Lexicon

Designer: Bram de Does // Foundry: Enschedé // Country of origin: The Netherlands // Release year: 1992 Classification: Dutch Humanist/Transitional Serif

Lexicon was created specifically for dictionaries. As such, it is optimized for maximum readability in a minimum of space. It achieves this using methods that have become identified with Dutch type design: a calligraphic yet efficient construction, narrow width, and very light junctions where curved strokes meet stems, allowing ink to spread without affecting legibility. Despite these functional aspects, Lexicon has a graceful flow that is quite appealing at any size: No.1 has very short extenders, maximizing spatial economy; No.2 offers longer extenders when space isn’t at such a premium. The two variants share the same width, so you can switch without text reflow. Good for: Dictionaries, Bibles, timetables, newspapers, and other dense text.