Monotype introduces new serif typeface for digital era

Type foundry and technology company, Monotype, introduce Cotford, a new typeface by the Monotype Studio which aims to celebrate shape, form and attention to detail and become a ‘op serif’ for the modern digital age.

With digital branding evolving with changes in technologies, companies are eager to embrace typography that is human yet also versatile. Cotford was conceived  with this in mind, seeking to be a contemporary serif typeface with the versatility and robustness that today’s brands expect.

"Cotford is something I have wanted to design since 2014. Looking back through my sketches since then, the idea kept resurfacing. My aim was to take the warmth and originality of those sketches and craft them into a useful and unique typeface family,” says Foley, creative type director at Monotype.

Cotford seeks to juxtapose heritage with innovation. Whilst it’s layered with references to classic typefaces designs, it also taps into current trends and future possibilities in front technology. A variable-first typeface, Cotford provides different options across text and display styles, giving designers a range of weights and optical sizes.

“I designed most of Cotford during lockdown. It became a form of escapism for me, something I could immerse myself in and transform the anxiety of what was happening around me into something productive. In this way it’s a deeply personal project,” says Foley.

Foley also used scenes from his locality over the past year and a half to develop the visuals to showcase the family.