Contrast Foundry’s elegant serif CoFo Holz leans on type design history, and is all the better for it

Taking a woodcut-inspired approach to type design, CoFo Holz is a striking serif that plays with the juxtaposition of sharp and soft details. Designed by Nikita Sapozhkov and released by Contrast Foundry, this expressive typeface began as a diploma project, before evolving into a fully-fledged font family. “The imperfections of the tools used in woodcutting, and the fact that the serifs – though likely intended to be more complex – were simplified into triangular forms, caught my eye,” Sapozhkov tells us. The typeface’s most distinctive feature is its unique combination of forms. Think triangular wedge serifs paired with circular dots and terminals – a combination that Sapozhkov describes as creating “a playful tension of simple geometric shapes.” “Sharp serifs can easily dominate the character of a typeface,” he explains, “so in CoFo Holz, some of the terminals – especially in the lowercase – are softened by the introduction of ball terminals. This gives the typeface a smoother, more refined feel compared to the earlier designs, and makes CoFo Holz appear less aggressive compared to other typefaces of the same genre.” Drawing inspiration from 18th-century engravings and American Wood Type, Sapozhkov has crafted a typeface that pays homage to its historical roots (the name “Holz” is German for ‘wood’) while feeling thoroughly contemporary. Certain elements of the typeface were inspired by specimens found in Rob Roy Kelly’s book ‘American Wood Type, 1828-1900,’ featuring high-contrast, wide-display typefaces – designed for large, bold headings rather than body text.