We are updating and re-publishing our book on optical sizes

→ Update: You can now order the book.

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We are happy to announce that we are in the process of updating and re-publishing Tim’s book on optical sizes, currently titled “Size-specific adjustments to type designs”. We have been constantly asked about the availability of the book, but the book has been extremely difficult to obtain. Furthermore, it was overpriced since the book was produced “print-on-demand”. Finally, we got out of the contract, and we are updating the book with new materials and a re-designed layout.

We would like to include the fonts with optical sizes which were published after 2007, the year the first edition was published.

Here is our list of digital fonts. Designs which are marked with * will be considered to be included in the new edition; those which are not marked with * were included in the first edition already. Some foundries did not respond to the request back then, therefore not all the fonts with optical sizes could be included.

Please help us complete the list of newly designed optically sized fonts!

[Update: Thanks to your comments and emails, we extended the list. The new entries are in brackets.]

Abril *
FF Acanthus *
Acta Display *
[Aeris]
[Alida]
[Anselm]
[Apud]
Arlt *
Arnhem
Arno
[Axiom]
Baskerville (Storm) *
Benton Modern *
Beorcana
Berling Nova *
Bodoni (ITC)
Bookman *
Borges *
Brandon Grotesque/Text *
Brioni *
Brioso
Brunel
Bulmer
Californian FB *
LTC Californian *
[Capitolium 2]
[Carmen]
FF Celeste *
Chaparral
[Chift]
[Chronicle]
FF Clifford
[Consul]
Coranto 2 *
Cronos
Cycles
[De Archie]
[Delvard]
[ARS Descendiaan]
[HTF Didot]
Domaine *
Edita *
Eldorado (Font Bureau)
[Electra]
Escrow *
Fakir
Farnham
[Fayon]
Fedra
[Feijoa]
Fleischmann (DTL)
Founders Grotesk *
Freight *
[Freya]
Garamond FB *
Garamond Premier
[Genath]
[Geo]
Giorgio
Glosa *
FF Good & Headline *
Greta
[Grumpy]
Guardian Egyptian
[Guardian Sans]
Harriet Series *
[Hercules]
FF Holmen *
[Home]
Houston
Ibis *
[Indigo Antiqua]
FF Info
[Irma]
[ITC New Esprit]
Jannon Storm *
Jenson Adobe
Juliana
FF Karbid *
Kepler
King’s Caslon *
[Klavika]
Lapture
[Lavigne]
Le Monde Livre *
[Leitura]
[Locator]
[Lyon]
[Mafra]
[ARS Maquette]
[Marlene]
Mencken
[Mercury]
Meta
Miller
Minion
Miniscule
[Mommie]
[Narziss]
[Neue Haas Grotesk]
[New Fournier]
Nimrod *
Officina
[Paperback]
[Perfetto]
[Periódico]
[Polo]
Philomela
[Pona]
Poynter *
[Pratt]
Prensa *
Prumo *
PT Sans *
PT Serif *
[Publico]
Pyke *
[ReDisturbed]
[Regal]
[Reina]
FF Reminga *
[Requiem]
[Rialto]
Romain
Rumba *
Sanvito
Satyr & Faunus *
[Schadow Antiqua]
[Scotch Modern]
[Seaside]
[Sirenne]
[Stilson]
[Sybarite]
[Tabac]
Taz *
Tiempos *
[Tramuntana 1]
[Transit **]
Trivia Serif *
[Turnip (Re series)]
Utopia
[Velino]
[Verdigris]
Vesta & Big Vesta *
Vincent
Walbaum Storm *
Walburn *
Whitman
Ysobel *
Zocalo *

28 thoughts on “We are updating and re-publishing our book on optical sizes

    1. Tim Ahrens

      Hi Jonathan, yes, we are aware of the H&FJ fonts. We have been in touch with your team last week regarding a press licence. It would be great if we could include them in the book.

  1. Nick Sherman

    This is great news! I had always wanted to get a copy of the book, but held out because the price and production quality of the original. Looking forward to the revised edition.

  2. David Lemon

    Max is right; Warnock is the one Adobe optical-size family missing. Nice list; looking forward to the book!

  3. Akira Yoshino

    Hi Tim!

    Aeris
    http://www.linotype.com/6466/aeris.html

    ITC New Esprit
    http://www.linotype.com/6331/itcnewesprit.html

    Sabon Next
    http://www.linotype.com/en/53159/sabonnext-family.html

    Lavigne
    http://www.re-type.com/fonts/fonts-lavigne.html

    Several typefaces by Hubert Jocham
    Alida
    http://www.hubertjocham.de/shop/type/serif/AlidaDis/
    http://www.hubertjocham.de/shop/type/serif/Alida/
    Narziss
    http://www.hubertjocham.de/shop/type/display/Narziss/
    http://www.hubertjocham.de/shop/type/serif/NarzissText/
    Perfetto
    http://www.hubertjocham.de/shop/type/serif/PerfettoPro/

