Jabana
TypeMates · Nils Thomsen · 2014
A marker-style display sans by Nils Thomsen, spanning 20 styles across five widths with contextual alternates that simulate handwritten variation.
About
Drawn from sketches made in a Hamburg bar in 2014, Jabana reproduces the smooth curves of a marker pen across four weights and five widths running from compressed to extra extended. Contextual alternates provide three variants per glyph, randomly cycled to give running text a loosely handwritten rhythm. The family extends into Jabana Alt, which offers more regularised letterforms and a larger x-height, and Jabana Extras, which supplies over 1,700 icons, banners and ornaments aimed at café, bar and identity work.
Classification
Jabana mimics smooth marker lettering with deliberately organic, handwritten curves and no traditional calligraphic or brush model; its display-oriented character and contextual alternates for randomised variation place it firmly in the display category with a handwritten sans subcategory.