Obsidian

Obsidian is a serif typeface released by Hoefler & Co. in 2015. The concept for Obsidian came about during the design of Surveyor, a typeface that explored engraved lettering found on maps. The maps were often adorned with decorative titles using shading and hatching—something like you might see on the back of a one dollar bill. The H&Co designers set out to create a decorative typeface in this style and went so far as to write their own custom software to make the complex shading and highlighting possible. The end result is a beautifully intricate typeface, one of historical origins but made for the twenty-first century.

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Obsidian Specimen

Obsidian Type Specimen

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Suggested Font Pairing

Obsidian Font Pairings



Flawless Typography Checklist

A typography master course that doubles as an interactive visual reference that helps you achieve flawless type on every design project


Flawless Typography Checklist



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