Design concept

Charlie is a slab serif typeface created for use in print and exhibition settings. An affable slab serif, Charlie’s personality is clear and direct, yet warm and polite. Its design is restrained in approach, yet with narrow proportions, high x-height and sharp finishing details it is unique among other slab serifs. Charlie's broad range – from open hairlines to robust black weights – offers a number of options that lend the typeface versatility in use.

Previously named Foxtrot, the typeface began as Ross’ thesis project at the Type and Media masters course in the Hague and has developed over the last two years into a full typeface with matching italics, small caps and extensive figure sets.
Read more about development of Charlie typeface▸

International Typography

Typotheque OpenType Pro fonts support all European languages, covering Latin-based (Western, Central and Eastern European, Baltic, Turkish, Vietnamese), Cyrillic-based, and Greek-based languages. Such large multilingual fonts are sometimes referred to as Pan-European or WGL4 fonts.

Numerals

All weights of Charlie include nine different kinds of numerals. Default numerals are proportional Lining numerals. The typeface includes: ranging, or OsF (Old-style proportional Figures) for use in running text. Lining figures for use with capitals letters, because their proportions match the height of caps. Tabular (both Lining and OsF), Superior and Inferior figures, Small caps figures, and finally Circled and Circled inverted figures.

Grades & Proportional Weights

Each of Charlie’s lighter weights — from Hairline to Regular — are available in two optical sizes, one heavier than the other. Unlike other typefaces with optical sizes, Charlie’s exist to match together at specific intervals of display sizes.

The eight optical weights form a proportional system that allows for varying type size while maintaining even stroke width. Try it directly in Charlie Weight Calculator. In this way Charlie enables subtle shifts in the hierarchy of information while remaining visually harmonious.
More about proportional weights▸

Symbols

Charlie contains a series of arrow sets and symbols relevant for exhibition settings as well as a series for broader use.

Author & Awards

Charlie was designed between 2008 and 2010 by Ross Milne. In 2015, a completely overhaul OpenType Pro version was released with Cyrillic by Gayaneh Bagdasaryan and Greek by Natasha Raissaki.

Charlie was awarded the Graphex award for best Type Design in 2010. Graphex is a biennial event celebrating the best in visual communication in Canada. Graphex is sponsored by Icograda.