Laura Busche
March 31, 2021 · 3 min read
Palm Canyon Drive
Inspired by California in the 40s and 50s, Palm Canyon Drive is a perfect representation of the post-war optimism that energized the Mid-Century Modern style. This monoline script is brought to you by RetroSupply Co. in collaboration with Hoodzpah Design Co. Learn more about shop owner Dustin Lee here.Milan
Jen Wagner designed this classic sans serif trying to portray a modern-meets-vintage look. It’s an all-caps font with just the right amount of contrast so as to not overwhelm the eye and pair well with thin serifs. It’s a great option for headings and brand identity design, especially when you add a touch of grit or texture to further emphasize the aged look.Jeames
Nothing like a high-contrast, extended serif to bring out that playful Atomic era spirit. Kyle Benson created Jeames inspired by Mid-Century Modern geometry and sign painting.Sylvester
Sylvester is a condensed sans serif with hints of Art Deco proportions. It features slightly low crossbars and geometric simplicity in both clean and rough versions.Winston and Winston Sans
The 60s were also a golden age for advertising, especially around tobacco. In this context, the town of Winston Salem in North Carolina had become a key location for the industry: it served as the headquarters of several iconic tobacco companies. Designer Josh Carnley’s strolls around downtown Winston Salem inspired him to create Winston: a font that captures vintage signage and a bygone era when tobacco was king.Cobalt
Lee Iley, the designer behind Cobalt 27, cites two main sources of inspiration for this type family: the Constructivist movement of the 1920s and the Brutalist architecture that became popular from the 1950s-1970s. Cobalt 27 features rounded terminals, lengthened ascenders/descenders, and a notably industrial aesthetic.Typique
Typique is an actual revival of a 1930s font: Section Type created a digital adaptation of a vintage typeface’s printed forms. The result is a font that feels familiar (think Futura) without losing authenticity and personality.Display Gothic 1958
If you’re looking for a font family that lends itself to shadows and volume, Display Gothic 1958 is a great place to start. Its shadow variant adds instant visual interest to headings while remaining legible.Products Seen In This Post:

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Laura Busche
Brand strategist. Creating design tools to empower creative entrepreneurs. Author of the Lean Branding book. MA in Design Management from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).
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