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

screenshot of Highgate

Highgate

Dalton Maag's Highgate typeface specimen has the right balance of aesthetics, history and context, and font features. The animation displaying the variable font animation is particularly good, highlighting the different glyph shapes when traversing the weight axis. The changes to the little leaf glyph are particularly revealing as to the considerations of the type designer.

Published on 13 Aug 2020
screenshot of Beatrice

Beatrice

This is a great specimen focussing on the technical details and features of Beatrice. Following a template for all of Sharptype's specimens, Beatrice is presented amongst plenty of information about the process and examples of usage.

Published on 11 Aug 2020
screenshot of Migra

Migra

The standout of this specimen are the stacked images of example usage. The illustrations documenting the ligatures and typesetting are particularly outstanding.

Published on 11 Aug 2020
screenshot of Fabbrica

Fabbrica

This is fantastic. A specimen that is, in fact, just an article documenting the conception and influence for Fabbrica's creation.

Published on 11 Aug 2020
screenshot of Tongari

Tongari

Leading with a typetester, the specimen for Tongari quickly moves into panle after panel of usage examples. The design sketches are a welcome addition to any specimen. These show the level of craft the designer puts into every single letterform.

Published on 11 Aug 2020
screenshot of Goldman Sans

Goldman Sans

Interesting slideshow for Goldman Sans. Sort of a specimen, sort of marketing to an internal audience, the website does a good job at explaining accessbility features to a lay audience. The section on number was especially good.

Published on 10 Aug 2020
screenshot of Aeonik Pro

Aeonik Pro

A straight-forward typetester leads the specimen for Aeonik Pro, before an equally straight-forward list of weights, glyphs, and features. Nothing out of the ordinary here. The carousel of images of usage is where the interesting design lies on this specimen. Some beautiful pieces of work that I wish had been transposed into digital form.

Published on 10 Aug 2020
screenshot of FB Big Caslon

FB Big Caslon

Another slick, informative and exploratory specimen from The Font Bureau. Vertically stacked sample text invites the user to explore the large text before a simple categorised glyph list.

Published on 07 Aug 2020
screenshot of Azote

Azote

This is a traditional, but effective, digital specimen. Large sample text in different weights visually show the benefits and features of the font.

Published on 07 Aug 2020
screenshot of Adelle Mono Flex

Adelle Mono Flex

TypeTogethers specimens take a templated approach, but include this large section on the backstory of the typeface. Typically, they pair this with an even lengthier blog post providing a package of material to support the typeface release. A perfect example of when a specimen isn't just a specimen.

Published on 06 Aug 2020
screenshot of Mont

Mont

So many specimens follow a sinlge page approach with vertically defined sections. Mont takes the other approach of incorporating sub-pages and navigation. The type tester is particularly elegant.

Published on 05 Aug 2020
screenshot of Turbine

Turbine

Turbine is a neo grotesk with distinctive curves and open apertures. This is quite some specimen. Starting with a quick introduction and type tester, it moves on to a long list of branded samples in the same two-colour palette. The Process section is a particularly good read.

Published on 04 Aug 2020
screenshot of Rapport

Rapport

This is a deceptively simple specimen that, on further investigation, reveals different features in interesting ways. The type tester's controls are a little unusual. Clicking the 'read more' about the font opens a treasure trove of an article outlining the typeface's origins, inspiration, and design

Published on 04 Aug 2020
screenshot of Chikki

Chikki

What a fun specimen! Bright, bold typographic illustrations pepper the content explaining the typeface's features. Really refreshing design.

Published on 04 Aug 2020
screenshot of Residenz Grotesk

Residenz Grotesk

A specimen that reads like a product page, including often used conventions such as the alternating image and paragraph combination. Where this specimen breaks with convention is the navigation stuck to the bottom of the page.

Published on 30 Jul 2020
screenshot of Anybody

Anybody

A heavily stylised retro illustration opens the specimen before leading onto more conventional design patterns. It's a shame the aesthetic wasn't carried through to the features or back story of the typeface.

Published on 29 Jul 2020
screenshot of Newglyph

Newglyph

This is a really cool collection of specimens (as a catalogue, I suppose). Presented in a passive, scrollable format, the controls for manipulating the content ever-present at the bottom of the interface.

Published on 29 Jul 2020
screenshot of Helsa Display

Helsa Display

Super simple specimen from Paratype which has glyphs and languages as different sections. There is a tool menu (which is a little obfuscated) and in here are the usual controls to manipulate the text.

Published on 29 Jul 2020
screenshot of Forgotten Shapes

Forgotten Shapes

This is a really interesting user interface and specimen format. It's a type specimen coupled with a lengthy article in a refreshing interface for swapping between the two.

Published on 29 Jul 2020
screenshot of Breno Var et al

Breno Var et al

Tiny stacked type testers with variable font axis controllers. Simple but effective.

Published on 28 Jul 2020
screenshot of Haste

Haste

A simple digital equivalent of a flyer, I suppose. Stacked images of type samples for Haste. The larger weights particularly good.

Published on 28 Jul 2020
screenshot of Name Sans

Name Sans

Refreshingly simple. A full page type tester with three variable font axis controllers. That's it!

Published on 28 Jul 2020
screenshot of Pulpo

Pulpo

An in-depth specimen trying hard to display the many features and possible applications of the typeface.

Published on 27 Jul 2020
screenshot of IBM Plex Sans KR

IBM Plex Sans KR

Specimen for IBM Plex Korean. Super simple, but elegantly displays the typeface at the various weights.

Published on 27 Jul 2020