Immortel

Four humors, one metric system

Immortel is a type family by Clément Le Tulle-Neyret comprising four variants—Infra, Colera, Vena, and Acedia—each mapped to one of the four Hippocratic humors and its corresponding character temperament. Each variant draws typographic reference from a different historical period: Infra from 16th-century Robert Granjon, Colera from 17th-century Jean Jannon, Vena from 18th-century Jacques-François Rosart, and Acedia from a synthesis of tool traces anchored in Dürer's Melencolia I (1514). Despite their formal differences, all variants share identical metrics—set width, x-height, cap height, and ascender/descender length—making them interchangeable without affecting text volume. The project originated at ANRT Nancy in October 2016 and received CNAP support in 2018.

Set in Immortel Infra, Immortel Colera, Immortel Vena, Immortel Acedia

Insights

All four variants share constant set width, x-height, cap height, and ascender/descender length, enabling substitution without reflowing text.
Infra and Vena offer two distinct italics: a lightly slanted 'Median' for sustained reading and a sharply angled ornate 'Italic' for emphasis.
Infra and Vena include two grades—slightly differing weights at the same set width—to control text color and support reversed-out type on dark backgrounds.
Acedia synthesizes flat-tip and narrow-point tool traces, referencing Dürer's Melencolia I (1514); source describes it as closer to a 21st-century typeface.