old english letter

Fonts and their designs have evolved, just as the history we know has done and that has evolved in a surprising way, even just as we study geography, also fonts that place us according to their birth or creation.

But in this post we have not come to talk to you about geography (although in a certain way we are going to locate ourselves). In this post we bring you another fascinating world of fonts, especially of the old English typography or also known in design as blackletter. If you still don't know what this font offers and its history, we invite you to read us to find out.

Shall we start?

Old English letter: what is it

Old English letter, also known worldwide as blackletter, It is a typeface that is part of the two large groups of Gothic typefaces.. It is a typography that is characterized by being very popular in the West and was very important in 1150 until the XNUMXth century.

Its name was designed so that there would be no confusion with the English typography that we know, and that is because they are so personal and creative that they maintain that classic and dark side wherever they go. At the moment, They are also characterized because their use still exists, in fact there are institutions or companies that use this type of gothic fonts because they combine very well with what they want to express.

General characteristics

1. It is a typography that, physically we could say that it is composed of very thick strokes. It's quite an eye-catching font.
2. They usually contain a fairly calligraphic ductus, which is similar to those handwritten fonts that are designed by hand and are more artisanal. An aspect that has meant a lot in many covers of old books and encyclopedias. It is very common to see these typefaces represented on this type of element, something that attracts a lot of attention.
3. As it is also a fairly vintage design, many poster or movie covers have often opted for this type of font. It is a design that combines very well large headlines, which makes it possible for viewers to decipher it and see it from great distances. Without a doubt, it is a wonder of typography that has not gone out of style.
4. As you will see below, it is one of the fountains that contains a lot of history inside. To do this, we have to go back to the first inventions and their growth. An aspect that is quite accentuated in its forms.
5. Old English typography too represented much of the religion of the time, being the protagonist of numerous bibles. And for this reason, whenever we find an old book, we usually appreciate and see this typography represented in them.

It is a font that leaves nothing to be desired, that contains years and years of history and that it is interesting that we show it to you since you will understand its use and applications that have been part of its evolution. Besides, It also highlights some characters like Gutenberg, which you have probably already heard of in the world of printing and typography creation.

History

Gutenberg

The story goes back when, after being created, it was used in one of the first books that were printed, and that were part of Gutenberg. Old English typography evolved on a large scale in the West until the mid-XNUMXth century. 

Years later, what we know as variants emerged, and today they are the main ones in their groups, such as the famous Fraktur typeface. At that time, Gothic typefaces were used regularly to print bibles and other types of books, until years later the first brochures and papers began to be printed with these types of fonts.

Twentieth Century

Years passed and the Germans made this font not become so common for printing, since by containing large and very thick strokes, made it quite difficult to read and was not a good choice in reading. But it continued to be used until the 1920th century, when in XNUMX, after the popularization of many designers, they considered that this type of font did not fit the current decade and, therefore, they considered it anything but modern.

Its use took place again after the Nazi era, when Hitler renamed it as the people's typeface. So each and every one of the texts had to contain this type of fonts. This is how the well-known Fraktur came to light again, after spending years in the shadows.

News

Currently, this type of design is found in many products that we consume and that we do not even realize. If we go further, the famous Corona beer brand used this type of design on its beer labels, with the aim of offer a much more medieval design of the time. A design that will never go out of style.

examples of old english typefaces

Black Baron

Black baron is considered one of the most special old blackletter fonts with a high degree of beauty and simplicity that makes it a single font. Its dark appearance makes it a very enriching and striking font.

An aspect that combines very well for a medieval design. Most of this font uses tall case letters that have been designed for proper use. In addition, it is also characterized by the great contrast that can be seen in its strokes. Some strokes that go from less to more.

old charlotte

It is one of the most creative and special typefaces. Considered a blackletter font but with a certain air and inspiration from old calligraphic fonts. It is ideal if its use is going to be applied to large texts, that require a great deal of attention from the viewer. It is very common to see it represented on billboards, and its design is also incredibly functional.

It is the font you need to decorate your projects quickly and easily. In addition, you have it available in both a high box and a low box, an aspect that makes it much easier to use in its applications.

black cameo

It is a very complete font due to its design. In addition, it is quite creative and contains an aspect that is quite functional for tattoo design. It is characterized by its strokes and the shape of the letters, which offer a much more animated appearance. 

In fact, this typeface has already been used even for clothing brands, which makes it a modern font and, at the same time, with a certain classic and gothic air. Undoubtedly, an ideal font for those who dare to use it and do not want to go unnoticed.

Blackheads

Blackhead is a blackletter font that contains certain older and more classic connotations than some of the ones we've shown you earlier in this list. Its design is quite geometric and also contains a design that offers a certain vintage air. that can offer all the possible functionality to your designs.

In addition, its design makes it a suitable font to be applied both in large text and in running text. A detail that to date has been difficult to achieve because it is a very poorly readable font. Without a doubt, a marvel of design in its entirety.

Apps to find them

Dafont

It is probably the most searched site in the entire browser, when looking for a font. Contains over 500 different font styles and designs. the rest, It also contains a wide list of categories where you can find the right one at all times.

It is without a doubt the perfect option to enrich your designs and in this way, be able to find the typography you were looking for. In addition, all of them are free, and the different styles they contain are already included in the download. Do not waste the opportunity to take a look at the page through the link that we have provided.

Google fonts

It is another option that stands out the most. google fonts It has thousands and thousands of different options, all of them free. In addition, it contains some very popular ones that are also widely used by designers and designers. Without a doubt, an option that you cannot miss either and that you have with just one click.

In addition, the download is very simple and if you work with some Adobe applications or tools, the installation is done immediately, from the moment you install the font on your device. A new way of working.

Conclusion

Old English letters have been used for years, they are typefaces that are characterized by containing a lot of history in their designs. In addition, they contain many families and subfamilies, so their catalog is quite extensive. If you browse the internet, you can find thousands and thousands of different options that, among them, maintain very similar details, for example their strokes, which are usually quite thick.

We hope that you have learned a little more about this type of font that has become so fashionable in some of the brands that we know today. History always changes but there are sources that always remain.