails & Boyz Noize, Robyn, Rosa Damask, Sabrina Carpenter, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Taylor Swift, Xani, and Zoe Keating, to name a few.

What albums have you had on heavy rotation over the last few years? I’d love to know.

A few thoughts about Easter Lily

Some thoughts on U2’s latest EP, Easter Lily, which I still listen to all the way through several times a week, sometimes several times a day on my commute to work.

Album cover of the U2 EP titled 'Easter Lily'. The artistically glitchy cover depicts a lily (the flower) that is glowing because of the bright light shining on it. This is set against a yellow background on which the flower's shadow can be seen.

‘Song for Hal’

The Edge on lead vocals.

These lines as a reference to death:

Did you hear “forever”?
Was it playing soft and low?
It’s not a song you wanna hear
If you’re not ready to go

The comfort people find in religion, even though I’m not at all religious myself.

‘In a Life’

This song might be about “celebrating friendship”, but it’s about so much more than that.

Larry Mullen Jr’s drumming.

These lines, which are so relevant today:

And when we make the bed out of war
Deafen our children with its roar
Repeat, rewind, replay once more
Never unsee the sights they saw

The anthemic outro with The Edge, once again, on lead vocals.

‘Scars’

The way this song ends with, “You won’t know who I am / The next time we meet” and then transitions seamlessly into ‘Resurrection Song’.

Larry Mullen Jr’s drumming.

‘Resurrection Song’

Larry Mullen Jr’s infectious drum parts.

Adam Clayton’s driving bass parts.

The Edge’s shimmering, tinkling, shining guitar parts.

The emotion in Bono’s vocals, and how they’re raw and not overproduced.

The fantastic dynamics throughout the song structure.

(Yes, this is my favourite song on the album.)

‘Easter Parade’

A beautific, anthemic outro singing a Greek phrase from the Bible that translates to, “Lord have mercy”. I bet no one had that on their Bingo card!

‘COEXIST (I Will Bless The Lord At All Times?)’

Who thought that in 2026 U2 would release a 6 minute, 48 second quiet, mostly-vocal song produced by Brian Eno that was “a lullaby for parents of children caught up in war”.

The question mark at the end of the song title.

Bono’s voice, equalised but otherwise raw and unprocessed; and with an occasional chorus effect applied.

“[The] girl of Guadalupe”?

The unexpected stinger/discordant chord at the end of the song/EP that has no musical or commercial reason to be there except that’s what the band/producer wanted (or wanted to leave in).

Thoughts about the whole EP

U2 when they’re being experimental, when they’re not trying to be commercial, when they’re singing about things that matter very deeply to them.

How this EP feels like a more mature version of U2 from their The Unforgettable Fire days.

Everyone has a chance to shine on this EP but, for my money, I think Larry Mullen Jr is the star of this album.

The EP title is a nod to Patti Smith’s 1878 album Easter, which I wouldn’t have otherwise sought out and listened to.

My favourite typeface pairings (2026)

A lot of water has passed under the bridge since I posted my original list of favourite typeface pairings in 2023, so here’s an update.

A few things to note:

  • The list below covers only the typefaces I enjoy writing in the most, along the heading typefaces I usually pair them with.

  • Happily, the list of honourable mentions in each section covers most of the typefaces I enjoy reading in as well. I do occasionally use these typefaces for writing, but only when the need arises.

  • Within each section, typefaces are listed in alphabetical order.

  • Paid typefaces are flagged with “($)” after their name.

  • The first time I mention a typeface I’ve added a link to where you can download or purchase it, or just find out more about it.

In case you’re interested, I have a separate post about my favourite ebook typefaces and an ongoing series on cool type pairings I’ve found on the web.

For completeness’ sake, I should say that I don’t always pair typefaces. Sometimes it’s just best to use the same typefaces for headings and titles as well :)

Serifs

I do most of my writing in serif typefaces using LibreOffice.

Calluna

I almost always pair Calluna ($) with Calluna Sans ($). If I hadn’t purchased Calluna and Calluna Sans together, I’d probably pair Calluna with Whitney ($) for its elegance, Neue Montreal ($) for its neutrality, or Brother 1816 ($) for its geometric elegance.

Crimson Pro

I usually pair Crimson Pro with Work Sans since the two have a similar vibe or with Nebula Sans for a slightly more elegant vibe. Other good pairing options are Avenir Next ($) for its elegant geometric nature and Fact ($) for its squarish geometric nature (which provides a nice contrast to Crimson Pro).

Crimson Pro is a modern interpretation of Garamond. Nebula Sans is a version of Source Sans 3 that’s been adjusted to look like Whitney. Fact is a modern interpretation of Frutiger.

