Mary Bacon

Ana is a chromatic typeface consisting of 26 uppercase Latin characters, inspired by arabesque patterns from the nineteenth century.

Programmed to enable users to easily create multicolored drop caps and initials, this decorative display typeface features a different ornament for every letterform, which fits perfectly with its glyph shape.

This ornament is usually more luxurious on the left side of the letter, while on the right it is scarce, so that the body text can be placed close to the initial.

These initials are valuable for use in large sizes, like posters, magazines, packaging design, fairy tales, and so on.

The final forms of the initials consist of 5 parts which can be individually colored.

There are 5 font files named Ana Layer A, Ana Layer B, and so on. A font user can manually create a multicolored initial with these font files, if there is no possibility to use the Contextual Alternates option.

To do that, it is necessary to make 5 layers in the page layout software.

Then, the corresponding character should be placed on each layer, so that Ana Layer A is on the lowest layer and Ana Layer E is on the highest one.

Note that the glyph shapes are contained in the lower case positions. In contrast, the font file named Ana is programmed, so it is possible to create a multicolored initial with the Contextual Alternates command.

There is no need for additional layers, everything happens on a single layer.

First, the Contextual Alternates command (usually under OpenType menu) should be disabled.

Then, using lower case key, type the desired character 5 times and apply color to them.

Select them all and turn on the Contextual Alternates. Also, the font file Ana comes with a set of black initials that can be used just like any other non-color typeface.

The ornamental versions are contained in the uppercase positions, while the letters without the ornaments are in the lower case.

With the font file Ana Monochrome one can only get the monochrome initials.

Ornamental letters are contained in the upper case positions, while the letterforms without the ornaments are in the lower case.

Waba Pronounced Vah-bah, is a font family that I designed. The name comes from a historical variation on the Estonian word vaba meaning free, or at liberty.

More Back in 2017 I visited the Estonian Print & Paper Museum in Tartu to see its great collection of type (well worth a visit!).

While I was there I saw some big woodcut blocks of Reklameschrift Herold - a super Art Nouveau/Jugendstil style display font.

The Print & Paper Museums collection covers both Latin and Cyrillic faces and as a foreigner in these parts I'm kind of fascinated by the exoticism of Cyrillic.

How it is different but the same to the Latin letters I take for granted (as a humble Englander no excuses).

Not to mention, Jugendstil with its imitation of natural form, reverse-weights and looping-delicious curves (like you've left the window open all summer and the garden plants are climbing in).

This mix of Jugendstil, Cyrillic letters and the beautiful historical border town of Tartu inspired me to start drawing Waba.

Trimming the serifs from Herold, simplifying those angles and expanding the category of weights, then taking look at the magical logic of Berthold Block and doing a few things that just seemed right at the time Waba is a bit of love letter to Estonia, the Baltics and the visual history of Eastern Europe.

Waba Monogram Waba also contains a monogram face, which allows you to create any monogramming latin and cyrillic.

Simply type out your 2-3-4 characters in Waba Monogram, making sure Contextual Alternates is turned on them voila! Monograms can be customised manually using the OpenType select-pop-up in Adobe.

Also included are a few Discretionary Ligatures for Mc, De, Von etc. Monograms work best when Contextual Alternates is turned on.

Petunia Monogram is a beautiful extension to Eliza Gwendalyns Petunia font family, originally published by Great Lakes Lettering! The letter forms in this uppercase-only font are angelic and more refined, with sweeping, elegantly thin swashes and flourishes.

Petunia Monogram contains three variations of each uppercase letter, a larger version and two smaller ones, each with different swash flourishes.

With the help of the OpenType ligature feature, you can create beautiful three-letter monograms.

There are also 20 whimsical crest graphics and flourishes that you can use to build single letter crests.

Petunia Monogram is perfect for wedding and personal stationary, invitations, and much more! More See our "How-To" poster to learn how easy it is to make beautiful monograms and initialed crests!