Retype Foundry

Brutal Types is a collection of display typefaces inspired by avant-garde lettering from the early 20th century. Each font transforms a forgotten alphabet into a contemporary tool for branding, and graphic design. Explore the collection at brutaltypes.com.

I am pleased to announce that a new subfamily, Guyot Display, will soon be available. This new version features increased stroke contrast, ensuring elegant, high-impact performance in the headlines of contemporary magazines and newspapers.

Don't miss Becky Chilcott's interview: Design from the most isolated city in the modern world >> www.re-type.com/news/2026/10...

New at Brutal Types: Kramer is an expressionist display typeface, inspired by the metal sign bearing the word “Heksluiten” on the Kattenslootbrug (Bridge #155), located on the canal connection between the Kostverlorenvaart and the Singelgracht in Amsterdam. www.brutaltypes.com/fonts/kramer

We recently collaborated with Gashouder BV, to design a custom typeface for its visual identity and communications. You can read the article here: www.brutaltypes.com/bespoke-font...

New at Brutal Types: Nelita is a sans serif typeface inspired by the technical-looking lettering used in vintage enamel advertising for the Dutch coffee brand Van Nelle. www.brutaltypes.com/fonts/nelita

Recently, we discovered the work of Jérémy Raucq, a designer and sign painter based in Lyon, France. In this interview, we talk with Jérémy about the craft of hand-painted lettering, and the enduring appeal of painted signs in urban spaces. www.brutaltypes.com/news/on-lett...

Sassenheim is a modular display typeface inspired by an expressionist alphabet found on ceramic lettering plates attached to several bridges in the Sassenheim area of the Netherlands. www.brutaltypes.com/fonts/sassen...

New at Brutal Types: Kring is a condensed display typeface inspired by the lettering on a vintage poster for an exhibition organized by the Haagsche Kunstkring, designed by Dutch artist and architect Pieter A. H. Hofman (1886–1965). www.brutaltypes.com/fonts/kring

Truillet is a modular, technical display typeface inspired by the lettering carved into a stone mausoleum in Hermalle-sous-Argenteau, Belgium. The photographs that made this revival possible were generously provided by Belgian sign painter Jérémy Goffart: www.brutaltypes.com/fonts/truillet

New at Brutal Types: Boer is an expanded sans serif typeface, inspired by the hand-painted lettering on the façade of the former Fa. C. J. Boer building at Vest 52–56 in Gouda, the Netherlands. www.brutaltypes.com/fonts/boer

From an abandoned cinema façade to the heart of a powerful branding project. www.brutaltypes.com/news/bioskoo...

Studio Wesseling has designed a stunning identity for the Johan Neeskens Sportpark making extensive use of our Bioskoop typeface. 🥰 😜 www.studiowesseling.nl/work/johan-n...

New at Brutal Types: DeUnie is a display type family inspired by the famous lettering on the façade of Café De Unie, located at Mauritsweg 34 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. www.brutaltypes.com/fonts/deunie

New at Brutal Types: Gewer is an all-capitals sans typeface inspired by the lettering used in promotional materials for the Deutsche Gewerbeschau München, a Bavarian trade exhibition held during the early decades of the twentieth century. www.brutaltypes.com/fonts/gewer

New at Brutal Types: Nassau is a typeface inspired by the lettering on the façade of the Jan van Nassauschool (now Flex College), located at Gouwestraat 13 in The Hague, the Netherlands. www.brutaltypes.com/fonts/nassau

Spoorweg is a new display typeface inspired by the lettering on the façade of the former Reisbureau der Staatsspoorwegen, located at Dam 8 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. www.brutaltypes.com/fonts/spoorweg

Our collab with the Stone Twins has won a Gold Medal at the European Design Awards!! www.brutaltypes.com/bespoke-font...

Meet Dikehouse, an expressionist display typeface inspired by a ceramic tile sign located at the intersection of Tjark Jans Giezestraat and Molenstreek in Veendam, the Netherlands. www.brutaltypes.com/fonts/dikeho...

New interview available at Retype's weblog: Henk van Assen: On Teaching, Curiosity, and Craft > www.re-type.com/news/2026/05...

Stuurman is a stencil typeface inspired by the vintage signage of the former Bedford–Vauxhall dealership located at Spoorstraat 6 in Gouda, the Netherlands. The iconic building, also known as Garage Zevenhoven, was designed in 1935 by Dutch architect Dirk Stuurman. www.brutaltypes.com/fonts/stuurman

New at Brutal Types: Minibieb is a compressed informal sans typeface inspired by a lettering design by painter and graphic designer Theo Kurpershoek for the dust jacket of the 1961 Querido edition of Kleine Mensen in de Grote Wereld by A. den Doolaard. www.brutaltypes.com/fonts/minibieb

Prototypes of our recent font release Botter were used in the past for poster and brochures by designer Rob van Hoesel. www.brutaltypes.com/fonts/botter

Introducing Pawla, a compressed, ultra-thin display typeface designed by Ramiro Espinoza and inspired by the Deco-style lettering found on the façade of a former pharmacy in Hilversum, the Netherlands. www.brutaltypes.com/fonts/pawla

Don't miss this interview we have just published with Lennert Stok (AKA DROWLEEN): www.brutaltypes.com/news/fresh-g...

