Monotype: Say hello to two new typefaces!

- written by Anya

Monotype’s latest designs, the Madera typeface and the Unitext typeface, are inspired by design trends and feedback gathered from hundreds of brands. The two sans serif typefaces have been designed to be as flexible, and therefore as timeless, as possible. While many branding fonts are designed with only audiences in mind, the Madera and Unitext typefaces have also been created for both designers and consumers. This flexibility allows the typefaces to be used for myriad projects and applications. 

The Madera and Unitext typefaces were created by two different designers and boast individual approaches. Take a closer look below. 

Described as clean, sharp, trendy, authentic and honest, the Madera typeface was designed by Malou Verlomme of the Monotype Studio. It offers a geometric sans design with a human feel, and is marked by its pointy apexes. Madera was built on the back of feedback from numerous brands and influenced by a variety of modern type design trends. “I’ve created quite a few custom typefaces for clients throughout my career, which gives me unique insight into what brands are looking for in their type designs,” says Verlomme. “Madera is a synthesis of that experience. While the design is geometric, clean and modern, it has some softer and more organic traits, which makes it a straightforward yet warm design.”The Madera typeface is a fresh alternative to popular sans serif typefaces commonly found in branding, and is well suited for high-tech and publishing, with an emphasis on logos, signage and text. 

The Unitext typeface can be described as clear, universal, progressive and authentic. It is a blend of grotesque and humanist styles and offers a unique balance of condensed spacing and open counters, which makes it a highly legible choice for logos as well as text. Designed by Jan Hendrik Weber, type director for the Monotype Studio, the Unitext typeface is simple and compact, but also friendly, to allow for a brand’s natural voice to come through.“We often hear from brands that they’d prefer to use a single typeface for both text and logos across all their touchpoints, but the traditional options rarely work the way they hope,” says Weber. “I set out to design the Unitext typeface to provide a unified voice for brands that want a dynamic, condensed design that is consistent no matter where or how a brand needs to reach its customers.”   The design is available in seven weights, plus italics, offers fractions and case-sensitive forms, and is at home in travel and leisure, advertising, logos, text and wayfinding.