Schmaltzy
Herzberg Design · 2022
A rounded, approachable blackletter released in 2022, drawing comparisons to Cooper Black in its rejection of sharp edges in favour of smooth, flowing curves.
About
Where most blackletters carry heavy historical or subcultural baggage, Schmaltzy softens the genre through a fully rounded stroke treatment with no sharp edges anywhere in the design. The nib-size variable axis merges weight and width together, so heavier cuts expand laterally and create dramatic contrast across a composition. Standard capitals read as near-Roman forms for accessibility in all-caps settings, while optional fraktur swash capitals can be switched on for a more ornate or period feel, alongside a broad set of OpenType alternates, ligatures and localised forms covering over 200 languages.
Classification
Schmaltzy is explicitly a blackletter, modernised from calligraphic fraktur hands with optional ornamental fraktur swash capitals and smooth, rounded strokes replacing the genre's characteristic sharp angles.