205TF is a type foundry based in Lyon, France. It was founded in 2017 by Damien Gautier and Florence Roller who run the foundry together with foundry manager Rémi Forte. Collaborating with many independent type designers, they have built a library of typefaces that is wonderfully diverse, full of energy, and that has its very own character. As they write on their website, in all their designs “a certain French spirit can be felt.” And so, the TF in the foundry’s name stands not only for Type Foundry but also Typographie Française.
You could probably spend hours browsing the catalog that consists in the majority of expressive and quirky display and editorial typefaces. So it’s again hard to pick any favorites – it will depend on your project which typeface suits your needs. Here are a few for which you will also find great design examples on Fonts In Use.
Plaak designed by Damien Gautier and inspired by French street signs, is a sturdy, expressive sans-serif with a wide range of styles. Maax, also by Damien, takes an interesting approach: each style of the sans-serif consists of four variations with slightly adjusted letterforms – Standard, Geometric, Modern, and Grotesk. Clifton by Yoann Minet is a poetic serif with inverted contrast. And Louize by Matthieu Cortat is a warm and elegant old-style serif, a revival of “Augustaux” by Lyonnais printer Louis Perrin, in itself one of the first revivals in the history of typography.
I could go on and on like that. :) Maybe just have a look at the many wonderful designs yourself and download free test versions I of your favorites to try them.
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This post is part of the Independent Type Foundry Advent Calendar 2022
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