Type Style Finder

(Provision) Type Style Finder

L805.130 / 4228

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Graphic and experimental typefaces are most often immediately associated

with the exotic; they often try, purposely, to flout convention. Typefaces

with extreme exaggerations of width, posture, or weight—and sometimes

all three—as well as proportional discontinuity among characters or coun-

terspaces, typify exotic typefaces. Added to these structural extremes may

be graphical substitutions of abstract shapes, curls, dots, and so on, for

the expected stems, diagonals, and cross-strokes of a classical face.

Alternatively, strange size changes between letters within the alphabet,

tilting off-baseline in straight setting, bleeding, burn marks, extra limbs,

and illustrative or abstract inclusions—all these stylistic possibilities

may characterize a typeface as exotic.If the type becomes difficult to read

because of these formal alterations, chances are it’s an exotic face.

The sense of “foreign” exotic implies depends, of course, on context;

exotic in France is not the same as exotic in the United States (where,

in some places, “French” itself may qualify as “exotic”). Specific allusions

to locale, therefore, are meaningless without a specific audience in

mind. But notions of outlandishness, curious or bizarre qualities, or even

glamour—perhaps a somewhat outdated interpretation—all are

conveyed by unusual shapes, proportions, and odd color combinations.

Event Poster

top, and detail, bottom

Joe Miller’s Company

Santa Clara [CA] USA

Exotic

Moods

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(Provision) Type Style Finder

L805.130 / 4228

P22 Catalan

Graphic | Pronounced

Contrast | Erratic Baseline |

P22 Type Foundry

www.p22.com

[e-mail]

800.P22.5080

Linotype Albafire

TM

Regular

Graphic | Bold Weight |

Abstract Details |

Linotype Library GmbH

www.linotype.com

[e-mail]

+49 (0) 6172 484.418

Cult

TM

Graphic Sans Serif | Light

Weight | Erratic Widths |

Heavy Joints |

Linotype Library GmbH

www.linotype.com

[e-mail]

+49 (0) 6172 484.418

F2F Mekkaso Tomanik

TM

Graphic | Light Weight |

Textural Details |

Linotype Library GmbH

www.linotype.com

[e-mail]

+49 (0) 6172 484.418

Fusaka

TM

Graphic | Medium Weight |

Glyphic Detail |

Linotype Library GmbH

www.linotype.com

[e-mail]

+49 (0) 6172 484.418

Hollyweird

TM

Graphic | Medium Weight |

Script Detail | Moderate

Contrast | Erratic Posture |

Linotype Library GmbH

www.linotype.com

[e-mail]

+49 (0) 6172 484.418

Type Style Finder

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(Provision) Type Style Finder

L805.130 / 4228

Moods Exotic

Jazz

TM

Graphic | Black Weight |

Pronounced Contrast |

Inline Detail |

Linotype Library GmbH

www.linotype.com

[e-mail]

+49 (0) 6172 484.418

Juniper

TM

Serif | Bold Weight |

Pronounced Contrast |

Condensed |

Flared Strokes |

Linotype Library GmbH

www.linotype.com

[e-mail]

+49 (0) 6172 484.418

Shaman

TM

Graphic | Bold Weight |

Inline and Illustrative Detail |

Linotype Library GmbH

www.linotype.com

[e-mail]

+49 (0) 6172 484.418

Linotype Sunburst

TM

East Heavy

Graphic Serif | Bold Weight |

Angled Bowls and Joints |

Slight Italic Posture |

Linotype Library GmbH

www.linotype.com

[e-mail]

+49 (0) 6172 484.418

ITC Cherie

TM

Sans Serif | Light Weight |

Pronounced Upper Emphasis |

Alternate Capitals |

Linotype Library GmbH

www.linotype.com

[e-mail]

+49 (0) 6172 484.418

Linotype Sicula

TM

Regular

Graphic | Erratic Weight |

Pronounced Contrast | Structural

Distortion | Script Details

Linotype Library GmbH

www.linotype.com

[e-mail]

+49 (0) 6172 484.418

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(Provision) Type Style Finder

CL905.042 / 4108

Sample Color Combinations

Type Style Finder

Exotic Color

Color that can be considered exotic is difficult to pin down. Since

“exotic” connotes something unknown or foreign, and most colors

carry associations that are familiar, attempting to represent the

alien and outlandish can be challenging. Often, designers resort to

jarring combinations, such as a hot orange and a supersaturated

pink; but these are not exotic so much as electric. Another relatively

weak color concept is to use earthy tones that evoke the designer’s

sense of the so-called “Third World” of preindustrial nations—

terra cotta, deep ochre, olive, and deep rose. These colors are a

good base for the palette, but what becomes unusual enough

to represent exotic are combinations of them in almost unrelated

ways: a pale cyan, an electric violet, and a muddy, olive brown,

for example. Complementary combinations, such as violet and yellow,

allude to the idea of foreignness in their chromatic opposition—

as do orange and blue, red and green.

10 C

100 M

0 Y

0 K

>

0 C

68 M

79 Y

22 K

>

0 C

41 M

85 Y

34 K

>

65 C

100 M

0 Y

0 K

>

34 C

0 M

5 Y

0 K

>

80 C

80 M

100 Y

0 K

>

100 C

40 M

0 Y

60 K

>

43 C

15 M

100 Y

71 K

>

0 C

65 M

0 Y

75 K

>

0 C

79 M

100 Y

0 K

>

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