September 8th is national ampersand day. That’s right, the ampersand, a quirky little character that’s practical, pretty and beloved by typographers and book-nerds alike, has a day of its own. Technically a ligature of “e” & “t” (et in Latin, meaning and), the ampersand is a visual stunner that certainly deserves the shout-out. We asked our own designers and creative director to comment on their favorite ampersand fonts, and they were all too eager to oblige.
“Poetica, by Adobe type designer Robert Slimbach, is a typophile’s dream. Based on chancery script handwriting of the Italian Renaissance, this gorgeous typeface has a profusion of ampersands: an extremely impressive 59 variations! Check out those swash-y ones in the bottom row!” – Chris Ferrante, designer and ampersand aficionado
“My favorite kinds of ampersands tend to be the ones that have a really high contrast between the thick and thin strokes. My current favorite would have to be Bauer Bodoni Std 2.” – Jess Massabrook, designer
“I love ampersands. They remind me of treble clefs and Dali’s mustache—playful and lyrical. My favorite is Caslon 540 Italic because its curves and tentacle-like squiggles are simultaneously elegant and fun.” – Maria Lindenfeldar, Creative Director
Want more ampersands? Check out our “PUP ampersands in the wild” post on Instagram from earlier today and this great article on Spoon Graphics on the sexiest ampersands.
