Robin
5,000 kerning pairs automating modular arrow assembly
Robin is a dingbats typeface by Damien Gautier, released in 2010 through 205tf. Rather than supplying a fixed glyph set, it uses OpenType kerning mechanics to let designers assemble arrows from discrete components—tail, body, and point—via standard keyboard input. Over 5,000 kerning pairs handle automatic composition, enabling control over arrow style, length, and direction. Uppercase and lowercase characters toggle left- and right-facing orientations.
Set in Robin
Insights
- The typeface repurposes OpenType kerning—normally a spacing mechanism—as a compositional engine for assembling modular arrow glyphs.
- Arrow direction is encoded through case: lowercase for one direction, capitals for the other.
- Length is user-controlled by repeating body-segment characters, making arrow size independent of a fixed glyph set.
- The design addresses what the source frames as the insufficiency of existing arrow dingbat fonts, which offered only a limited, static inventory.
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