Thorn Serif: Type Forward's Variable Font Inspired by Roman Coinage
Type Forward has unveiled Thorn Serif, a variable font family comprising eight weights, drawing inspiration from ancient Roman coins. Created by Type Forward in collaboration with Stan Partalev and Mirela Belova, this font showcases sharp thorn shapes and an elevated x-height. Its letterforms reflect the techniques of ancient minting, featuring ruggedly carved serifs and a consistent stem contrast. The family offers eight calibrated weights ranging from Hairline to Black, all contained within a single variable font file, boasting over 800 glyphs for 220 languages. Specimen packaging illustrates its adaptability on aluminum beverage cans, with bold styles suited for product titles and lighter versions for smaller labels. The full specimen and font weights can be accessed on Type Forward.
Key facts
- Thorn Serif is an eight-weight variable font family designed by Type Forward with Stan Partalev and Mirela Belova.
- The typeface is inspired by ancient Roman coinage and features sharp thorn silhouettes, deep purple backdrops, and bright mint green tones.
- Its letterforms use rugged carved serifs, with each stroke appearing struck by an iron punch.
- The design reflects ancient coin minting techniques, such as forming the letter E with one vertical bar and three horizontal punches.
- The letter V used two angled die hits that met at the base, creating a distinct triangular bottom serif.
- The font family includes eight calibrated weights from Hairline to Black, all in a single variable font file.
- The character set spans more than 800 glyphs across 220 languages, with discretionary ligatures, sharp accents, and tuned kerning pairs.
- Packaging specimens test the typography on aluminum beverage cans, with condensed heavy styles for bold product titles and lighter cuts for small labels.
Entities
Artists
- Stan Partalev
- Mirela Belova
Institutions
- Type Forward