Prokyon

Exhaustive specimens, indeed. When I speak of “accurate, printable font samples” for proper typeface examination, these are what I mean. DTL is doing it right.

Prokyon is amazing. This may seem like hyperbole but it strikes me as a work of genius.

I haven't seen anything this good since Storm's John Sans, (although this hasn't been out all that long)

http://www.stormtype.com/jsans.html

Wow.

I don't know which is better, the font, or the presentation. Both are amazing, and it's great to see somebody so good at doing a revival who's also capable of innovating. Some of the forms are amazing, and even more amazing is the fact that they seem to hold text together very well!

Reminds me a little bit of Roxanne, but it's far superior in execution. Those gentle bends! And the traps... Something so useful to the *craft* (as opposed to the goateed designer doing the financial statement of Budig Meats) is rare - and so pleasant.

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Paradox: It might be interesting to note that Paradox is basically a long-extender version of Coranto, a face Unger did for a South American newspaper. (Or did Paradox come first?) BTW, Unger fans might like to read his recent article in Quaerendo (31/3 - 2001).

hhp

Exactly. What they said. Prokyon is truly remarkable. I want one.

Hrant, you tease. What is the subject of Unger’s article? Is there any resource online for Quaerendo? (I can’t find one.)

— K.

The Unger article is called "The types of FranÁois-Ambroise Didot and Pierre-Louis Vafflard. A further investigation into the origins of the Didones", and it's just the sort of thing a type designer would love, with enlarged letterforms and everything! Volume 31/3, Summer 2001, pp 165-191.

I don't know of an online hook. I myself ran into Quaerendo in the library "restock" section while looking for something else; the cover was a nice color.

BTW, the official spelling is "QuÊrendo" with an aesc. This once caused some confusion at the library, since they tend to set it in a script or italic font, and it looks more like an ethel ("œ") in there. "That's a classic legibility problem", I told the poor girl.

hhp

A QuÊrendo something:

http://www.history-journals.de/hjg-q00009.html

hhp

Vafflard, eh? Sounds like something that would interest Troop.

Yes, I knew that about the Êsc, but it temporarily slipped my mind. I found the publisher’s website: www.brill.nl. But youch! that’s an expensive journal. I guess I’ll have to try to get over to a major library one of these years.

— K.

I don't understand why this font hasn't generated more enthusiasm here at Typographica. What's with the irrelevant offshoot argument? Hrant is guilty of being too effing erudite, yet again...

This font is really exciting though. The slap-headed simplicity of that italic a, for example should humble any designer worth his salt and make him/her want to put his head under a faucet running a freezing cold stream of water.

The only criticism I can make is that the name is bad. Those DTL font guys need some marketing help.

But anyway - isn't this an amazing font, or what?

You’re right, Martin; back on point:

This is a truly amazing family. And the name really is ill-advised. But DTL has never struck me as being after the mainstream market. I suppose discriminating designers will seek out the font on its own merits, despite the name.

I was struck by the design of the traditional, double-loop ‘g’ on page 21. I’m surprised that it didn’t at least find a place in the final character set as an alternate, but I don’t see it anywhere else.

I really like the subtle curves in the ‘v w x y z’ (page 24). It’s touches like this which quietly add character.

I’m not surprised that this design has been in progress for 5 years (if I’m interpreting the opening screen correctly). Something as well-crafted as this takes time to mature and ripen.

— K.

This family is absolutely stunning. I poked around on the DTL site, but I can't figure out how to get a copy. Anybody know where it can be purchased? Or has it not been released yet?

Thanks.

Prokyon is a truly gorgeous new typeface. It may be apparently similar to other contemporary humanist sans serifs at first (I couldn't help thinking about Tankard's Bliss, for the shape of some letters such as the p, b, d and q), but after browsing through its exquisite PDF specimen leaflet, a couple of times I literally gasped at the originality and craft of some of its detais.

DTL has always put so much care and expertise in the design of all their faces, but I believe that Prokyon is their most MODERN face to date, with the potential to become ubiquitous, if appropriately marketed. (I - for one - want to use it, as soon as DTL makes it available to order). DTL's prices have always been outrageously steep, but I'm willing to pay for such a wonderful piece of work.

And I am sure this face will also win a few awards, deservedly.

Ciao from Milan.

Prokyon is indeed a beautiful, graceful font. I love the asterisk (!) and the ear on the g is inspired. The presentation PDF is amazing, tho I couldn't run it on my Imac at home.

At first, both the lc and Cap M's look patched together in close-up versions. I expected they would stand out in use. Instead, they look wonderful. (Does this qualify as breaking a typographical rule?) The trapping in the lower case v, x, y is spot on. Yummy!

Is the name a reference to the Dog Star (Procyon)? Anyone here know Dutch or know the reasoning behind the name?

Martin: this is a *blog*.

Kent: that bicameral "g" *is* sublime, isn't it? Are you sure it got cut? That would suck.

Jeff: I think DTL is very selective as to where they sell their fonts - like they don't sell to the US. Or is that Enschede?

hhp

Hmmm. They seem to have a US English store (which by-the-way has a horrendous interface!)óbut Prokyon does not appear in the list yet. from the looks of things, their families are quite expensive.

I guess I'll just have to wait and see. Prokyon looks to me like it could easily replace Frutiger as my favourite Sans.

Well, Hrant, look at page 60, for instance, which seems to show the entire character set. I don’t see the alternate ‘g’ there. I’m just assuming it didn’t make the cut.

I also like the handling of the SC figs — modified oldstyle at SC height.

— K.

Them's hybrid figs!

I'd use those with the lc in running text.

hhp

Christ, it ought to be _expensive_... it rocks.

Page 21:

diese g-form wurde vom Designer verworfen

or rather

"This g-form was discarded by the designer."

This translation brought to you by my otherwise unexploited degree in German.

Thanks John. I had a feeling that caption might explain something. Unfortunately, German is not a language I’ve taken time to learn yet.

— K.

Kristin, a somewhat off-topic comment: the dog star is in fact Sirius (alpha Canis Majoris). Procyon (alpha Canis Minoris) is its "announcer" (Pro Cyon = before the dog ;)

E. Kaiser is German, and Prokyon is a German spelling for Procyon.

cheers, R

So it's the band that opens for Keanu Reeves?

hhp

Word is that Prokyon will be available from the DTL online shop in early September.