ETbb

I usually pair ETbb with Public Sans or Nimbus Sans, both of which are on the friendlier side of neutral. Other good pairing options are Brother 1816 ($) for is geometric elegance and Neue Montreal ($) for its slightly-friendly neutrality.

That said, when I’m using ETbb as a reading typeface, I almost always pair it with itself.

ETbb is a version of ET Book, Edward Tufte’s modern interpretation of Bembo. Public Sans is my favourite modern interpretation of Franklin Gothic. Nimbus Sans is a version of Helvetica that’s a little more like Univers, which I really like. Neue Montreal is a great, slightly friendlier alternative to Helvetica.

Goodchild

I almost always pair Goodchild ($) with Nicholas ($) since Nicholas is the “tight but not touching” headline version of Goodchild. Another good pairing option is Hint ($) since that adds a touch of neutral elegance.

Goodchild is a modern interpretation of Jenson.

Mercury

I almost always pair Mercury ($) with Whitney ($) or Whitney Narrow ($). Other good pairing options are Metropolis ($) for its neutrality and Calluna Sans ($) for its elegance. The Mercury + Whitney combo is my default in LibreOffice Writer.

Metropolis is an interpretation of Gotham, the latter being from the same type foundry as Mercury and Whitney.

Source Serif 4

I almost always pair Source Serif 4 with Source Sans 3. Other good pairing options are Fira Sans to add a bit more character, Merriweather Sans to add a bit more elegance, and Public Sans to add a more classic, friendly vibe. The Source Serif 4 + Source Sans 3 combo is what I usually use when sending an editable document to someone (with fonts embedded).

Public Sans is my favourite modern interpretation of Franklin Gothic.

Stempel Garamond

I pair Stempel Garamond ($) with Rethink Sans since they have a similar vibe or with Nebula Sans for its solid elegance. Other good pairing options are Jost* for its geometric elegance and Cabin for its geometric friendliness. Stempel Garamond also works well with something neutral like Helvetica.

Stempel Garamond is a modern interpretation of Garamond. I’m not a big user of Garamond, but this version is my favourite. Rethink Sans is a fork of DM Sans, which itself is a fork of Poppins. Jost* is a modern interpretation of Futura. Cabin is a modern interpretation of Gill Sans.

TT Jenevers

If I’m not pairing TT Jenevers ($) with itself (usually its Extra Bold weight), I pair TT Jenevers with Cooper Hewitt for its classic, geometric vibe. Other good pairing options are Merriweather Sans which adds a bit of geometric elegance, Public Sans which adds a bit of friendliness, and Whitney ($) which adds a bit of friendly elegance.

Willy Caslon

I pair Willy Caslon ($) with Public Sans, since they both have the modernised-classic vibe. Other good pairing options are Neue Montreal ($) for its friendly neutrality, Neue Haas Unica ($) for its warm neutrality, and Trade Gothic Next ($) for its classic, friendly vibe.

Willy Caslon is a modern interpretation of Caslon. Public Sans is a modern interpretation of Franklin Gothic. Neue Montreal is a modern interpretation of Helvetica. Neue Haas Unica is modern interpretation of Unica, which was an amalgam of Univers and Helvetica. Trade Gothic Next is a version of News Gothic, which is the regular-weight version of the original Franklin Gothic.

Honourable mentions

These are the body text typefaces I use for writing only when the need arises, along with the typefaces I like to pair them with.

Finally, I should mention that, even though I don’t currently use these typefaces (they’re on my wish list), the Untitled Serif ($) + Untitled Sans ($) pairing is excellent.

Sans serifs

Calluna Sans

I almost always pair Calluna Sans ($) with Calluna ($). If I hadn’t purchased Calluna Sans and Calluna together, I’d probably pair Calluna with Mercury ($) or Heuristica for their authoritativeness or Gentium (probably Extra Bold) for its warmer vibe.

Heuristica is an extended version of Utopia and is a good, free alternative to Mercury.

Fact

I usually pair Fact ($) with Bitter since the letterforms of both are based on rounded rectangles. Other good pairing options are Caladea for its friendliness, Faustina for its modern rounded-rectangular warmth, and Mercury ($) for its authoritativeness.

Fact is a modern interpretation of Frutiger.

General Sans

I usually pair General Sans with At Hauss ($) since they’re both quite similar (ie At Hauss could almost pass as the display version of General Sans). Other good pairing options are Jost* for its geometric sharpness, Charis for its modern friendliness, and Sentient for old-school its charm and warmth.

Jost* is a modern interpretation of Futura. At Hauss may be a paid typeface, but its non-commercial version costs only €9!

Hint

I usually pair Hint ($) with Emy Slab ($) since they’re both slightly elegant but otherwise solid typefaces. Other good pairing options are Editorial New ($) to add some modern style, Audela ($) to add a little chunkier solidity, and Calluna ($) to add some friendlier style.

