Typeface Design for Ottessa
Non-linear interpolation: the ExtraBold breaks from the weight axis with a deliberately high-contrast approach
Ottessa is a TypeMates sans-serif family by Philipp Neumeyer, released in 2022, blending humanistic Dutch construction with open 'French' apertures and a heavily modulated vibe. The family spans five weights plus italics—ten styles in total—with a variable font version available. It received a special mention in the Granshan multiscript award competition of 2024 for unusual but confidently handled stylistic choices.
Set in Ottessa
Insights
- Interpolation is intentionally non-linear: lighter weights share a consistent stem-to-curve transition, while the ExtraBold shifts to high contrast—a structural departure rather than a gradual progression.
- Weight change also alters letterform geometry: ExtraLight spiky triangular forms transform into stilted flats, and at ExtraBold vertical strokes match horizontal thickness, creating a horizontal emphasis without caricature.
- The italics use steeply angled, polysemic construction with fast upstrokes and seemingly rotated rounds, taking a dynamic humanistic approach.
- Cyrillic coverage includes per-script stylistic sets for Bulgarian, Serbian, and Macedonian alternates; consulting credits are shared among Daria Cohen, Ilya Ruderman, and Yury Ostromentsky.
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