205TF

New Release: Castillon by Malou Verlomme⁠
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Castillon is a typeface that stands at the intersection of two traditions: French and British, the broad-nib pen and stone carving.⁠
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On the British side, there is a direct and unbroken lineage spanning two centuries: Edward Johnston (1872–1944) and David Kindersley (1915–1995). Two distinguished type designers who shared the same conviction: the letter begins with the gesture and is then revealed to the eye.⁠
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On the French side, the typeface reveals an equally important parallel lineage: Maximilien Vox (1894–1974), José Mendoza y Almeida (1926–2018), and Roger Excoffon (1910–1983). Less austere and more distinctly Latin in character, this tradition is driven by the same pursuit of the perfect stroke.⁠
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These two traditions—sometimes seen as contradictory—ultimately share a common foundation. First, in their tools: the broad-nib pen and the chisel that cuts into stone. Then, in the attention paid to the gesture, executed with quiet assurance, and to the counters that naturally result from it.⁠
⁠
This is where Castillon comes into being—not as a pastiche of a historical style, but as an exploration of what these foundational figures might have created together: a typeface that embraces its origins while offering a surprising synthesis of them.⁠
⁠
Castillon is a typeface that does not hide its influences but instead offers a contemporary and original interpretation of them. The family is deliberately extensive, broadening its range of applications. It comprises six weights—each with its own distinct personality—and as many italics. Only slightly inclined and intentionally narrow, the italic deliberately departs from the mechanical oblique. While it has a distinct voice of its own, it complements the roman with ease.⁠
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New Release: Castillon by Malou Verlomme⁠

Castillon is a typeface that stands at the intersection of two traditions: French and British, the broad-nib pen and stone carving.

On the British side, there is a direct and unbroken lineage spanning two centuries: Edward Johnston (1872–1944) and David Kindersley (1915–1995). Two distinguished type designers who shared the same conviction: the letter begins with the gesture and is then revealed to the eye.

On the French side, the typeface reveals an equally important parallel lineage: Maximilien Vox (1894–1974), José Mendoza y Almeida (1926–2018), and Roger Excoffon (1910–1983). Less austere and more distinctly Latin in character, this tradition is driven by the same pursuit of the perfect stroke.

These two traditions—sometimes seen as contradictory—ultimately share a common foundation. First, in their tools: the broad-nib pen and the chisel that cuts into stone. Then, in the attention paid to the gesture, executed with quiet assurance, and to the counters that naturally result from it.

This is where Castillon comes into being—not as a pastiche of a historical style, but as an exploration of what these foundational figures might have created together: a typeface that embraces its origins while offering a surprising synthesis of them.

The contrast between thick and thin strokes is pronounced, the tension between the capitals—whose design emphasizes their structure—and the decidedly more fluid lowercase forms is palpable, and the serifs seem to waver between lapidary incision and calligraphic stroke.

Castillon is a typeface that does not hide its influences but instead offers a contemporary and original interpretation of them. The family is deliberately extensive, broadening its range of applications. It comprises six weights—each with its own distinct personality—and as many italics. Only slightly inclined and intentionally narrow, the italic deliberately departs from the mechanical oblique. While it has a distinct voice of its own, it complements the roman with ease.
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Renotype, designed by Radim Peško, began as a formal exercise seven years ago. The objective was to create a simple, low-contrast typeface that could serve as an archetype or mould for characters of the Latin alphabet. Based on proportions as they were developed, changed, and established over the centuries, it responds with letter shapes that are not connected to any specific epoch or tool but are instead aesthetically functional—like a bathroom.

The Renotype family includes a variety of styles, going from traditional (Regular, Italic), standardised (Mono), playful (Quasitalic) or speculative (Medieval). These styles do not expand Renotype through weights but rather through the flexibility of its construction and plain character. They are establishing the narration and, at the same time, indicate more possibilities and explorations.

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Plaak and Plaax in use
A selection of projects created in Plaak and Plaax that have been presented over the past 12 months.

01. Festival Poesia no Centro — ALLES BLAU

02. Banlieues Chéries⁠ — Studio Plastac⁠

03. Le Creux de l’Enfer. Histoires d’un centre d’art⁠ — Catalogue Général⁠

04. Murailles Music⁠ — Brest Brest Brest⁠

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