Industry: Design

Oroban

Named after parasitic plants that harm whole farming cultures

Oroban is a type family by Matthieu Salvaggio, released in 2019, inspired by plants of the Orobanchaceae (witchweed/broomrape) family. Its three styles—Masuria, Hermonthica, and Elegans—take their names from plants within that family. Letterforms draw on the varied shapes and details of these parasitic plants, with weight distributed along the ductus to reference historical hand-style writing. The family supports Latin European languages and is available in TTF, WOFF, WOFF2, and variable formats.

Set in Oroban

Insights

Style names—Masuria, Hermonthica, Elegans—are drawn from plants within the Orobanchaceae family, giving the family a consistent botanical naming framework.
Weight is distributed along the ductus, explicitly connecting the design to historical hand-style writing rather than purely optical or geometric principles.