A research project into understanding digital type specimens and their role in evaluating typefaces.
A project about type specimens:
what they are; how they are used; and who makes them.
Type Specimens is a research & design project, a publication, and a community resource. Read more about the project, browse the list of curated specimens, or sign up for the weekly newsletter
THE SPECIMENS DIGEST
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Cofo Sans Mono
Contrast Foundry's specimens walk that fine line between useful and unconventional really well. The focussing on each side of the specimen is particularly interesting.
MD Nichrome
The microsite for Nichrome is so well done. From the branding and accompanying video, to the stacked example phrases. The opentype feature layout is also a useful addition to clearly see the built-in features such as alternates and case-sensitive forms.
ES Allianz
This is a clever layout from Extraset for their latest release, Allianz. Using borderless tiled animations and static graphics interesting combinations of glyphs and features the specimen builds into a tapestry. This simple but effective technique adds an added dimention to evaluating the typeface.