Matria
Plau · Rodrigo Saiani
A grotesque family by Rodrigo Saiani rooted in a 1924 Brazilian type specimen, spanning four widths and nine weights with full italic coverage and variable font technology.
About
The design stems from a condensed heavy face discovered in a mid-1924 Brazilian printing office specimen, loosely related to Reform Grotesk from Stempel but with high-waist capitals, a distinctive uppercase R and a mild stroke contrast that intensifies towards the heavier weights. Four widths run from Compressed to Expanded, each with nine weights and matching italics, all unified in a single variable font. Alternate forms for lowercase a, g and l, plus an alternate uppercase J, allow shifts in tone between the technical and the warm.
Classification
A grotesque family with historical Brazilian references, featuring high-waist capitals and increasing stroke contrast at heavier weights, consistent with the grotesque tradition rather than geometric or humanist sans.