rt ligatures
Hello everybody. I’ve just been asked a question that I found a bit strange:
“Do you know any sans typeface with the rt ligature?” I was suprised, because I didn´t think how we could have a reason for doing so, because the genesis of both letters doesn´t justify it. My first reaction was “Not even a serif typeface has that...!” Even the queen of ligatures, Mrs Eaves doesn´t have one, but someone is telling me that it’s very common and that has seen it frequently.
The closest thing I saw was in carolingian script or a calligraphic exercise...
People, what do you think of that? Was I blind or is that person crazy?
29.Oct.2007 6.45am
Well, I found one both in Zapfino and Bickham Script Pro, but none in non-script fonts, not even in the pro-est pro ones.
Are you sure that person said ‘r-t-ligature’, and not ‘arty ligature’? ;°)
29.Oct.2007 7.47am
I included a back-ligaturing “t” in Oneleigh, which can be used to make the usual quaints, as well as others such as r-t.
29.Oct.2007 8.23am
That’s a neat trick Nick. (or should I say MR. Shinn?).
Nick Cooke
29.Oct.2007 8.56am
I am guessing that a heavilly tracked sans had it’s r & t collide producing a faux ligature. Some sans fonts are more prone to this than others. Looking at it a little it seems like the older the sans the more likely this is although I haven’t looked in enough detail to make the claim stand.
Here is an example of what I mean.
30.Oct.2007 3.41am
Thank you all for your opinion, but you’ve proven what I was thinking, so far, only the aestetics of a script or a serifed old style typefaces would justify that sort of ligature... :(
That’s a fine design, Nick, got to take a look a it!
Funny response Florian, but considering that I’m Portuguese, that kind of missunderstanding can´t be applied ;)
Eben, that’s a nice perspective, but the tracking is supposed to be zero. Besides, that kind of tracking starts to damage reading, especially for sans typefaces don´t you think?
Thanks anyway :)
30.Oct.2007 10.52am
Besides, that kind of tracking starts to damage reading, especially for sans typefaces don´t you think?
I do, but it happens all the time, and I can see how a novice might notice it & have questions...