But beyond its old-world beauty, it takes full advantage of OpenType technology: its more than 500 glyphs — including multiple capitals (between two and five variants for each letter), ligatures, contextual alternates, swashes, flourishes, two sets of numerals, and scads of other goodies — make this an endlessly enchanting face. It’s also a perfect casual script: warmly welcoming in its informality, yet elegant enough to look at home as a headline.

I recently selected it for the main identity of an upcoming gala. Though the event will take place at the Ritz-Carlton, it’s for a nonprofit theatre company. Memoir has admirably bridged that divide, plus I’ve simply had fun playing with it and have yet to exhaust its charms. A significant achievement three years in the making, Memoir stands easily beside its Umbrella cousin Dear Sarah and the P22 blockbusters Cezanne and Dearest.

Cheshire Isaacs is a graphic designer and writer. He is the managing director of Impact Theatre and the art director of Berkeley Repertory Theatre. He lives in Emeryville, CA with Sarah and Zoe.