Jovica Veljović’s ITC Esprit® typeface family, first drawn in 1985, blends classic proportions with the grace and charm of calligraphic lettering. The character shapes beautifully combine traditional letterforms with distinctive refinements.
For the ITC New Esprit™ designs Veljović worked from the basic letterforms of his original typeface to create two separate versions: one for improved text composition and the other specifically for display typography. “In the beginning all I wanted to do was expand the kerning pairs and clean up a few characters,” Veljović recalls, “but I soon realized that some characters could benefit by more refined shapes and proportions. By the time I was done, I had worked on just about every character in the original design.” .
In both new versions of ITC Esprit, character bowls are animated; the transition from straight to curved strokes is handled with flair and verve; and individual letters like the italic ‘g’ and the roman ‘a’ are iconic for this typeface. Yet the overall tone of the design is harmonious, and its character symmetry creates a timeless elegance. .
Somewhat unusual for a serifed typeface, the italic is more restrained than the roman. A calligrapher’s hand is present and obvious; however, its touch is quiet and softened. The roman of ITC New Esprit is spirited; the italic, sophisticated. Each complements the other. .
In the text designs, an ample lowercase x-height, sturdy serifs and moderate contrast in stroke weight combine to make ITC New Esprit an excellent choice for a variety of projects. To ensure optimum performance at small sizes, the text designs also have slightly wide proportions and sturdy thin strokes, maximizing readability. .
In the display designs, Veljović drew subtle features that come alive at large sizes, creating a vitality that is ideal for display typography. The display designs are also more condensed than the text version, both saving space and producing an elegant demeanor at large sizes. .
“Even though I made many changes to the individual letters,” says Veljović, “I was careful not disrupt the feeling of youth and poetical flavor in the design.” .
ITC New Esprit is an exceptionally comprehensive family. It offers four weights (from Regular to Black), each with an italic counterpart in the text and display variants – for a total of 16 typefaces. Additionally, the complete family is available as a suite of OpenType™ Pro fonts, allowing graphic communicators to use these designs while benefiting from OpenType’s capabilities. OpenType Pro fonts provide for the automatic insertion of small caps, ligatures and alternate characters, and also offer an extended character set supporting most Central European and many Eastern European languages.