Good designers making impactful brands with Brutal Types' fonts. Check this Karma Kebab graphics designed by www.lennertstok.com using our Kraai font.

New font at Brutal Types: Kazemat is an expressionist display typeface inspired by a design created in 1927 by architect C. M. Bakker for the Nederlandschen Protestanten Bond (Dutch Protestant Union). www.brutaltypes.com/fonts/kazemat

Find Brutal Types at: www.brutaltypes.com

This concept looks easy to draw. In fact, it’s pretty hard to pull off a modular, technical, rectangular typeface that’s legible & still looks good in more than a few letters. David Quay & Ramiro did a great job with @retypefoundry.bsky.social’s new ‘Botter’. www.re-type.com/newsletters/...

New font release: Botter is a sans-serif typeface developed in collaboration between David Quay and Ramiro Espinoza. Its design is based on a series of sketches and early font prototypes created by Quay in 2007. www. brutaltypes.com/fonts/botter

Coming soon to Brutal Types: The Botter type family, developed in collaboration by David Quay and Ramiro Espinoza, is inspired by a series of sketches and prototypes David created around 2007. Stay tuned for its release!

Tramstop is a font inspired by the lettering found at a former tram station located at Verspycklaan 1 in Naaldwijk, the Netherlands. The original inscription features a style that combines a geometric sans structure with short, carefully attached terminal serifs. www.brutaltypes.com/fonts/tramstop

Introducing Aktie, a display typeface designed by P. Mastrangelo and R. Espinoza, inspired by the alphabet created by Dutch designer Anton Kurvers, for the architecture book series Moderneschoonheid, published by Kosmos Uitgevers between 1931 and 1933. www.brutaltypes.com/fonts/aktie

Introducing Edisonplein, a display typeface inspired by the lettering at the entrance of the former “Gemeenteschool J. voor GLO” a Dutch public school located at Edisonplein 20–46 in Schiedam, the Netherlands. www.brutaltypes.com/fonts/edison...

We strongly recommend this interview with Floor Wesseling, one of the most original voices in Amsterdam’s graphic design scene: www.brutaltypes.com/news/floor-w...

Introducing Brikka, a modular display typeface inspired by the lettering painted into the brick wall of the former yarn manufacturer Goudsche Machinale Garenspinnerij, located along the Turfsingel in Gouda, the Netherlands. www.brutaltypes.com/fonts/brikka

In case you know someone...

Introducing Marien, a modular, neo-constructivist display typeface inspired by a piece of 1930s lettering found on a façade stone at Mariënburg 92 in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. www.brutaltypes.com/fonts/marien

Introducing Urgell, a display typeface inspired by a striking vintage Deco-style street sign located at Comte d’Urgell 16 in Barcelona, Catalonia. www.brutaltypes.com/fonts/urgell

Introducing Paysbas, a modular typeface designed by Ramiro Espinoza and inspired by the lettering used to identify the Dutch Pavilion at the 1925 Exposition internationale des arts décoratifs et industriels modernes in Paris. www.brutaltypes.com/fonts/paysbas

Retype has a series of quality revivals of type found in books, signs and many other places—worth browsing #typography

Introducing Minicus, a compressed modular typeface designed by Paula Mastrangelo and inspired by the lettering on a plaque at Tweede Jan Steenstraat 113 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The plaque marks the former business of Minicus (Ph.) Zeehandelaar (1883–1943) www.brutaltypes.com/fonts/minicus

Introducing Limonade, a font inspired by the tiled, modular lettering on the façade of the former Limonade factory P. Verlaan & Zn, located at Venestraat 56 in Leidschendam, the Netherlands. www.brutaltypes.com/fonts/limonade

Introducing Baksteen, a modular typeface inspired by the lettering on the façade of a former public primary school in Leiden. The lettering has a surprisingly contemporary appearance, with forms that recall the visual language of 1970s electronics graphics. www.brutaltypes.com/fonts/baksteen

Meet Politikus, a display typeface designed by Ramiro Espinoza and inspired by the carved lettering found on a monument dedicated to the politician and naturalist Eugenio Espejo (1747–1795), located in Városmajor Park in Budapest, Hungary. www.brutaltypes.com/fonts/politi...

We are pleased to announce the release of Olaf, a new typeface from Brutal Types. Designed by David Quay and Ramiro Espinoza, Olaf is inspired by the handsome three-dimensional lettering on the façade of St Olaf House in London’s Borough of Southwark. www.brutaltypes.com/fonts/olaf

New at Brutal Types: Baruch is a geometric sans typeface inspired by the modular, lettering found on the cover of the technical handbook Gereedschappen en gereedschapswerktuigen voor metaalbewerking, published in Haarlem in 1938. www.brutaltypes.com/fonts/baruch

Physica is a display typeface designed by Ramiro Espinoza and inspired by the lettering on the façade of the Laboratorium voor Technische Physica der Technische Hoogeschool, located at Mijnbouwplein 11 in Delft. > www.brutaltypes.com/fonts/physica

Two minds, one voice: Inside the creative world of The Stone Twins > www.re-type.com/news/2025/11...

New at Brutal Types: Huize is a Deco-style display typeface designed by Ramiro Espinoza and based on the lettering found on the façade of the Huize Tesselschade housing complex at Stadionweg 61–63 in Amsterdam. www.brutaltypes.com/fonts/huize