Chaparral Typeface
For my advanced typography course, we were tasked with research on a specific typeface. I received Chaparral, a typeface created by Adobe type designer Carol Twombly. Because of the hybrid qualities of the type, I wanted to create a website/print-looking design. The dimensions are 9x8 per page, 16x9 for the whole spread to mimic a website's dimension.
For my advanced typography course, we were tasked with research on a specific typeface. I received Chaparral, a typeface created by Adobe type designer Carol Twombly. Because of the hybrid qualities of the type, I wanted to create a website/print-looking design. The dimensions are 9x8 per page, 16x9 for the whole spread to mimic a website's dimension.
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chaparral
the lines mimic the calligraphy pen
straightened lines where the
stroke changes direction
adobe foundary
History
Designer
Anatomy
Fonts
Lookalike
Pairs
slightly angled serifs
the right stroke is smaller in width
than the left
Carol Twombly’s humanist
approach is seen with
the imperfections of her letterforms.
I think the letter W,
uppercase, is the perfect example
of the slight imperfections
that make the Chaparral letterforms
friendly, paired with
the angularity of the slab serif.
There are several anchor points
throughout the W, the serifs
curving slightly. They aren’t
perfectly linear, and it shows.
When Twombly was sketching,
by chance she utilized a calligraphy
pen which could be the determining
factor of the curves.
Whenever there is a divet in the
vertex and apex, she contained
a straight line. Her angles
throughout the letterforms are
also different, which adds to the
asymmetry of the letterforms.
This isn’t just apparent in the
W, but is displayed in all of the
Chaparral letterforms. The apex
of the W does not extend to the
cap height, but instead, falls in
the middle of the serifs. It isn’t
obvious at first glance until one
really studies the letterform.
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