Font releases and reviews from 2024

Reflecting on the past year, we can say the number of new typeface releases was remarkable. The type market has become more diverse and competitive than ever, with new fonts hitting the scene every day. Both amateur and professional designs are eager to be in the spotlight so they can really be seen. In this hectic landscape, we find it valuable to offer insights that help identify excellence and merit within the crowd. This includes evaluating proficiency in crafting letters, the overall quality of the font, and the contributions that a new typeface brings to the table.

Historically, type design has often gone one step behind, striving to keep up with advancements in technology and social changes. Today, we see type designers taking a proactive approach, new tools emerge to support innovative proposals and font users embrace new ways of shaping written communication.

In response to the demand for more writing about new releases, we decided to make a call at Alphabettes and highlight some typefaces from the 2024 lineup. Contributors volunteered to pick and comment on their favourites from the list of typefaces designed by women and non-binary creators. While we were flexible in the tone of the reviews and the criteria for the selection, we encouraged authors to write in their native language or any other language of their choice. All these reviews have been published on our blog between January and March.

• Sharf, designed by Barbara Barbara Bigosińska. Galician/English text by María Ramos
• Yumex, designed by Zrinka Buljubašić and Gen Ramírez. Spanish/English text by Muk Monsalve
• LiebeHeide Fineliner, designed by Ulrike Rausch. Spanish/English text by Sandra García
• NaN Druid, designed by Anna Khorash & Reymund Schröder. Catalan/English text by Laura Meseguer
• Honesta, designed by Sabrina López. Spanish/English text by Carolina Giovagnoli
• Adapter Georgian, designed by Anna Sanikidze. French/English text by Amélie Bonet
• Stringer, designed by Emily Klaebe. English/Portuguese text by Flavia Zimbardi
• Butik, designed by Anna Štepanovská. Catalan/English text by Laura Meseguer
• Fabulosa, designed by Laura Meseguer. English/Portuguese text by Flavia Zimbardi
• Tiny Grotesk, designed by Robin Mietjes. Spanish/English text by Muk Monsalve
• Diatype Devanagari, designed by Kimya Gandhi. French/English text by Amélie Bonet
• Tegner, designed by Linda Hintz. Catalan/English text by Laura Meseguer
• Bizarri, designed by Diana Ovezea. German/English text by Nora Gummert-Hauser
• AM Majella, designed by Valentina Casali. English/Portuguese text by Flavia Zimbardi
• Kalnia Glaze, designed by Frida Medrano. Spanish/English text by Sandra García
• JOC Display, designed by Sabina Chipară. Spanish/English text by Muk Monsalve
• Henmania, designed by Bea Korsh. English/Portuguese text by Flavia Zimbardi
• Lock, designed by Mark Bloom and Diana Ovezea. Romanian/English text by Sabina Chipară
• Atlas Mono, designed by Giulia Boggio. Dutch/English text by Hanna Donker
• Playwrite, designed by Veronika Burian and José Scaglione. Spanish/English text by Sandra García

This is not intended to be a definitive list, and the typefaces featured could vary. As the shortlist feels short—choosing from more than 160 noteworthy releases—we asked three contributors to suggest a few additional releases that could have easily made it into their final selection.

Other remarkable multiscript typefaces

Featured by Amélie Bonet

Dunkel Sans Rounded by Minjoo Ham (Hangul); 29LT Azahar Text & Display by Naïma Ben Ayed (Arabic) and Krista Radoeva (Cyrillic), with Jose Carratala (Latin); Kalev by Ana Sanikidze (Georgian), with Jaan Rõõmus and Fred Wiltshire (Cyrillic & Latin); Bisbee by Emmanuela Conidi (Arabic & Latin)

Other striking text typefaces

Featured by María Ramos

Ploquine by Emma Marichal, Aconchego by Sofia Mohr, Gamay by Viktoriya Grabowska, Garnier by Fanny Hamelin

Other fantastic display typefaces

Featured by Laura Meseguer

Zabawa by Joanna Angulska, Montsera by Pauline Fourest, Looklyn by TienMin Liao, Corax by Júlia Lago

Are you missing some? We invite you to explore the complete list of releases and share your highlights in comments.