Jante Antiqua
Jante Antiqua is proof that powerful things can come in small packages. Three weights and a single italic design may be a modest complement by today’s mega-family standards, but Jante Antiqua is more than adequately armed to take on the most daunting text challenges.
Jante Antiqua was originally created for newspaper typography, and the design is based on sound theories of legibility. The ample x-height and open counters of its letterforms make Jante Antiqua a typeface of remarkable versatility. Add in a lowercase with relatively condensed proportions, and the result is an easy to read and space-efficient communications tool.
Drawn by Danish typographer, graphic and type designer, Poul Søgren, Jante Antiqua is much more than a purely utilitarian design. Its calligraphic overtones and distinctive character shapes imbue the typeface with a subtle verve. Details like the cupped and clipped top of the ‘t,’ diamond-shaped ‘i’ and ‘j’ dots, slightly angled ‘A’ apex and dropped bowl-and-loop ‘g’ set Jante Antiqua apart from more prosaic “legibility” designs. The structured yet flowing italic also adds to the design’s charm.
Søgren first studied graphic and type design in Copenhagen and then went on to refine his skills at I’Imprimerie Nationale in Paris. A former teacher who led the type development group at Purup Press A/S in Denmark for more than a decade, Søgren has written extensively on typography; he even created the script for an educational film about the origin of alphabets.
Søgren has received numerous national design awards. He is the principal of SÖGREN Design+Tankevirksomhed A/S, a design and brand consultancy firm in Århus, Denmark.