Titanium Motors roared to life as the result of a custom typeface design project to brand a computer game: an auto race. Developed as a collaboration between Matteson and freelance type designer Jim Ford, the design evolved from simple idea sketches into an assertive typographic statement. “Titanium Motors is designed to simulate speed,” says Matteson. “Letters get thicker horizontally as they pass by you but the thin strokes stay thin. The italic is very slanted – again, to portray movement.”

While created for an auto race game, Titanium Motors need not be pigeon-holed. Its bold weight and commanding style lend themselves to effective use in a variety of projects. “I’m not certain that the game still ships,” notes Matteson, “but after looking at the design recently, I realized that Titanium Motors is a strong candidate for many other uses.”

Titanium Motors is a generously proportioned cap-only design, and the sharp contrast between its thick vertical and thin horizontal strokes imbues it with vitality. Titanium Motors Oblique establishes the theme of speed for the design, while Titanium Motors Regular can be used as a complementary face – or stand firmly on its own.

The characters of Titanium Motors Oblique are inclined at a much “faster” angle than most italic designs, reinforcing its affinity with speed and dynamism. In both designs, the unconventional lowercase-influenced M and N and decenderless Y help to retain Titanium Motors’ structured and solid characteristics. The family is available both as OpenType desktop fonts and as dynamically downloadable Web fonts.

Titanium Motors evokes speed and power – on the ground and in the air. Its synthetic letters exude techno-panache, ensuring that the typeface has returned to its origins and has found a welcoming home in the world of computer games. Its bold and dynamic letters are also perfect for use in headlines, subheads and even short display passages intended to communicate a sense of confidence, strength or speed.

Download the Titanium Motors type specimen

Steve Matteson graduated from the School of Printing at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in 1988. He discovered his passion for type and typography among the collections of historic books, metal type, typecasting equipment and printing presses housed at RIT. This immersion in the accoutrements of fine printing reinforced Matteson’s appreciation for high quality craftsmanship, providing a strong foundation for his career in type.

Matteson has been designing typefaces for more than 20 years. Most of his projects, including Titanium Motors, began as custom designs commissioned to fulfill clients’ typographic requirements. An avid lover of history, Matteson has researched, written and lectured about the typographic legacy of Frederic & Bertha Goudy. He has also developed workshops on brand typography and presented them to industry organizations, design schools and advertising agencies.