Newcastle type foundry, The Northern Block, has released its newest font, Leida.
Described as “functional and cheerful” the serif type has been created by Jonathan Hill.
“Leida has been in the making for months, and we’re thrilled it’s finally released, especially given our reputation is better known for making modernist geometric sans!” he explained.
“In simple terms, Leida’s typeface alchemy takes rich documented ingredients and applies new skills and technology to create something far greater and more in-tune with future type design practices. Bram [de Does] made a typeface that changed the direction of the dictionary; with Leida, I was looking more towards influencing the use of serifs across user-interface applications.”
Hill said that the family had a “robust and sturdy feel” due to its condensed letterform and shorter ascenders and descenders, combined with open counters and lower stroke contrast.
He added that the influence was Dutch masters, specifically the aforementioned Bram de Does and the typeface Lexicon, regarded as one of the best type designs in history.
The name Leida references those Dutch sources, being an adaption of the the small town, Leiden.
