LL Cobra
Lineto · Cornel Windlin, Samara Keller, Weichi He · 1996
A double-stroke geometric display typeface rooted in 1980s British sportswear signage, reborn as a variable font with adjustable stroke-width ratios.
About
Originally drawn by Cornel Windlin in 1996 from the logo of British high-street chain Cobra, itself a close relative of Ad Werner's 1972 Dubbeldik, the family has been rebuilt by Samara Keller as a variable font with a continuous range of black-to-white stroke ratios. At its extremes the modulation tips into Op-Art territory, making it as useful for pattern and surface design as for headline work. The full glyph set has been corrected and harmonised to meet contemporary standards while preserving the raw, mono-linear geometry of the original.
Classification
LL Cobra is a display typeface built from geometric two-line letterforms derived from vernacular signage and low-brow type design. Its double-stroke construction and variable width modulation place it firmly in the display/decorative category with no conventional text application.