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Fraunces Roman & Italic Download

Fraunces Roman & Italic

An “Old Style”
Typeface Family by
Undercase Type

Regular 9pt Sharp Thin Italic 9pt Sharp Thin Regular 9pt Sharp Light Italic 9pt Sharp Light Regular 9pt Sharp Regular Italic 9pt Sharp Regular Regular 9pt Sharp SemiBold Italic 9pt Sharp SemiBold Regular 9pt Sharp Bold Italic 9pt Sharp Bold Regular 9pt Sharp Black Italic 9pt Sharp Black Regular 9pt Soft Thin Italic 9pt Soft Thin Regular 9pt Soft Light Italic 9pt Soft Light Regular 9pt Soft Regular Italic 9pt Soft Regular Regular 9pt Soft SemiBold Italic 9pt Soft SemiBold Regular 9pt Soft Bold Italic 9pt Soft Bold Regular 9pt Soft Black Italic 9pt Soft Black Regular 9pt SuperSoft Thin Italic 9pt SuperSoft Thin Regular 9pt SuperSoft Light Italic 9pt SuperSoft Light Regular 9pt SuperSoft Regular Italic 9pt SuperSoft Regular Regular 9pt SuperSoft SemiBold Italic 9pt SuperSoft SemiBold Regular 9pt SuperSoft Bold Italic 9pt SuperSoft Bold Regular 9pt SuperSoft Black Italic 9pt SuperSoft Black Regular 72pt Sharp Thin Italic 72pt Sharp Thin Regular 72pt Sharp Light Italic 72pt Sharp Light Regular 72pt Sharp Regular Italic 72pt Sharp Regular Regular 72pt Sharp SemiBold Italic 72pt Sharp SemiBold Regular 72pt Sharp Bold Italic 72pt Sharp Bold Regular 72pt Sharp Black Italic 72pt Sharp Black Regular 72pt Soft Thin Italic 72pt Soft Thin Regular 72pt Soft Light Italic 72pt Soft Light Regular 72pt Soft Regular Italic 72pt Soft Regular Regular 72pt Soft SemiBold Italic 72pt Soft SemiBold Regular 72pt Soft Bold Italic 72pt Soft Bold Regular 72pt Soft Black Italic 72pt Soft Black Regular 72pt SuperSoft Thin Italic 72pt SuperSoft Thin Regular 72pt SuperSoft Light Italic 72pt SuperSoft Light Regular 72pt SuperSoft Regular Italic 72pt SuperSoft Regular Regular 72pt SuperSoft SemiBold Italic 72pt SuperSoft SemiBold Regular 72pt SuperSoft Bold Italic 72pt SuperSoft Bold Regular 72pt SuperSoft Black Italic 72pt SuperSoft Black Regular 144pt Sharp Thin Italic 144pt Sharp Thin Regular 144pt Sharp Light Italic 144pt Sharp Light Regular 144pt Sharp Regular Italic 144pt Sharp Regular Regular 144pt Sharp SemiBold Italic 144pt Sharp SemiBold Regular 144pt Sharp Bold Italic 144pt Sharp Bold Regular 144pt Sharp Black Italic 144pt Sharp Black Regular 144pt Soft Thin Italic 144pt Soft Thin Regular 144pt Soft Light Italic 144pt Soft Light Regular 144pt Soft Regular Italic 144pt Soft Regular Regular 144pt Soft SemiBold Italic 144pt Soft SemiBold Regular 144pt Soft Bold Italic 144pt Soft Bold Regular 144pt Soft Black Italic 144pt Soft Black Regular 144pt SuperSoft Thin Italic 144pt SuperSoft Thin Regular 144pt SuperSoft Light Italic 144pt SuperSoft Light Regular 144pt SuperSoft Regular Italic 144pt SuperSoft Regular Regular 144pt SuperSoft SemiBold Italic 144pt SuperSoft SemiBold Regular 144pt SuperSoft Bold Italic 144pt SuperSoft Bold Regular 144pt SuperSoft Black Italic 144pt SuperSoft Black
