Using two-dimensional typefaces to achieve 3D illusions is a common typographic conceit, dating back to electrotype days, that makes a printed page or poster a lot more eye-catching. When drop shadows, outline, and inline faces were popular in the mid-late nineteenth century, type was a primary tool to capture the attention of passersby as they walked down advertising-encrusted and sign-covered boulevards. Despite today’s ubiquity of flashing animated LEDs, static dimensional letterforms help slow the brain synapses down, allowing for more contemplative reading moments.
I am a sucker for dimensional type, and I use it frequently for just about everything. So when I stumbled upon the thirteen fonts in the Rig Solid family, I was excited for two reasons: Firstly, the faces created by Jamie Clarke bear a resemblance to those found in the Stephenson-Blake metal type catalogs from the 1900s, which I often admired, and they also evoked the phototypositor faces that I enjoyed using in my early days as a designer. If I had the choice between a beautiful classic letter and a 3D option, I’d always pick the latter.
What pleases me about this generous family variety is the wide range of potential combinations and a large helping of the best of the best 3D renderings. For example: The architectural structure of the Rig Solid Zero and Light Halftone blends well when positioned atop a column of text. Solid Light Fill is best when stacked with its shadows touching on top and bottom. And Solid Bold Outline offers the possibility for appealing color combinations in the body and shadows of each letter.
The engraving characteristics of Rig may seem old-fashioned at first glance, but as a sans serif it embodies a modern aesthetic. And with creative composition, it will ably transcend its historic origins with a look that is decidedly contemporary.
Rig Solid’s type styles provide so many typographic design options, the user would have to be typographically challenged not to be able to produce pleasing results.
| Font of the Month: Rig Solid | |
|---|---|
| Designer: Jamie Clarke | Foundry: Jamie Clarke Type |
Steven Heller is nothing short of a legend in the design community. Award-winning graphic designer, author and editor of hundreds of books (yes, 100s!) and one of the world’s foremost authorities on graphic design history; and arguably its best design commentator. Follow Steven on the must-read The Daily Heller and read his latest book, Growing Up Underground: A Memoir of Counterculture New York.
