We're counting down the 100 greatest typefaces in existence. Here is number 84...
FontShop AG, the renowned type foundry, conducted a survey based on historical relevance, sales at FontShop.com, and aesthetic quality. With a few additions from the experts at Creative Bloq and Computer Arts magazine, the best fonts ever were selected for the new book, 100 Best Typefaces Ever.
Here we are counting down the 100 greatest fonts, but you can read interviews with some of the typefaces' creators, a brief history of type, the anatomy of a font, and much, much more in the book – find out how to get your copy in print or digital formats at the foot of this post.
But without further ado, here is the 84th best typeface…
Emanuela Conidi, Mitja Miklavčič and Jason Smith, 2009
Fontsmith is a leading boutique type foundry founded by Jason Smith in 1997. FS Rufus – like many of the foundry’s faces – is full of character. Described by Fontsmith as "a cheeky offbeat, quirky and benevolent design" with "wide forms and curious ink-traps that combine to make an uncommon and unique personality," FS Rufus is great at both headline and text sizes. Its beautiful, flowing ligatures are of particular interest at display sizes. FS Rufus comes in five weights and is "carefully crafted to enhance the meaning of words." A workhorse with a creative streak.
An eccentric, quirky typeface, FS Rufus has some beautiful OpenType discretionary ligatures, as seen here in this typeface sample
The 100 Best Typefaces Ever
This is an extract from The 100 Best Typefaces Ever, the definitive guide to the greatest fonts ever created, in association with FontShop AG. Over 180 premium pages, the book dissects the world's greatest typefaces, bringing you some insightful background on each and interviews with their creators.
You can pick up the book at all good newsagents today or order it online. Or you can download a digital edition directly to your iPad from the Computer Arts app on iTunes.
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Rob is editorial, graphic design and publishing lead at Transport for London. He previously worked at Future Publishing over the course of several years, where he launched digital art magazine, ImagineFX; and edited graphic design magazine Computer Arts, as well as the Computer Arts Projects series, and was also editor of technology magazine, T3.