Regular 9pt Sharp Thin Italic 9pt Sharp Thin Regular 9pt Sharp Light Italic 9pt Sharp Light Regular 9pt Sharp Regular Italic 9pt Sharp Regular Regular 9pt Sharp SemiBold Italic 9pt Sharp SemiBold Regular 9pt Sharp Bold Italic 9pt Sharp Bold Regular 9pt Sharp Black Italic 9pt Sharp Black Regular 9pt Soft Thin Italic 9pt Soft Thin Regular 9pt Soft Light Italic 9pt Soft Light Regular 9pt Soft Regular Italic 9pt Soft Regular Regular 9pt Soft SemiBold Italic 9pt Soft SemiBold Regular 9pt Soft Bold Italic 9pt Soft Bold Regular 9pt Soft Black Italic 9pt Soft Black Regular 9pt SuperSoft Thin Italic 9pt SuperSoft Thin Regular 9pt SuperSoft Light Italic 9pt SuperSoft Light Regular 9pt SuperSoft Regular Italic 9pt SuperSoft Regular Regular 9pt SuperSoft SemiBold Italic 9pt SuperSoft SemiBold Regular 9pt SuperSoft Bold Italic 9pt SuperSoft Bold Regular 9pt SuperSoft Black Italic 9pt SuperSoft Black Regular 72pt Sharp Thin Italic 72pt Sharp Thin Regular 72pt Sharp Light Italic 72pt Sharp Light Regular 72pt Sharp Regular Italic 72pt Sharp Regular Regular 72pt Sharp SemiBold Italic 72pt Sharp SemiBold Regular 72pt Sharp Bold Italic 72pt Sharp Bold Regular 72pt Sharp Black Italic 72pt Sharp Black Regular 72pt Soft Thin Italic 72pt Soft Thin Regular 72pt Soft Light Italic 72pt Soft Light Regular 72pt Soft Regular Italic 72pt Soft Regular Regular 72pt Soft SemiBold Italic 72pt Soft SemiBold Regular 72pt Soft Bold Italic 72pt Soft Bold Regular 72pt Soft Black Italic 72pt Soft Black Regular 72pt SuperSoft Thin Italic 72pt SuperSoft Thin Regular 72pt SuperSoft Light Italic 72pt SuperSoft Light Regular 72pt SuperSoft Regular Italic 72pt SuperSoft Regular Regular 72pt SuperSoft SemiBold Italic 72pt SuperSoft SemiBold Regular 72pt SuperSoft Bold Italic 72pt SuperSoft Bold Regular 72pt SuperSoft Black Italic 72pt SuperSoft Black Regular 144pt Sharp Thin Italic 144pt Sharp Thin Regular 144pt Sharp Light Italic 144pt Sharp Light Regular 144pt Sharp Regular Italic 144pt Sharp Regular Regular 144pt Sharp SemiBold Italic 144pt Sharp SemiBold Regular 144pt Sharp Bold Italic 144pt Sharp Bold Regular 144pt Sharp Black Italic 144pt Sharp Black Regular 144pt Soft Thin Italic 144pt Soft Thin Regular 144pt Soft Light Italic 144pt Soft Light Regular 144pt Soft Regular Italic 144pt Soft Regular Regular 144pt Soft SemiBold Italic 144pt Soft SemiBold Regular 144pt Soft Bold Italic 144pt Soft Bold Regular 144pt Soft Black Italic 144pt Soft Black Regular 144pt SuperSoft Thin Italic 144pt SuperSoft Thin Regular 144pt SuperSoft Light Italic 144pt SuperSoft Light Regular 144pt SuperSoft Regular Italic 144pt SuperSoft Regular Regular 144pt SuperSoft SemiBold Italic 144pt SuperSoft SemiBold Regular 144pt SuperSoft Bold Italic 144pt SuperSoft Bold Regular 144pt SuperSoft Black Italic 144pt SuperSoft Black

