The Northern Block is an independent type foundry internationally recognised for producing modernist fonts for brands, creatives and makers.
Latest Releases
Mynor-B
An organic and imperfect sans-serif in 14 styles
Inspired by the Japanese art of Kintsugi—this philosophy inspired Mynor-B’s departure from the strict geometric style of its predecessor, Mynor, towards a more organic and imperfect design approach. Additionally, a desire to create a more humanist, expressive, and readable typeface, particularly in longer text passages, guided the development of Mynor-B.
Zabawa
A playful handwritten typeface with a distinctive personality
Zabawa is a playful handwritten typeface that explores the possibilities of the pointed brush tool, capturing a distinctive hand-drawn personality. Light and rhythmic forms give a sense of freshness and natural flow, with each stroke telling a story reminiscent of playful doodles on a napkin, or spontaneous scribbles on a shopping list.
Dekal v2.0
A revival typeface with three interchangeable line styles
Dekal is a revival typeface of Blackline, designed initially by Wolf Magin in 1969. The contrast between thick and thin parallel lines creates a unique visual identity familiar in the dry transfer era of the late 1960s and early 1970s. In this digital interpretation, lines and spacing are more expansive to help construct lowercase characters and improve screen rendering.
Markus Low v2.0
A re-imagination of Basilea, with classical Romanesque forms
A re-imagined inscribed serif typeface based on Basilea, initially made by the designer Markus Low in 1965. The design pays respect to the classical romanesque forms without being overwhelmed by history and steers toward a contemporary aesthetic. Markus Low is a modern display serif with subtle chisel-like details.
Cagney
A modern grotesque slab serif in 14 styles
Cagney is a modern grotesque slab with humanist touches. The inspiration comes from the Egyptian style of the 19th century. Outsized ball terminals and off-track angles, mix with heavy and light strokes, to give an unexpected dynamic. Applying deep cuts and ink traps makes an impactful typeface, compatible with modern-day scenarios.
Planer v2.0
Inspired by the honesty and skill of handcrafted woodworking
Planer blends tradition with modernity. Drawing from classic rounded typefaces like VAG Rounded, Planer infuses this heritage with contemporary geometry, resulting in a typeface that balances warmth with precision. Its name, a tribute to the craft of planing, reflects the meticulous attention to detail that creates smooth surfaces.
Latest News
RELEASES
Uniquely Destroyed and Boldly Re-made: Mynor-B, The Latest Typeface from The Northern Block. Read more about its inspiration →
RELEASES
The Northern Block’s New Romanesque Typeface Markus Low—As Mythical as it is Modern. Read more about its inspiration →
NEWS
Senior Type Designer, Tasos Varipatis, was recently appointed as a Greek Script Specialist at the 2024 GRANSHAN competition.
DISTRIBUTION
Customers can now license a selection of The Northern Block’s fonts from the popular Supply.Family website.
NEWS
Award-winning typeface, Fagun, features in the 44th annual of the Type Directors Club, showcasing ‘The World’s Best Typography’.
RELEASES
Perfectly Imperfect; it’s time to play with Zabawa—The Northern Block’s newest handwritten typeface. Read more →
Our Approach
Customise it
We’ve been making typefaces for some of the world’s leading companies for the best part of a decade. And out of this, have concluded that no two type design projects are the same. Work together uniquely to discover what font you want to make and learn to understand the details behind its making.
Modify it
Modifying a typeface together can be a faster cost-effective solution when budgets and deadlines don’t allow for a design made from scratch. You may have been working with one of our existing fonts and would like to have an exclusive version to create a unique visual identity.
Expand it
The Northern Block, in collaboration with trusted partners around the globe, has the experience and expertise to expand a font to cover the following languages; Arabic, Cyrillic, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Georgian, Greek, Hebrew, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Thai and Indic.