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About this typeface:

My first script, ITC Dartangnon, was a monoline. My second script, Gizmo, was written with a brush pen. For Olicana, my third script typeface, I thought I’d try my hand with pen and ink. Having had no calligraphic training, I didn’t want to produce a ‘formal’ English roundhand or copperplate style, but rather something that emulated casual handwriting utilising an archaic pen but having a modern look.

I decided to produce Olicana as OpenType to take advantage of the character substitution features. There are over 100 ligatures which when activated in a layout program introduce more inconsistencies, making for a more convincing handwritten appearance.

While creating Olicana, it occurred to me that I could also have a more ornate style in the same typeface by activating the swash feature, so the user has a choice of either ‘old’ or ‘new’ styles. There are also replacement ligatures for double swashes appearing together.

As a final touch of authenticity, there are eight difference lengths of strike-throughs. When inserted after a word, these special characters cross-out the ‘mistake’. There are also eight ‘splats’, including ink blobs and even partial fingerprints.

About the designer:

Nick Cooke started as a lettering artist in London in 1982 crafting type by hand for book jackets. He doesn’t miss the pre-digital age and puts his success down to ‘obsession, perseverance, thought and effort’. He controls every aspect of the creative process with particular emphasis placed on consistent character shapes, accurate positioning and extensive kerning. Nick‘s G-Type foundry was launched in November 1999 to develop innovative, original, but most importantly, usable typefaces.

This package contains:

Olicana Rough

Copyright © 2007 Nick Cooke