Monarch Nova
WiseType · Jacob Wise · 2017
An unseriffed display face by Jacob Wise that channels Arts and Crafts nostalgia through flourished crossbars, calligraphic stroke contrast and a tall x-height, with stylistic sets to dial character up or down.
About
Originally published in 2017 and substantially redrawn in 2020 with assistance from Margot Lévêque, Monarch Nova received a further round of refinements and expansion in 2024. The typeface sits somewhere between rational sans and calligraphic ornament, with clean sharp strokes offset by flourished crossbars and open counters that give it a flamboyant yet controlled character. Multiple stylistic sets allow the more idiosyncratic qualities to be tempered for running text or amplified for display use.
Classification
Monarch Nova is an unseriffed display face with strong calligraphic cues, flourished crossbars and stroke contrast, drawing on Arts and Crafts and historical pastiche rather than any conventional grotesque or humanist tradition.