The reissue of a typeface first released before “The X-files” aired isn’t usually cause for nomination to a “Best Fonts of …” list. But when Erik van Blokland reworks his original distressed typewriter typeface to solve fundamental problems with the category of distressed type, it more than earns that nomination.
FF Trixie, re-released as FF Trixie HD, solves the usual corse resolution of most ’90s grunge type (blow them up past 120pt and marvel at the PostScript blobs). Taking advantage of an increase in the allowed number of points a font can have, Erik increased the detail of the font (it now weighs in with 17 million points) so that it can be used without concern for lack of resolution. Additionally, by combining seven different versions of each glyph and OpenType substitutions, it also dodges the tell-tale “hey, it’s a font because those two ‘e’s are exactly the same” problem with most distressed type.
Throw in, for good measure and fun, “censorship”, “Greek”, and “Cyrillic” OpenType features and it is the only distressed typewriter font one will ever need.
— Ben Kiel is a typeface designer at House Industries, where his most recent project was Girard Slab. Along with colleague Ken Barber, he indoctrinates students into the letter arts at both University of Delaware and Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA).