A curated list of digital specimens
of the highest quality. Updated daily.

screenshot of Visual

Visual

A conventional digital specimen for an unusual typeface. Visual is a semi-pixel font inspired by topography. The specimen leads with a quick explanation before showing some type in use.

Published on 22 May 2020
screenshot of Vinila

Vinila

Bright, energetic, playful specimen focussed on intended usage with some inspired sticker designs.

Published on 22 May 2020
screenshot of Urban Grotesk™

Urban Grotesk™

A forumulaic specimen, but done so well. Making up for its lack of interactive elements with tasteful design.

Published on 22 May 2020
screenshot of HyperText * Future Fonts Year One

HyperText * Future Fonts Year One

The web used to be full of websites like this. Part art project, part exercise in learning (and pushing) the medium, and part commercial project. This site delightfully side-steps convention – chaotically, playfully, cheekily – and kills your browser in the process! Brilliant.

Published on 22 May 2020
screenshot of Darkmode

Darkmode

Despite Darkmode being presented within Dalton Maag's templated typeface library section, the specimen shows a few unique elements I wanted to draw your attention to. The animated explainer diagrams demonstrate Darkmode's core, variable typeface, benefit: the ability to switch to slightly heavier weights when using light text on a dark background. The axis switcher pattern is very well done. Sliders on two axis allow the user to dig into the weight axis and presents the problem the typeface is aiming to fix.

Published on 20 May 2020
screenshot of MonoLisa - A font family designed for software developers

MonoLisa - A font family designed for software developers

A beautifully functional typeface from FaceType. The specimen starts with an all too fleeting flash of an ascii Mona Lisa shown full screen. The muted colour ways mimic the intended environment for use: themes for the likes of Visual Studio Code. Moving into features, the specimen site is full of useful animations and diagrams intended to not only demonstrate MonaLisa's attributes but also to educate the audience. The new design pattern I thought was fabulous was the little tabbed code viewer where you could preview MonaLisa in various, syntax-highlighted, programming languages – from Javascript to Python.

Published on 19 May 2020
screenshot of Space Grotesk | Florian Karsten Typefaces

Space Grotesk | Florian Karsten Typefaces

Refreshingly simple to be presented with just the name of the typeface big and bold. Interacting with it, changes the state of the screen to be a type tester with the inclusion of very simple controls. The digital specimen could benefit from the detail of its print counterpart. If you download the PDF, there are a few comparison tools available with paragraphs shown at multiple sizes and weights. Still missing a glyph table, though, and some detail on some of the typeface features such as the alternates.

Published on 11 May 2020
screenshot of Lexend — Change the way the world reads.

Lexend — Change the way the world reads.

How could we solve experiences of reading difficulty? Could variable fonts be a way of doing that? This specimen takes one firm step towards project overview and article, whilst highlighting the benefits of the approach with some hard data and well-constructed demos.

Published on 06 May 2020
screenshot of Google Fonts 한국어 • Google Fonts Korean

Google Fonts 한국어 • Google Fonts Korean

Great typography makes the web more beautiful, fast, and open. Using machine learning and the latest web standards, Google Fonts now offers the open source Korean fonts showcased in this website.

Published on 06 May 2020
screenshot of Faune, Alice Savoie / Cnap

Faune, Alice Savoie / Cnap

No doubt a beautiful typeface, but let's focus on the specimen. As is usual for many modern digital specimens, it leads with the story. Presenting the typeface in its various intended uses, it's not until the end that the specimen digs a little into the features of the fonts. It's not until you download the PDF specimen, can you dig into the font features and individual glyphs.

Published on 05 May 2020
screenshot of General Type Studio

General Type Studio

As a homepage for a foundry, why not completely combine specimens of the catalogue in just one. big scrolling page? General Type Studio do just that and the result is wonderful.

Published on 05 May 2020
screenshot of Acumin

Acumin

What struck me about this specimen was the type tester. Most testers are quite lightweight; allowing the user to change weight and size, but that's pretty much it. Acumin's tester goes one step further in presenting a simple two column layout with a headline, a subhead, and some body copy. Allowing the designer to not only change the weights and sizes, but to do so in a limited (unbreakable) context.

Published on 21 Apr 2020
screenshot of Action

Action

A brilliant specimen. Full of little controls, icons and widgets to play with that alter the appearance and content.

Published on 21 Apr 2020
screenshot of Affogato, A Friendly Sans-Serif Typeface

Affogato, A Friendly Sans-Serif Typeface

Unusually, Affogato leads with a glyph table. Normally this kind of detail is left to the end of a specimen – almost an after thought, unless presenting a comprehensive set of stylistic alternates, or particular support of unusual characters.

Published on 21 Apr 2020
screenshot of Norse Sans

Norse Sans

The specimen leads with an unusual design pattern. A sort of feature carousel/animation in which the user can explore the features and switch weights if they wish. Unusually, this typeface specimen completely does away with any back story, marketing, or designers inspiration and just lays the typeface before the user: ' here are the features, here are my glyphs, buy me if you like me'.

Published on 20 Apr 2020
screenshot of Logical

Logical

Beautiful, simple, legible sans serif from Bold Monday. It took me just minutes before I bought this typeface such is the power of this specimen. Leading with key stylistic features focussing on optimum legibility and humanistic feel, the large simple illustration help communicate what can often be type design specialist language. Another bonus of the typeface is the icons and the simply wonderful instructional animations. At the end of the specimen – in case you're not sold yet – we get to the nitty gritty features and glyph tables.

Published on 30 Mar 2020
screenshot of JetBrains Mono

JetBrains Mono

Specimen as product website. There is just so much that can be learnt from how this website communicates the features of the typeface. From compelling layout, to informative animations, to a fantastic comparison table.

Published on 19 Feb 2020
screenshot of Ohno Fatface ☠️ OH no Type Company

Ohno Fatface ☠️ OH no Type Company

The specimens for Ohno's website follow a similar simple design with stacked text containers at different sizes and weights. These areas are editable, but offer no type tester controls. The visual representations and animations of the features of the font work really well. Education, wayfinding, and a little bit of quirky fun, all wrapped into one.

Published on 06 Feb 2020