Meet Fraunces, an “Old Style” typeface

In the summer of 2018, Google Fonts approached us with the challenge of designing a display typeface. We spent some time perusing the catalog, and we were struck by a pretty big gap in certain typographic styles available—there isn’t a specific name for this genre, but typefaces such as Cooper Black, Windsor, and Souvenir personify it. We call them “wonky” fonts in-house, and that seems as good a name as any. We’ve played a lot with this style in our lettering work, and felt this was a great opportunity to create a display typeface family that celebrates an underappreciated genre.

Sample of lettering
Lettering sample from the author

The origin of “wonky” fonts traces its roots back to the Arts and Crafts experimentations of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Golden Type by William Morris, and the extensive lettering of the Roycroft Guild, drew upon a heavily romanticized ideal of an “Old Style” that their progress-besotted contemporaries had lost touch with. Morris’ Golden Type, for example, was actually an extremely crude interpretation of the typeface by fifteenth-century printer Nicolas Jenson. Morris opted to emphasize the perceived effects of the printing process, rather than the calligraphic origins of the form.

Paragraph sample of Golden Type

Ironically, the letters these artists created, and the interest in wonky Old Style typefaces that followed in subsequent decades—heavy-hitting display typeface favorites like Cooper Black by Ozwald Cooper, Windsor by Eleisha Pechey, or Clearface by Morris Fuller Benton with Linn Boyd Benton—had little or nothing to do with typefaces of antiquity. No one was really trying to score points for rigorous historical authenticity.

Sample of Richmond Oldstyle, image courtesy of David Wolske

Instead, these typefaces were playful, even outright goofy, as a way to inject some personality into modernity. Even during this era, types like Richardson Old Style by Robert DeLittle showcased some of the more elegant possibilities of this expressive approach.

Lettering based on Bookman Swash

During the 1970s, graphic designers were raiding style books and publications of earlier generations looking for more funky stylings, and found a treasure trove in the “Old Style” types from earlier in the century. The irreverence and friendliness of these typefaces was the perfect countercultural antidote to the perceived stuffiness and chilly efficiency of traditional text faces. A prime example of this style coming out of the ’70s was Ed Benguiat’s swashy version of Bookman for ITC. Benguiat’s type was an ode to Oswald Cooper’s Cooper Black Italic and is known to most people as the friendly, “Thank You For Shopping With Us” (a typographical “wave” of appreciation) that graces grocery bags all over North America.

Mostly shunned since the 1990s as being vaguely tasteless and disreputable, there’s been a twenty-first century revival of interest and use of these wonky typefaces. With the advent of new type technology such as variable fonts, there’s a great opportunity to update this genre with a typeface family that is made uniquely for our time. Please enjoy, and as ever, thank you for shopping with us.