    Storm Type Foundry
    Anselm
    http://www.stormtype.com/family-anselm-serif-pro.html
    Hercules
    http://www.stormtype.com/family-hercules.html

    Capitolium 2
    http://www.type-together.com/Capitolium%202

    Carmen
    http://www.typerepublic.com/carmen.html

    De Archie
    https://www.playtype.com/font/de-archie
    https://www.playtype.com/font/de-archie-display
    Home
    https://www.playtype.com/font/home-display
    https://www.playtype.com/font/home-text

    Fayon
    https://ourtype.com/#/try/pro-fonts/fayon/
    https://ourtype.com/#/try/pro-fonts/fayon-grande/

    Feijoa
    https://klim.co.nz/retail-fonts/feijoa/

    Paperback
    http://www.houseind.com/fonts/paperback

    Grumpy
    http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/suomi/grumpy/

    Reina
    http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/argentina-lian-types/reina/

    Indigo Antiqua
    http://www.fonts4ever.com/search_result_details.php?f_shops_id=2&selectedFamilyID=18&f_item_name=Indigo%20Antiqua%20Pro%20Display#familyName
    http://www.fonts4ever.com/search_result_details.php?f_shops_id=2&selectedFamilyID=19&f_item_name=Indigo%20Antiqua%20Pro%20Text#familyName

    Apud, Leitura, Mafra, Velino
    http://www.dstype.com/fonts/

    Guardian Sans, Lyon, Publico
    http://commercialtype.com/

    Marlene, Delvard
    http://www.typonine.com/

    Periódico
    http://www.emtype.net/Periodico_Text_Display_01.php

    Pona
    http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/tipografies/pona/
    http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/tipografies/pona-display/

    Pratt
    http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/shinn/pratt-pro/
    Worldwide
    http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/shinn/worldwide/
    Scotch Modern
    http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/shinn/scotch-modern/

    Regal
    http://www.parachute.gr/typefaces

    Sirenne, MVB Verdigris®
    http://www.mvbfonts.com/mvb_sirenne
    http://www.mvbfonts.com/mvb_verdigris_pro/

    Tabac
    http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/suitcase/tabac/

    Tramuntana 1 Pro
    http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/tiponautas/tramuntana-1-pro/

    Stilson
    http://www.fontbureau.com/fonts/Stilson/

    Sybarite
    http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/dunwich/sybarite/

    Consul
    http://www.terminaldesign.com/

    Freya
    http://www.typogra.fi/

    Geo
    http://www.110design.ru/customtype.html

  4. Indra

    This is a great list (also the comments) and I’ll link to this post from my list if I may.
    Additions I’d have (ach, take the links from my site if you want, getting too confusing in here)
    Irma
    Klavika
    Locator
    Lyon
    Neue Haas Grotesk
    Publico
    Transit (I counted that because Front, Back … are technically not grades, not the same spacing)
    Turnip (I counted that because of the RE version, but then one should count the typefaces with REs too) (Is RE a special case? Maybe worth discussing in a paragraph.)
    And I had Hoefler Text and Titling but that opens the can of worms with the more independent Titling designs (e.g. Renard too).

    1. Shoko Mugikura Post author

      Thanks Indra.

      Yes, we will re-write the introduction and are intending to mention screen-optimised version of fonts. A book published in 2013 from Tim Ahrens without mentioning type on screen sounds odd indeed.

  5. Akira Yoshino

    Genath
    http://www.optimo.ch/typefaces_Genath.html

    New Fournier, which is no longer avaiable, by François Rappo
    http://swisstypefaces.com/media/ul/fonts/pdf/swisstypefaces-NewFournierBP.pdf

    Electra
    http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/adobe/electra/

    Mommie
    http://www.hubertjocham.de/shop/type/script/Mommie/

    Stuart Pro
    http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/nonpareille/stuart-pro/

    Chift
    http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/alexandra-korolkova/chift/

    Seaside
    http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/andrijtype/seaside/

    1. Tim Ahrens

      Thanks, Stephen. Yes, we had gone through that list. It’s actually not complete (JAF Lapture is missing although on Identifont, for example), and contains some entries that are not real optical sizes. It was very helpful nevertheless.

    1. Tim Ahrens

      Yes, we have included some of them, for example Ibis. They are not designed strictly as optical sizes, rather as screen versions, but maybe that makes them even more interesting as samples to look at. The adjustments are similar to traditional small size versions, of course.

  6. Angus R. Shamal

    Great to know about this book, Tim.

    You could add:
    ARS Maquette Pro (Text and Display cuts)
    the soon to be released new ARS Descendiaan (Roman and Display cuts)

    Cheers,
    A

  7. Indra

    I don’t think Schadow counts in this given frame. Both Schadow Antiqua Werk and Schadow Antiqua Mager were available in a range of sizes, Werk in 5pt to 36.

  8. António

    Any update about when will the book be released?
    I need my copy ASAP… 🙂

    António

  9. michael duggan

    Plus 1 on Sitka :), any thoughts on non Latin fonts? I have been wondering if there are any Japanese optically scaled fonts?

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