Font Friday #143

Aldgate

Aldgate is distinct, warm and versatile. Aldgate Sans used in the headline on a mobile phone, the body text is set in Aldgate Serif. A big quote in sans serif in the middel is taken from a Bob Dylan song, submitted by Steve in a lovely version by Clarence Bekker & Roberto Luti: "I see my light come shinin’ from the west down to the east, any day now, any day now, I shall be released!"

Sans-serif, Serif superfamily

from Dalton Maag
designed by Ignacio Casco Guijarro

Variable Font

2 axes: Weight, Width

252 Styles

9 Weights: Hairline to Black
7 Widths: Extra Condensed to Extra Extended
2 Styles: Sans-Serif, Serif
with matching italics

Best for

  • Headings (display text)
  • Long reading text (body text)
  • User Interfaces (functional text)

License starting

around $50 (one style)
around $175 (bundle)

Specialty

An extensive superfamily made for all sorts of applications. Interesting enough for headings, while keeping calm to carry on … with body text.

Get Aldgate Sans
Get Aldgate Serif

My thoughts on Aldgate

This is such a vast and versatile superfamily, that I have problems wrapping my head around it. It covers an enormous range of weights, widths, in upright and italic, represented in Aldgate Sans and Aldgate Serif, manifested in four variable font or 252 static font files 🤯.

Let’s go Thin ’n’ Wide or is incredibly Narrow and Bold much better? Extra Black Serifs or do you prefer the ExtraCondensed Light ones? Uprights and Italics Sans and Serif, just so many possibilities!
From ExtraExtended to ExtraCondensed, showing Aldgate’s extremes.

Aldgate Sans originates from these very distinct British humanist sans-serif typeface, like famous Gill Sans. Similarly, it comes with a friendly and warm spirit, but compared to the sans-serifs from the early 1900s, Aldgate is more refined and made for modern use-cases. The typeface is interesting enough for headings, especially in the wider styles, but calm enough to carry on … with body text or even UIs.

Aldgate Sans feels friendly. It is based on the distinct British design of humanist sans-serif typefaces of the early 1900s, like Gill Sans. Although Aldgate is less quirky, it still has a lot of personality. The Regular style has very generous proportions, so this is set in Semi Condensed, ideal for UI design or body text in narrow columns. Aldgate Serif feels classic. It was created as a companion for the sans-serif design. With little stroke contrast, its open and distinct letter shapes it is very legible and modern for a serif design. For narrow columns of text, I recommend SemiCondensed too, maybe even something a bit wider using the variable font.
Aldgate Sans and Serif: The normal width might be a bit too wide for body text.

Aldgate Serif was made as a companion for the sans-serif design. Due to the serifs, it immediately feels more classic. But it has a very contemporary touch to it, given the slight contrast and open letter shapes. To me, the normal width feels a bit too wide for body text, but then again SemiCondensed (width: 85) seems quite narrow. Use the variable font to adjust the width to something like 90 or 95, or use it in wider columns.

Diagonal ear of
the sans-serif “g”. Vertical terminals, open apertures at the “s”, the lower case “l” showing slightly wedged serifs, and a lovely spur on the serif of the small “z”
Some of the wonderful details I adore

My favorite character of Aldgate Sans is the lower case g with that diagonal ear that wonderfully blends into the bowl. Some delightful details of Aldgate Serif are the slightly wedged serifs or these lovely, tiny spurs you can find at characters like the upper case S and lower case z. So overall these very distinct characters, the interesting construction, vast design space in the variable font make Aldgate a great choice for plenty of use-cases.

Font Pairings for Aldgate

Firstly pair Aldgate Sans with … Aldgate Serif! But you would have come up with that yourself, right? So if you want something more contrasting and eccentric for headings, try something very different, like June Expt Curious or PF SignSkript.

Aldgate
Aldgate
  • Headings
  • Copy
  • UI Text
June Expt
June Expt
  • Headings
PF SignSkript
PF SignSkript
  • Headings

Learn more about pairing typefaces using the Font Matrix.

What do you think of Aldgate? Is your head spinning from so many styles? Tell me in the comments below!

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Edition #143, published

2 Comments

  1. What’s not to love about lowercase g? This is a rare font that I can finally say yes to distinctive S!
    When I see ‘generous proportions’ I immediately think of Montserrat which makes me cringe 😬
    So, Semicondensed everything, here at Aldgate! It feels so confident and compact in that style, Oliver. These practical options are welcome 🙌🏻

    P.S. Thanks for reminding us about good old Gill Sans.

    Reply

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