Introducing Macklin: A Typeface Superfamily Built for a New Generation of Design

Introducing Macklin: A Typeface Superfamily Built for a New Generation of Design

New from the Monotype Studio, Macklin takes inspiration from a period when type moved beyond books and was used in attention-grabbing street posters and advertisements.

WOBURN, Mass., April 28th, 2020 — Monotype today unveiled the Macklin™ typeface superfamily, designed by Malou Verlomme of the Monotype Studio. Macklin is a typeface that demands attention and enables brands to appeal more emotionally to modern consumers. The superfamily includes four sub families (Sans, Slab, Text and Display), with weights from hairline to black, totaling 54 styles. The complete superfamily can also be accessed as variable fonts. Macklin’s sharp and elegant forms perfectly encapsulate the needs of a full visual identity system, making it ideal for a wide range of brands from editorial publications to luxury, beauty and even packaging design.

Macklin was inspired by the work of 19th century British typographer Vicent Figgins. Figgins was influential at a time when typography was transformed by the appearance of job printing and advertising, which unleashed a new era of stylistic experimentation. Macklin synthesizes Figgins’ body of work into a single, comprehensive type system. Each sub family has been designed with the same underlying skeleton, allowing designers to get creative with contrast and expression without worrying about awkward pairings.

“Macklin is not a historical typeface. In fact, I went through several stages of ‘de-historization’ during the design process,” said Malou Verlomme, senior type designer at Monotype. “While keeping the basic structure intact, all the historical details have been removed, even the iconic teardrop terminals. The result is a contemporary family that offers a large palette for branding and editorial needs.”

Verlomme continued, “When I settled on the current form of Macklin, I focused on the needs of today’s designer: A sans for everyday needs; a sturdy slab that stands out; a text for longer reading; and a display for large, crisp headings.”

What creative professionals are saying about Macklin.

“Macklin is lovely. I do like a super family. I know a lot of people scratch their heads when trying to pair fonts, and super families answer that conundrum so I’d imagine designers will respond well to a family that includes such diversity. I also like its humanity and character. It’s got warmth without being quirky. It’ll stand the test of time.” - Richard Weston, senior interpretation designer, Tandem Design

“We’re big Macklin fans! The numerals two and seven are a thing of beauty. However, the main thing we noted was how it’s only when you start to compare individual characters, that you actually appreciate the continuity across all four sub families.” - Ash O’Brien, partner, Two of Us

“Macklin captures that moment between straightforward printing faces and the boom of advertising and the industrial era. But it’s not a revival or a classic. It’s got the Malou twist on what modernity is now.” - James Fooks-Bale, Monotype senior director, brand, Monotype 

Pricing & Availability

Single weights of the Macklin typeface are available now for $/£49 or €55 each. The complete superfamily (54 fonts) or variable package (4 fonts) are available for $/€199 or £169.

Macklin is immediately available through Mosaic, Monotype’s cloud-based font discovery, collaboration and management solution. It can also be purchased through MyFonts.com, Fonts.com, Linotype.com, and Fontshop.com with an introductory promotion of 75 percent off for the first 90 days. Download Macklin Sans Extra Light and Macklin Slab Extra Bold at no cost through July 27th, 2020.

The Macklin superfamily, sub families, variable font and individual typefaces are also available with a variety of licensing options for customers through Monotype enterprise sales.

To learn more about the Macklin typeface, visit the specimen page.

To join the conversation about the Macklin typeface on social media, search #MeetMacklin on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

About Monotype

Monotype empowers creative minds to build and express authentic brands through design, technology and expertise. Further information is available at www.monotype.com. Follow Monotype on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Monotype is a trademark of Monotype Imaging Inc. registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and may be registered in certain other jurisdictions. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2019 Monotype Imaging Holdings Inc. All rights reserved.

Public Relations:
Bill Connolly
Monotype
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Alyssa Niemiec
Havas Formula for Monotype – U.S.
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Tamara Sword
ThoughtLDR for Monotype – UK
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Tanja Koschade
Koschade PR for Monotype – Germany
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