TYPEFACE DESIGN
2025 2024 2023
BOSTON UNIVERSITY
WENBIN HUANG
GARA
INSTAGRAM
WEBSITE
DOWNLOAD OTF
Gara is a contemporary typeface that bridges two iconic typographic legacies, Nicolas Jenson’s Roman and Claude Garamond’s Humanist Serif, reinterpreted for the digital age. The source materials include the book The Jenson Roman by Riccardo Olocco, which is about the roman type used in Venice by Nicolas Jenson (c. 1420-1480), one of the most influential printers of the 15th century that influenced the font Garamond's design, and the book Dossier Jannon, a collection of documents related to French printer and type designer Jean Jannon’s work (1580-1658), who created a type specimen with similar attributes to Garamond's.
Gara type specimen by Wenbin Huang
Garamond type specimenRomain Parangon de Garamond type specimen
Developing a typeface that merges Jenson Roman and Garamond is an opportunity to bridge two pivotal moments in typographic history, blending the organic, calligraphic qualities of early movable type with the refinement and readability of the old-style serif tradition. While many recognize Garamond as a pioneering Renaissance typeface, fewer realize that its forms were influenced by Nicolas Jenson’s Roman type from the late 15th century. Claude Garamond refined Jenson’s letterforms, softening their angularity, balancing their proportions, and introducing a more fluid, elegant rhythm, which became the foundation of modern old-style serif typography. By fusing these two typographic legacies, this new typeface pays tribute to Jenson as the origin of Garamond while reinterpreting both for contemporary use.
Gara type specimen by Wenbin Huang
Gara type specimen by Wenbin Huang
Gara type specimen by Wenbin Huang
The foundation of Jenson Garamond lies in its subtle contrasts: the left-leaning stress of Jenson’s early Roman typefaces, juxtaposed with Garamond’s more balanced, refined forms. This interplay creates a dynamic rhythm that feels both timeless and experimental. To adapt this historical aesthetic for contemporary use, Jenson Garamond features an expanded x-height for improved digital readability and softened bracketed serifs for fluidity.
Gara type specimen by Wenbin Huang
Gara type specimen by Wenbin Huang
Gara type specimen by Wenbin Huang
Gara type specimen by Wenbin Huang
TYPEFACE DESIGN
2025
2024
2023
INSTRUCTOR
Christopher Sleboda
TEACHING ASSISTANTS
Amanda Mundy (2025), Ash Wei (2024)
DESIGN
Erica Pritchett · Built with Cargo
ABOUT
This site documents student work from an advanced typeface design course taught by Christopher Sleboda and open to students in the MFA Graphic Design and BFA Graphic Design programs at Boston University, as well as students in the School of Visual Arts—including those in the new Visual Narrative MFA. The course provides a rigorous introduction to the conceptual and technical processes involved in creating original digital typefaces. Students explore the foundations of letterform construction—including structure, proportion, counterform, spacing, and rhythm—while developing their own typefaces.
Through research, sketching, and the use of digital tools like RoboFont, students engage with typographic history and contemporary practice to design functional and expressive typefaces. Each student produces a working font and a printed type specimen. This site showcases the results of that work, reflecting diverse design approaches and a deep engagement with the craft of type design.