The release of ITC Leawood in 1985 marked two special moments in the history of ITC typeface releases. It was both the last typeface designed by the late Canadian designer Les Usherwood, and the first typeface ITC developed using the revolutionary (at the time) new computer font technology.
Les Usherwood was a Canadian designer of more than two hundred typefaces and the founder and moving force behind Typsettra, a full-service typesetting and design firm in Toronto. He began the design of Leawood; his untimely death, however, interrupted the project with only a small portion of the work completed.
Usherwood’s talented staff at Typsettra continued his work. They provided ITC with the basic alphabet design in two extreme weights and corresponding italics. Under the close direction and guidance of ITC, the skilled technicians of a major software production house fine–tuned the design and developed the intermediate weights.
The result is a pleasing combination of old style and contemporary design traits. Serifs are a modern, wedge design and character strokes have a slight flare. Details like the spur on the A and tall ascenders hark back to designs of the 17th and 18th century.
ITC Leawood is a friendly, inviting face that is easy to read and will complement virtually any sans serif design.