Plain Form is an independent foundry and publisher. Through letterforms and printed matter, we build a space for critical and expressive approaches to typography.
“From Another Mother”
Notes on the design of Petit Frère
This text explores how Petit Frère emerged as both a complement and a counterpoint to other Plain Form typefaces. Designed in two cuts, Narrow and Wide, the family reflects on siblinghood—formal, emotional, and structural. Rather than using contrast to signal function or hierarchy, Petit Frère treats it as a quiet negotiation between identities. Through modest means and personal experience, it questions what it means for a typeface to belong, to differ, or to carry something forward.
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The Plain Form newsletter is a quiet dispatch of fonts, thoughts, and sounds. Every few moons, we share updates on type releases and publishing projects, highlight fonts in use or custom cases, and offer glimpses into doubts, inspirations and works in progress. It’s written slowly, with care—our way of staying in touch beyond the scroll, with news from us and our friends, a growing music playlist, and other fragments that shape what we do. Join nearly two thousand designers and never miss a thing!