Clerk
Approximate Type · Approximate Type (after Samuel de Clerq)
A one-weight display typeface revived from 1920s Dutch architectural lettering, in which deliberate gaps transform a stencil logic into surface ornament.
About
Based on facade lettering attributed to Dutch architect Samuel de Clerq, drawn in the 1920s for the savings bank of The Hague, the typeface treats its gaps not as functional stencil breaks but as decorative texture. Bowl-ligatures across both upper and lowercase, along with a flat-top figure eight, add specificity and period character. Its modular construction lends itself to headline work, animation and more experimental dismantling of letterforms.
Classification
A single-weight display typeface with deliberate decorative gaps that exceed functional stencil requirements, rooted in early twentieth-century architectural lettering. Its modular, ornamental construction places it firmly in the display category with a stencil-adjacent character.