Organic shapes determine the character of Excritura, a calligraphic typeface by Alex Camacho. The font has been modelled on the work of the Spanish Architect Antoni Gaudí and was inspired by his love of natural forms and craftsmanship. This is perhaps unsurprising in view of the fact that Camacho grew up in Barcelona, home to much of Gaudí’s creative oeuvre.
In order to achieve what he had in mind, Camacho drew the lower case letters using a soft steel nib. He changed over to a marker pen for the upper case characters to provide himself with more flexibility in designing the forms. The result is that Excritura has particularly vibrant, flowery outlines. A very deliberate (and in some instances extreme) contrast in line thickness with the many ornamental features, open bowls and extended line terminals are the main characteristics of this new typeface. A generous x-height and the carefully linking of individual letters not only enhance the font’s legibility but also give Excritura a pleasantly sympathetic feel on the page. There are also opportunities for varying its appearance using the many ligatures and alternative character forms supplied. For example, there is a “g” with a closed loop tail and an “o” and “p” with more decorative bowls available in the format sets of the OpenType version.
Although the many details of Excritura come across more effectively in the larger point sizes, the font can be readily used at a minimum of 10 pt, and shorter texts set in the point sizes in this range are still easily readable.
Any design project that employs the appeal of the dynamic curves and flowing lines of Excritura will gain in vitality and vigour.