Typeface Design for the Lineto Library

Built in reverse: a narrow text intermediate came before the regularised text cut

LL Ivory is Aurèle Sack's first full serif family, originating from a 2016 commission by Vogue Hommes Paris for a titling typeface to accompany his earlier LL Brown, already in use at the magazine. Drawing on 19th-century American wood type and poster fonts, Sack retained extended proportions while refining contrast and serifs through a grid-based geometric method. The family expanded through an unconventional reverse process—deriving a narrow intermediate style before working toward a regularised text character set—and includes three monospaced cuts. Font engineering and mastering was handled by Alphabet, Berlin; released by Lineto in 2023.

Set in LL Ivory

Insights

The text styles were developed via an unusual reverse workflow: a narrow intermediate style was created first, with a standard-width text cut derived from it afterward.
Sack constructs all his typefaces on strict geometric grids, a practice reminiscent of his time at the grid-guided studio NORM—visible even in LL Ivory's serif detailing.
Contrast was reduced in stages across the family: further reduced from the display version for text use, yielding a sturdy, low-contrast serif with pronounced shapes.
The family was tested across art catalogues, books, magazines, and graphic identity projects during development before its commercial release.