Sans-serif typeface

from TypeThis!Studio
designed by Anita JĂŒrgeleit

18 Styles

9 Weights: Ultralight to Black
with matching italics

Additional Scripts

Cyrillic

Best for

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

License starting

around $30 (one style)
around $250 (bundle)

Specialty

A geometric sans-serif with a warm heart and a clear mind. Approachable, versatile, and ideal for small sizes thanks to its large x-height.

My thoughts on Captura Now

Captura Now is another cool example of the revival of more approachable geometric sans-serif typefaces. It feels to be some kind of trend, after having reviewed Capitana, and Grato (interestingly all from German foundries). What I like about Captura Now, is that it definitely is the most approachable of them all. It is not so much rooted in that constructed feeling, coming with a very clear balanced appearance.

Captura Now has a warm heart and a clear mind feeling humble and friendly. With obliques, fitting the geometric style ALL CAPS AND SMALL CAPS

To make it clearer, what I mean by “warm heart”, let me compare it to the mother of all geometric sans-serifs: Futura, here shown in the version by Paratype. Futura PT feels colder, distant, and maybe noble, due to the low x-height. Also, the letter forms are more constructed and closed. Captura Now is very smooth and grounded, less constructed, and with a much larger x-height.

Futura PT is a simpler (see the t and y), and more constructed (closed e and s) and has a much lower x-height. Captura Now is more approachable (open e, s) with the softer shapes (tail of the t and y) and larger x-height.

The x-height plays a big role in how to use this typeface. You can set Captura Now relatively small, and it will still be readable. The strokes are much stronger, too. On the other hand, Futura seems very delicate, and needs to be set at larger sizes to achieve a similar result.

A little text set in Futura PT at 18 px font size. This should be a good value for body text, but it seems ridiculously small. This is because of the low x-height. Futura PT definitely needs larger type sizes. Futura PT looks very small and delicate at that size.
A little text set in Futura PT at 20 px font size. Now it looks much, much better. The low x-height of Futura PT requires it to be set at large sizes, so you can read the lower case letters more easily. It could be even larger. What do you think? When set larger, Futura PT looks much better.
A little text set in Captura Now at 18 px font size. This should be a good value for body text, but it seems redicioulsy large. This is because of the very large x-height. It would look much better when set smaller. C*) Captura Now seems too large and dull at that size.
A little text set in Captura Now at 16 px font size. This now looks much better and less dull. A large x-height doesn't have to be set that big. Because it is still easier to read at smaller sizes. 4 Slightly smaller, Captura Now looks much better.

It always fascinates me, how the x-height influences this and shows us, that you always have to adjust the font size to the typeface you’re using.


Thanks to Ashley, who shared this typeface with me. If you have some suggestions for other typefaces you like, tell me in the comments below!

Recommended Font Pairing

You are looking for an interesting heading font, choose playful slab serif Larrikin.

Captura Now
Captura Now
  • Headings
  • Copy
  • UI Text

Learn more about pairing typefaces using the Font Matrix.

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8 Comments

  1. I am so happy you managed to review Captura Now and that you like it as well. It has been a favourite of mine since I first discovered it about a year ago. Another one you might like to check out is Biennale.

    At the moment I am working on a project where I am using Captura Now for the body text and experimenting with Bodoni for the headers.

    1. Biennale is a pleasant cute circular font. A similar fashion to Coco Gothic, Geomanist, Quicksand. Thanks for sharing!

    2. Thank you, Ashley! Biennale is very friendly, too! You’re into geometric sans, right? 😉

      Bodoni and Captura Now could make an interesting pair, very contrasting regarding width, weight and construction. If you want to share it, I’d gladly take a look at it.

  2. Wow, love that calligraphy class to awaken motor skills, a pause from the digital world!

    Captura Now is not my cup of tea. Although it’s a legible, nice font applicable to the UX especially.
    I actually don’t like it at all when the x-height is high, letters feel loud and bulky. 😳Forever FuturaâœŒđŸ»

    Some font suggestions on your email soon!

    1. It all depends 
 😉. Futura’s cool, but it is very vintage, looking at the details. So some contemporary updates are a good things taking it into another direction.

      I like low x-heights, too. If it’s for a heading, noting against that. Verlag was one of my favorites for a long time.

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