Raisonné

Raisonné is a geometric sans-serif type initially designed in and around the summer of 2010 and subsequently expanded upon, first in 2012 and again in 2018–19. After several years of internal and external customisations, assorted expansion inquiries, and miscellaneous bouts of sketching, its original single weight—DemiBold—is now complemented by Light, Book, Regular, Bold, ExtraBold, and Poster weights in tandem with corresponding obliques and an expanded character set.

Raisonné was initially conceived as a single font, replete with idiosyncrasies, that would comprise the written portions of a comprehensive catalog raisonné: an output required of each Graphic Design MFA candidate at the Yale School of Art. The typeface is parodic-serious, intended to be blunt, candid, and affable all at the same time. It outwardly pays homage to noteworthy precedents, among them Rudolf Koch’s Kabel (1927) & Victor Caruso’s later redrawing for ITC (1976), Joseph Churchward’s Crossbred (1970s), Paul Renner’s Futura (also 1927), and Herb Lubalin’s Avant Garde (1968).

Raisonné is available in seven weights — Light, Book, Regular, DemiBold, Bold, ExtraBold, and Poster — with corresponding obliques. It is available to license in both Standard (‘STD’) and Professional (‘PRO’) versions. The latter contains additional Latin language support, a multitude of stylistic alternates, and several supplementary marks and symbols.