Hint is my preferred alternative to Avenir.

Ideal Sans

I almost always pair Ideal Sans ($) with Sentinel ($) since they both have the same vibe and are from the same type foundry. Another good pairing option is Metropolis for its modern solidity.

Metropolis is an interpretation of Gotham, the latter being from the same type foundry as Ideal Sans and Sentinel.

Nebula Sans

I usually pair Nebula Sans with Mercury ($) since they have a similar vibe or with Clab ($) if I want a slightly more solid vibe. Other good pairing options are Goodchild ($) for its modern elegance and Heuristica for its modern friendliness.

Nebula Sans is a version of Source Sans 3 that’s been adjusted to look like Whitney. Heuristica is an extended version of Utopia and is a good, free alternative to Mercury.

Officer Sans

I pair Officer Sans (free) with itself or with Caladea for its friendliness.

You can get the basic version of Office Sans for free, but there is also a full Officer Sans family that you can purchase.

Public Sans

If I’m not pairing Public Sans with itself, I usually pair it with Sentient since they have a similar vibe (friendly, classic). Other good pairing options are Georgia (or Gelasio) for its retro charm, Roboto Slab for its solidity, and Heuristica for its modern friendliness.

Public Sans is my favourite modern interpretation of Franklin Gothic. Gelasio is an open source version of Georgia. Heuristica is an extended version of Utopia and is a good, free alternative to Mercury.

Rig Sans

If I’m not pairing Rig Sans ($) with itself, I usually pair it with Sentient since the latter adds a bit of classic charm to the text. Other good pairing potions are Literata TT Subhead for its solid warmth, Clab ($) for its elegant authoritativeness, and Goodchild ($) for its modern elegance.

Rig Sans is the typeface I go to every time I’m tempted to use something like Verdana.

Source Sans 3

I almost always pair Source Sans 3 with Source Serif 4 since they’re part of the same family. Other good pairing options are Manuale for its rounded-rectangular sharpness, Roboto Slab for its solidity, and Charis for its modern friendliness.

Charis is an updated version of Charter.

Whitney

I almost always pair Whitney ($) with Mercury ($) since they have a similar vibe. Other good pairing options are Sentinel ($) for its old-school vibe, Metropolis for its solidity, and Goodchild ($) for its modern elegance.

Metropolis is an interpretation of Gotham, the latter being from the same type foundry as Whitney and Sentinel.

Honourable mentions

These are the body text typefaces I use for writing only when the need arises, along with the typefaces I like to pair them with.

Finally, as mentioned in the serif section above, even though I don’t currently use these typefaces (they’re on my wish list), the Untitled Sans ($) + Untitled Serif ($) pairing is excellent.

Monospace

I’m only including this section for completeness’ sake because, whenever I use a monospace typeface, I pair it with itself.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The monospace typefaces I use most often are JetBrains Mono, Berkeley Mono, and Cascadia Code. I will also occasionally use Drafting* Mono, At Textual, and Clack.

Concluding thoughts

Sorry for the long post – I had a lot to get through!

If you’ve made it all the way to the end, tell me what your favourite or go-to typeface pairings are.

Squarespace support Squarespace support

Ah yes. The folks at my website hosting provider Squarespace are reaching out to me via *checks notes* the contact form on my website.

😆

Last month it was Julia from the “Square Space Security Team”.

And this week we have “Collins” reaching out from the “Squarespace Security Team” so at least they got the name of the company right. “Collins” was even helpful enough to leave the quotation marks around his name. Good on you “Collins”.

Stand behind the yellow line

“Passengers on the platform are reminded to stand behind the yellow line until the train comes to a complete stop”

— Repeated pre-recorded announcement made over the public address sytem at all train stations in Melbourne.

I can imagine the discussion the pre-teen and their mother had on platform 10 at Southern Cross railway station just before I took this photo. That’s because, the second the mother looked away, the pre-teen quietly stretched one leg and tapped the forbidden side of the yellow line with their toe before quickly pulling their leg back 😛🙄

Photo of the train tracks and platform at a large suburban railway station, with a train visible on the platform across from the photographer. A “mind the gap” warning is written in yellow ink on the other side of the yellow safety line at the edge of the platform.

Easter Lily is *excellent*

If you’re a U2 fan but you’ve been less than whelmed by some of the band’s newer music (eg the “Songs of…” trilogy) you must check out their two new EPs.

Days or Ash is good, but Easter Lily is excellent. And both are a true return to form.

In fact, I think maybe 80% of the music I’ve listened to since Easter Lily was released on 2 April has been this EP played from start to finish!

Album cover of the U2 EP titled 'Easter Lily'. The artistically glitchy cover depicts a lily (the flower) that is glowing because of the bright light shining on it. This is set against a yellow background on which the flower's shadow can be seen.