Farao

Designer: František Štorm // Foundry: Storm // Country of origin: Czech Republic Release year: 1998 // Classification: Grotesque Slab

Czech type designer František Štorm has made a habit of infusing historical styles with his own eccentric brand of expression. His Farao is a perfect example. Most modern interpretations of Clarendon and other Egyptians are somewhat cold and calculated. Štorm went back to their ancestors — the uneven, untamed type of the 19th century — and celebrated its imperfections. Farao has exaggerated ball terminals and serifs, inconsistent contrast, and a potpourri of seemingly incompatible features. Yet it all comes together in a wonderful, sparkling typeface full of humor and life. This is Clarendon let loose. Good for: A wink and a smile and a nod to the past.