In recent decades, typography and screen technology have been intertwined. While digital screens continue to pose an ongoing issue for designers, Nicolas Eigenheer explored the potential of the limitations of pixels and how new typographic forms could be created from the parameters they impose.
Px Grotesk was designed from the rendering of typographic curves on screens. At smaller sizes, pixels sometimes brutally simplify shapes. Taking this paradox as his starting point, Nicolas Eigenheer designed a typeface that embeds a pixel-grid structure into a classic, optically adjusted drawing. The result of this method is a series of hybrid shapes that combine formal solutions from both domains. The signature pixelated look is preserved in the typeface and creates a contradictory relationship between a grid and a flexible line.
Px Grotesk has an unprecedented aesthetic with solid grotesque roots and works well both on screen and in print. Its geometrical simplification offers a spectacular legibility and sharpness at smaller sizes and reveals a sophisticated drawing at bigger sizes.
Px Grotesk 11 styles
Px Grotesk Mono 6 styles
Case Sensitive Forms
All Caps [cpsp]
Case Sensitive Forms [case]
This function formats the text in uppercase and adjusts spacing between all capital letters. It also applies the ‘Case Sensitive Forms’ feature which replaces certain characters with alternates that are better suited for all capital text, especially related to punctuation.
«Optimo»
@|¦()[]{}¿¡‹›«»-–—·
«OPTIMO»
@|¦()[]{}¿¡‹›«»-–—·
Contextual Alternates
Contextual Alternates [calt]
This feature adapts the position of a glyph after its surrounding context. For instance, a dash placed between two uppercase letters or numbers will be replaced by an uppercase version of the dash, slightly higher. This feature is usually active by default in Adobe applications.
Tabular Lining Figures
Tabular Lining Figures [tnum–lnum]
Based on the proportions of the capitals, lining figures have an invariable height. With the combination of the tabular spacing format, the width of each numeral is uniformized. This feature is useful when numerals need to all lined up. It facilitates the reading of numbers set within columns or tables. As some applications don’t have access to this feature, proportional figures are set as the default choice.
0123456789
0123456789
Fractions
Fractions [frac]
With this feature, any numbers separated by a slash will automatically turn into a fraction. To fit in fraction configuration, numerals have been designed smaller and their weights have been adjusted to suit the typeface.
3/4 3/8 5/8 7/8
3/4 3/8 5/8 7/8
Ordinals
Ordinals [ordn]
This feature replaces any letter following a numeral with its matching superior letters. French language uses the ordinal indicators such as ‘er’ for 1er premier, while Spanish, Portuguese and Italian require the feminine and masculine ordinals ‘a,’ ‘o’ for 1º, 1ª. Ordinals are designed to match the weight of the typeface.
Slashed Zero Oldstyle
Slashed Zero [zero]
Originally created to avoid the confusion between the ‘0’ and the ‘O’, this feature substitutes all zeros in a selected text by a slashed form of the zero.
Proportional Oldstyle Figures [onum]
Tabular figures are all of equal width. They are only needed when the figures must all line up from one line to the next, as in a table. Proportional figures have varying widths, just like most letters; each number has a width appropriate to its design. Lining figures are all the same height, usually similar to that of capital letters. They are needed for use with all-capital settings.
Alternate zero
Stylistics Set [ss08]
This feature replaces glyph(s) with stylistic alternate(s).
0 %
0 %
Numerators
Numerators [numr]
This feature substitutes glyphs with their matching smaller alternates. The numerators are the same glyphs that are used to create fractions, their vertical position remains within the capital letters height. These glyphs are reduced in size and designed slightly heavier to keep them consistent with the rest of the font.
H0123456789()[]
Habcdefghijklmn
Hopqrstuvwxyz
H0123456789()[]
Habcdefghijklmn
Hopqrstuvwxyz
Denominators
Denominators [dnom]
This feature substitutes glyphs with their matching smaller alternates and low position glyphs. The denominators are the same glyphs that are used to create fractions, their vertical position remains within the base line. These glyphs are reduced in size and designed slightly heavier to keep them consistent with the rest of the font.
H0123456789()[]
Habcdefghijklmn
Hopqrstuvwxyz
H0123456789()[]
Habcdefghijklmn
Hopqrstuvwxyz
Superscript/Superiors
Superscript / Superiors [sups]
This feature substitutes glyphs with their matching smaller alternates which are set slightly above the height of the capital letters. These glyphs are reduced in size and designed slightly heavier to keep them consistent with the rest of the font.
Habcdefghijklmn
Hopqrstuvwxyz()[].,
Habcdefghijklmn
Hopqrstuvwxyz()[].,
Subscript/Inferiors
Subscript / Inferiors [subs]
This feature substitutes glyphs with their matching smaller alternates which are set slightly below the baseline. These glyphs are reduced in size and designed slightly heavier to keep them consistent with the rest of the font.
Habcdefghijklmno
Hpqrstuvwxyz()[].,
Habcdefghijklmno
Hpqrstuvwxyz()[].,
Standard Ligatures
Standard Ligatures [liga]
Standard ligatures replaces a sequence of characters with a single ligature glyph, they are designed to improve kerning and readability of certain letter pairs.
Alternate at symbol
Stylistics Set [ss01]
This feature replaces glyph(s) with stylistic alternate(s).
info@optimo.ch
info@optimo.ch
Alternate arrows
Stylistics Set 2 [ss02]
This feature replaces glyph(s) with stylistic alternate(s).
←↖↑↗→↘↓
←↖↑↗→↘↓
Lowercase math symbols
Stylistic Set 6 [ss06]
This feature activates alternate lowercase positioning of mathematical symbols.
up+down
+±×÷−=≈≠¬∞
up+down
+±×÷−=≈≠¬∞
Ornaments and symbols
Stylistic Set 7 [ss07]
This feature replaces glyph(s) with stylistic alternate(s).
abcdefgh
ijklmnop
qrstuvwxyz
abcdefgh
ijklmnopq
qrstuvwxyz
Multiply sign
Stylistic Set 20 [ss20]
This feature substitutes the letter “x” into the multiplication sign.