Our weekly look at a favorite new typeface. Share yours with us on Twitter and Instagram @AIGAdesign with #TypeTuesday.

Name: Blk Ltr Series
Designer: Mark Richardson
Foundry: Superfried
Release Date: January 2016

Back story: While Richardson was working with a blackletter typeface for a project, it struck him that the uppercase characters of such fonts tend to be nearly illegible. So he embarked upon a typographic experiment intended to refine and increase readability while keeping some optical ambiguity. The resulting letterforms were developed as individual glyphs, rather than a cohesive typeface with the consistency normally expected in a character set. 

Why’s it called Blk Ltr Series? The glyphs are based on traditional blackletter forms.

What are its distinguishing characteristics? Each Blk Ltr glyph has its own mysteries of form. Overall, the group has a completely modern vibe that’s also a little stern and forbidding, with just a hint of its gothic origins creeping through; the glyphs hold on to the through cuts and sharp angles of blackletter. Their dynamic shapes have a depth and dimension that give the collection energy and gravitas, and the shaded inline details add a degree of delicacy and grace not typically found in blackletter’s thorny strokes.

What should I use it for? These only work if they’re used large, so try them any place you need a single, strong graphic letterform or two—more than that in a single place might be overkill. A logo or mark, film poster (perhaps a revival of Fellini’s 8 1/2?), packaging, etc. Richardson’s examples are all shown in rich black, but these would be gorgeous in bright, saturated colors as well.

Who’s it friends with? Simple, strong, and plainspoken companions are best. Try Univers or Univers Next Typewriter, or Operator if you want something a little quirkier and typewriter-esque.