Gronau
Zetafonts · Andrea Tartarelli · 2022
A three-part blackletter family by Andrea Tartarelli, built from a digital revival of Wilhelm Gronau's 1902 Fette Reichs-Deutsch and extended into inline and calligraphic display variants.
About
Gronau Fette begins as a faithful digitisation of the original's broad, square gothic structure, characterised by mild contrast, geometric shapes and clean 45-degree angles. Gronau Inline transforms those same nib-cut strokes into a 3D ribbon effect that gives the gothic forms a sporty, dynamic energy. Gronau Neue departs most from the source, using condensed proportions and a generous x-height to arrive at a calligraphic contemporary blackletter suited to editorial and packaging contexts.
Classification
The family is explicitly blackletter-inspired, rooted in a 1902 geometric gothic typeface. Each variant reinterprets gothic letterforms through different lenses: digital revival, inline 3D display, and contemporary calligraphic condensed.