ITC Mariposa, by Philip Bouwsma, is calligraphic typeface design at its best: beautiful, dynamic, and capable of delivering a memorable message.
A lifelong calligrapher, Bouwsma’s passion for the calligraphic form is evident in his work. He majored in history and Greek at the University of California at Berkeley, but his love of letters lured him away from a career in academia to one focused on art, design, and (of course) the alphabet. Over the years, Bouwsma has taught, worked as a book and advertising designer, and created and exhibited fine art and art jewelry.
Like its creator, the handsome Mariposa type family is remarkably versatile. Its Serif and Sans Serif versions each offer four weights of roman, with companion italics for the Book weights. The design performs beautifully in formal invitations, commanding headlines, and even brief blocks of text copy.
Still an avid student of history, Bouwsma’s goal is to create an authentic font for every major historic script. His creative genius and exceptional talent has also created a wide range of contemporary display typefaces. Mariposa is such a design – and one of the finer examples of his calligraphic ability.