English Open was derived from the letterforms of metal engravers, and examples of these are readily found on armorial silver and maps produced over one hundred years earlier than the first available open typeface specimens. Its character follows the steel and copper plate engravers of the 18th century, and is ultimately informed by the open types of the period such as Cocaine, Moreau-Le-June, Fournier, Fournier Le June and Rosart. To establish a set of majuscules that celebrate the time when the engravers’ letter surpassed that of metal type in its ability to elucidate and decorate
the printed page.
The term Open is established by the beginning of the 19th century as a descriptive classification of typefaces with the three dimensional effect of an inscribed letterform body. Although essentially an outline it has a subtle stress usually to the right horizontally but also on some occasion to the bottom right. Although the impression is of light and shade cast within the type itself, the effect immediately renders the text as slightly dimensionalised allowing it to rise from the confines of the flat page.
English Open