Phaedra Charles, partner at Undercase Type

Regular 9pt Sharp Thin Italic 9pt Sharp Thin Regular 9pt Sharp Light Italic 9pt Sharp Light Regular 9pt Sharp Regular Italic 9pt Sharp Regular Regular 9pt Sharp SemiBold Italic 9pt Sharp SemiBold Regular 9pt Sharp Bold Italic 9pt Sharp Bold Regular 9pt Sharp Black Italic 9pt Sharp Black Regular 9pt Soft Thin Italic 9pt Soft Thin Regular 9pt Soft Light Italic 9pt Soft Light Regular 9pt Soft Regular Italic 9pt Soft Regular Regular 9pt Soft SemiBold Italic 9pt Soft SemiBold Regular 9pt Soft Bold Italic 9pt Soft Bold Regular 9pt Soft Black Italic 9pt Soft Black Regular 9pt SuperSoft Thin Italic 9pt SuperSoft Thin Regular 9pt SuperSoft Light Italic 9pt SuperSoft Light Regular 9pt SuperSoft Regular Italic 9pt SuperSoft Regular Regular 9pt SuperSoft SemiBold Italic 9pt SuperSoft SemiBold Regular 9pt SuperSoft Bold Italic 9pt SuperSoft Bold Regular 9pt SuperSoft Black Italic 9pt SuperSoft Black Regular 72pt Sharp Thin Italic 72pt Sharp Thin Regular 72pt Sharp Light Italic 72pt Sharp Light Regular 72pt Sharp Regular Italic 72pt Sharp Regular Regular 72pt Sharp SemiBold Italic 72pt Sharp SemiBold Regular 72pt Sharp Bold Italic 72pt Sharp Bold Regular 72pt Sharp Black Italic 72pt Sharp Black Regular 72pt Soft Thin Italic 72pt Soft Thin Regular 72pt Soft Light Italic 72pt Soft Light Regular 72pt Soft Regular Italic 72pt Soft Regular Regular 72pt Soft SemiBold Italic 72pt Soft SemiBold Regular 72pt Soft Bold Italic 72pt Soft Bold Regular 72pt Soft Black Italic 72pt Soft Black Regular 72pt SuperSoft Thin Italic 72pt SuperSoft Thin Regular 72pt SuperSoft Light Italic 72pt SuperSoft Light Regular 72pt SuperSoft Regular Italic 72pt SuperSoft Regular Regular 72pt SuperSoft SemiBold Italic 72pt SuperSoft SemiBold Regular 72pt SuperSoft Bold Italic 72pt SuperSoft Bold Regular 72pt SuperSoft Black Italic 72pt SuperSoft Black Regular 144pt Sharp Thin Italic 144pt Sharp Thin Regular 144pt Sharp Light Italic 144pt Sharp Light Regular 144pt Sharp Regular Italic 144pt Sharp Regular Regular 144pt Sharp SemiBold Italic 144pt Sharp SemiBold Regular 144pt Sharp Bold Italic 144pt Sharp Bold Regular 144pt Sharp Black Italic 144pt Sharp Black Regular 144pt Soft Thin Italic 144pt Soft Thin Regular 144pt Soft Light Italic 144pt Soft Light Regular 144pt Soft Regular Italic 144pt Soft Regular Regular 144pt Soft SemiBold Italic 144pt Soft SemiBold Regular 144pt Soft Bold Italic 144pt Soft Bold Regular 144pt Soft Black Italic 144pt Soft Black Regular 144pt SuperSoft Thin Italic 144pt SuperSoft Thin Regular 144pt SuperSoft Light Italic 144pt SuperSoft Light Regular 144pt SuperSoft Regular Italic 144pt SuperSoft Regular Regular 144pt SuperSoft SemiBold Italic 144pt SuperSoft SemiBold Regular 144pt SuperSoft Bold Italic 144pt SuperSoft Bold Regular 144pt SuperSoft Black Italic 144pt SuperSoft Black
Regular 9pt Sharp Thin Italic 9pt Sharp Thin Regular 9pt Sharp Light Italic 9pt Sharp Light Regular 9pt Sharp Regular Italic 9pt Sharp Regular Regular 9pt Sharp SemiBold Italic 9pt Sharp SemiBold Regular 9pt Sharp Bold Italic 9pt Sharp Bold Regular 9pt Sharp Black Italic 9pt Sharp Black Regular 9pt Soft Thin Italic 9pt Soft Thin Regular 9pt Soft Light Italic 9pt Soft Light Regular 9pt Soft Regular Italic 9pt Soft Regular Regular 9pt Soft SemiBold Italic 9pt Soft SemiBold Regular 9pt Soft Bold Italic 9pt Soft Bold Regular 9pt Soft Black Italic 9pt Soft Black Regular 9pt SuperSoft Thin Italic 9pt SuperSoft Thin Regular 9pt SuperSoft Light Italic 9pt SuperSoft Light Regular 9pt SuperSoft Regular Italic 9pt SuperSoft Regular Regular 9pt SuperSoft SemiBold Italic 9pt SuperSoft SemiBold Regular 9pt SuperSoft Bold Italic 9pt SuperSoft Bold Regular 9pt SuperSoft Black Italic 9pt SuperSoft Black Regular 72pt Sharp Thin Italic 72pt Sharp Thin Regular 72pt Sharp Light Italic 72pt Sharp Light Regular 72pt Sharp Regular Italic 72pt Sharp Regular Regular 72pt Sharp SemiBold Italic 72pt Sharp SemiBold Regular 72pt Sharp Bold Italic 72pt Sharp Bold Regular 72pt Sharp Black Italic 72pt Sharp Black Regular 72pt Soft Thin Italic 72pt Soft Thin Regular 72pt Soft Light Italic 72pt Soft Light Regular 72pt Soft Regular Italic 72pt Soft Regular Regular 72pt Soft SemiBold Italic 72pt Soft SemiBold Regular 72pt Soft Bold Italic 72pt Soft Bold Regular 72pt Soft Black Italic 72pt Soft Black Regular 72pt SuperSoft Thin Italic 72pt SuperSoft Thin Regular 72pt SuperSoft Light Italic 72pt SuperSoft Light Regular 72pt SuperSoft Regular Italic 72pt SuperSoft Regular Regular 72pt SuperSoft SemiBold Italic 72pt SuperSoft SemiBold Regular 72pt SuperSoft Bold Italic 72pt SuperSoft Bold Regular 72pt SuperSoft Black Italic 72pt SuperSoft Black Regular 144pt Sharp Thin Italic 144pt Sharp Thin Regular 144pt Sharp Light Italic 144pt Sharp Light Regular 144pt Sharp Regular Italic 144pt Sharp Regular Regular 144pt Sharp SemiBold Italic 144pt Sharp SemiBold Regular 144pt Sharp Bold Italic 144pt Sharp Bold Regular 144pt Sharp Black Italic 144pt Sharp Black Regular 144pt Soft Thin Italic 144pt Soft Thin Regular 144pt Soft Light Italic 144pt Soft Light Regular 144pt Soft Regular Italic 144pt Soft Regular Regular 144pt Soft SemiBold Italic 144pt Soft SemiBold Regular 144pt Soft Bold Italic 144pt Soft Bold Regular 144pt Soft Black Italic 144pt Soft Black Regular 144pt SuperSoft Thin Italic 144pt SuperSoft Thin Regular 144pt SuperSoft Light Italic 144pt SuperSoft Light Regular 144pt SuperSoft Regular Italic 144pt SuperSoft Regular Regular 144pt SuperSoft SemiBold Italic 144pt SuperSoft SemiBold Regular 144pt SuperSoft Bold Italic 144pt SuperSoft Bold Regular 144pt SuperSoft Black Italic 144pt SuperSoft Black
Honk for
Wonky
Fonts

