Maiandra GD

The Maiandra family of typefaces were inspired by an early example of Oswald Cooper's hand-lettering, as seen in an advertisement for a book on home furnishing, circa 1909. Although many of Oz Cooper's letterform designs were cast in metal type, this particular one was not.

The weights for the Maiandra family were selected for their versatility in usage over a broad range of output device resolutions. Indeed, "the consideration of eventual display resolutions, be they for screen or printer, provided the greatest challenge in the design of this typeface family," explains Dennis. Creating shapes that conform to the rigors of digital letterforms and modern rendering environments, without losing the unique characteristics of Oz Cooper's original design, is what Dennis has accomplished with his tribute to this great designer of the past.

Maiandra, whose name derives from the Greek 'maiandros', meaning 'meander,' is intended for extended text use, as well as for informal subject matter, such as business correspondence, brochures and broadsides. "An example of a good use for Maiandra," notes Dennis, "is in printed matter relating to the turn-of-the-century art period known as the Arts and Crafts Movement. It can stand alone or be used with designs that complement its shape and color."