Archer
Hoefler & Co · Tobias Frere-Jones, Jonathan Hoefler · 2008
A geometric slab serif by Tobias Frere-Jones and Jonathan Hoefler, drawn for Martha Stewart Living, with ball terminals and a proper italic that warm the form for editorial and brand work.
About
A geometric slab serif by Tobias Frere-Jones and Jonathan Hoefler, originally commissioned for Martha Stewart Living and released for public license in 2008. Archer pairs the rational geometry of mid-century slabs with ball terminals and a drawn italic, giving it the friendliness of a magazine masthead rather than the engineering of an old Rockwell. Seven weights from Hairline to Bold with matching italics, plus Screensmart for UI and Office for documents. Used across magazines, packaging and identity work, including high-profile turns at Wells Fargo and on Barack Obama's 2008 campaign collateral.
Classification
H&Co classify Archer as a geometric slab serif in the tradition of mid-twentieth-century slabs like Memphis and Rockwell, but warmed with ball terminals and a true italic rather than a sloped roman. Originally commissioned for Martha Stewart Living.