Your friend, Fraunces

Fraunces is not an Old Style typeface, but an “Old Style” typeface. It’s a genre of type that is less concerned with the sober and sensible construction of letterforms, and where personality is always paramount.

Please
Wait to
be Seated

A Softie at Heart

The Softness axis controls the “wetness” or “inkiness” of the typeface. Although Fraunces is drawn entirely with rounded serifs, it achieves sharpness in the “Sharp” area of the design space with extremely high contrast.

With optical sizing

The self-hypnosis revolution has arrived.

Congratulations on your decision to pursue CB radio. Before you purchase the equipment, ask yourself these questions about the radio and the accessories you plan to use.

The booklet “Tips on Saving Energy in Your Geodesic Dome” contains numerous suggestions to homeowners on how to keep their domes cool in hot weather and warm in cold weather, with minimal energy expenditures. It gives examples on how to deal with moisture, plastic deterioration, bad vibes and energy expenditure for a completely open floor plan, with emphasis in areas of hot water use, cooking, laundry and the purchase and use of electrical appliances.

Without optical sizing

The self-hypnosis revolution has arrived.

Congratulations on your decision to pursue CB radio. Before you purchase the equipment, ask yourself these questions about the radio and the accessories you plan to use.

The booklet “Tips on Saving Energy in Your Geodesic Dome” contains numerous suggestions to homeowners on how to keep their domes cool in hot weather and warm in cold weather, with minimal energy expenditures. It gives examples on how to deal with moisture, plastic deterioration, bad vibes and energy expenditure for a completely open floor plan, with emphasis in areas of hot water use, cooking, laundry and the purchase and use of electrical appliances.

Ask Me About My Optical Size Axis

The Optical Size axis is similar to the Softness axis, in that it controls the overall contrast between thicks and thins. The Optical Size axis goes a step further, however, and factors in additional changes depending on the size of the font. At smaller sizes, the letterspacing opens up, x-height increases, and contrast decreases to allow for easier reading. Additionally, at 18 pt/px and below, substitutions for the “wonky” characters are made automatically (see the Wonk axis explanation below). Most modern web browsers will automatically interpret the Optical Size based on the font size specified by the website. Designing in applications such as Adobe Illustrator or Sketch requires a manual approach to typesetting.

minimum
billabong

Extra Wonk Included

The Wonk axis controls the substitution of “wonky” characters. These substitutions automatically switch at smaller sizes (18 pt and below), but can be toggled manually at larger optical sizes. The “lean” of the h, n, and m glyphs is a characteristic borrowed from Windsor. In addition to the leaning characters, the Italic style contains flagged characters with ball terminals.

Thank You
for Shopping
With us!

Instance gratification

With two styles (Roman, Italic), three optical sizes (144pt, 72pt, 9pt), three softness styles (Sharp, Soft, SuperSoft), and five weights (Thin, Light, Regular, Semibold, Bold, Black), Fraunces comes with over 100 predefined instances for easy navigation of the design space.

Language Support

Fraunces supports a wide range of languages for global and local audiences, including: Afrikaans, Albanian, Azerbaijani, Basque, Bosnian, Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Faroese, Filipino, Finnish, French, Galician, German, Hungarian, Icelandic, Indonesian, Irish, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Malay, Norwegian Bokmål, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish, Turkish, Vietnamese, Welsh, and Zulu.