Most fonts repeat themselves. Lino Gothic Font refuses to. Every character began as a linocut print, carved into linoleum and printed by hand with diminishing ink. The first impression is dark and solid.
The next is lighter.
Then rougher.
The letter stays the same.
The story changes.
A font made from real linocut prints
Lino Gothic Font takes its character from traditional linocut printing. Each letter was carved from linoleum, inked and pressed onto paper by hand.
No two impressions came out exactly alike.
The ink collected in some areas and disappeared in others. Edges broke apart. Unexpected marks appeared. The printing process introduced the sort of details a computer would usually try to correct.
So naturally, I kept them.
Because perfection is useful.
But imperfection is interesting.
Five alternatives for every uppercase letter
Lino Gothic Font includes five textured alternatives for every uppercase letter from A–Z.
Each alternative comes from a different printed impression, with its own distribution of ink, scratches and worn details. This allows repeated letters to look less mechanical and gives you control over how clean or distressed each word appears.
Use one texture consistently or mix several together to create a more irregular, hand-printed result.
The alphabet stays familiar.
The surface never does.
Why Lino Gothic uses OpenType SVG
Traditional vector fonts are excellent at creating smooth, scalable outlines. They are less successful at retaining thousands of tiny variations in a physical print.
Lino Gothic uses the OpenType SVG bitmap format to preserve the transparency and multiple shades of black and grey found in the original artwork.
The result contains far more print detail than a conventional vector typeface. Every broken edge, patch of fading ink and accidental mark remains visible.
It does not simulate a linocut texture.
It delivers the actual print.
More than one way to use Lino Gothic Font
The package also includes a classic vector version and a bonus handmade marker pen font.
The vector font provides a simpler option when your software does not support OpenType SVG. The pen font offers a looser companion style for secondary text, notes and contrasting typography.
High-resolution character images are also supplied, allowing you to manually arrange the printed letters in Photoshop or another image-editing application.
One typeface.
Three different ways to make a mark.
Where to use Lino Gothic Font
Lino Gothic is a bold display typeface created for designs that benefit from a genuine vintage print or letterpress appearance:
- Posters and editorial headlines
- Book and album covers
- Logos and visual identities
- Vintage packaging
- Beer bottles and food labels
- T-shirts and merchandise
- Letterheads and stationery
- Social-media campaign graphics
Use it when a perfectly smooth font looks too new.
Or simply too well behaved.
OpenType SVG compatibility
The detailed SVG version works in compatible software including Photoshop CC 2017 and later and Illustrator CC 2018 and later, along with selected native macOS applications.
OpenType SVG bitmap support varies between applications, and Adobe InDesign does not fully support the format. The included vector font and high-resolution image files provide practical alternatives when the SVG version is not compatible with your software.
A machine can reproduce a letter
Only printing can give it a history.
Lino Gothic Font keeps the fading ink, damaged edges and physical texture of the original linocut impressions. Five alternatives ensure repeated characters can change naturally across a design.
It is bold enough to carry a headline.
And imperfect enough to make it worth reading.
Written by Simon Stratford, type designer and graphic designer. These are my opinions, reached after too little sleep and too much coffee. You can also follow my antics on @itsmesimonok, or leave a comment below. Despite all the opinions, I’m actually quite nice.