LL Kleisch Variable
Lineto · Chiachi Chao · 2024
A transitional serif by Chiachi Chao designed from the ground up to pair with Ming CJK typefaces, drawing on Baroque and Neoclassical models to bridge formal features across two writing systems.
About
Chiachi Chao identified shared structural characteristics between Latin transitional serifs and Ming typefaces — similar ductus, stroke models and proportional logic born of parallel rationalisation processes — and built Kleisch around those convergences. The family spans three optical grades (text, headline and display) each with six weights and italics, plus a variable version with weight and contrast axes for fine-tuning against specific Ming designs. The result functions as a purpose-built Latin companion to CJK type as well as a capable standalone text face. Kleisch won a Swiss Design Award in 2023 before its full release in 2024.
Classification
Kleisch is grounded in Baroque and Neoclassical models, drawing on Van Dijk, Kis and Fleischman, placing it firmly in the transitional serif tradition with deliberate formal alignment to Ming typeface conventions.