Taking the peanut butter cup approach.
Photo by Jazmin Quaynor on Unsplash
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Why not both?
Single-purpose and multi-weight font families are good and all, but sometimes you need a little more pyrotechnics. Today we'll be looking at three paid font sets that take the peanut butter cup approach: two tastes that are even better together. And as always, a freebie at the end!
ED Manteca, by Eko Setiawan
"Manteca is a unique sans serif and blackletter combination design. This design is equipped with several features such as alternative characters, ligatures, and multi-language support."
Taylor's notes: "Despite the hypermasculine presentation, this combo of sleek sans serif and ornate blackletter works really well in other contexts, too. Using the alternate style for emphasis can really make an otherwise neat composition pop."
Price: $20.24, desktop and web via YouWorkforThem.
Get it!
Fresh Font Bundle, by Vintage Voyage Supply
"128 typefaces and 5 graphic fonts! Wide range of styles - regular, light, bold, modern, vintage, condensed, monograms, cartoon, fancy."
Taylor's notes: "I'm usually pretty wary of font bundles with more than 5 sets in them, but this one caught my eye. The disparate styles have an overall cohesion to them, and the retro-leaning look is fun and flexible."
$14, desktop and web via MightyDeals.
Get it!
PressBox Letterpress Font Combo, by Vintage Type Co.
"PressBox Combo Font is an Americana, metal-type inspired font family consisting of 2 main fonts and a bonus ornamental font, each of which comes with an alternative, inked style."
Taylor's notes: "Not metal as in band, metal as in the industrial letterpress. I love the contrast between the two character sets, and being able to switch between widths with upper or lower case is icing on the cake."
$9, commerical extended license via DesignCuts.
Get it!
Freebie of the Week: Degheest, by Velvetyne Type Foundry
"After discovering Ange Degheest’s archives at the Rennes School of Fine Arts, we decided to put together an exhibition that attempted to finally give the designer the full recognition she deserves."
Taylor's notes: A good reminder of the humanity behind each character set. Every style is a treat, but the pixel variants might be my favorites. It's rare to see such playfulness and control across so many styles, and as a free set to boot. What a gift! (If you use them, don't forget to give credit as described in the license!)