About

Louvette is a sharp, stylish, modern serif including a range of optical sizes from Banner to Text. The design of Louvette is optimized to maintain thin, elegant hairlines at a wide range of sizes. Ideal for publications and cultural institutions, exhibitions and fashion – anywhere that strong gestures and delicate details are paramount.

The design process for Louvette started during Type@Cooper in 2010, under the guidance of Jesse Ragan, with an interest in reviving ATF Louvaine by Morris Fuller Benton for contemporary usage. After some helpful feedback from Christian Schwartz, the project soon evolved away from the source material to include a large optical size version with ultra thin hairlines, and to expand the weight into the fatface range of designs such as Ultra Bodoni, also by M. F. Benton. Further research into the italics led to sources such as Doppel Tertia Cursiv from J. F. Unger, Berlin, and the small heavy sizes drew inspiration from Compacte Romain by Enschedé, Haarlem.

In the 8+ years since this project started, Louvette has been used in a range of projects from extra large wall text in exhibition design to small credits for performance art programs, bold expressing headlines for performance art posters to refined editorial spreads and captions. All of this real-world usage has informed the design direction and progression from the earliest versions. The result is a versitile suite of 40 styles that can all work together in concert, while each having a distinct role.