ITC Mattia & ITC Santangeli
ITC Mattia and ITC Santangeli are the newest designs from the mind and hand of Giuseppe Errico. Both are script designs, with the feel of brush lettering that appears to be quickly drawn, but the similarity ends there. ITC Mattia and ITC Santangeli are as distinct from each other as they are from most of the scripts that are available as digital fonts.
As a young man, Errico studied to be a fine artist; he became a graphic designer only after a “long reflection period.” Perhaps his early training begins to explain the uniquely artistic qualities of these two designs.
First, ITC Mattia – a typeface with an edge. It’s nervous, tense, and a little disquieting, with twisted characters that are more scrawls than lettering. Mattia refuses to be confined to a traditional baseline. When set in short blocks of copy, the design creates a tone of passion and candor. Not just another “pretty face,” Mattia is a rare and commanding communication tool.
ITC Santangeli offers a markedly different perspective. Based on an eighteenth century manuscript by Italian writing master Benedetto Santangeli, this design exudes the elegance and patina of a baroque sculpture. The capitals have verve, and the richly flowing ascenders and descenders enhance the vintage panache of the design. Errico has even included alternate characters and ink splotches to enable a realistic reproduction of antique lettering. Whether for large display copy or short blocks of text, Santangeli speaks with resonance and grace.