Faces We Love: Heine’s Tribute

Available from Emigre.com, Frank Heine’s Tribute (specimen book samples | home page) is based on types cut by François Guyot around 1565 in the Netherlands. Lying somewhere between revival and homage, Heine’s family of eight fonts maintains legibility at small sizes while preserving the archaic feel of the original.

Crisp yet “antique,” Tribute is perfect for design concepts requiring an aged or weathered feeling. Scan old paper — or download Dave Rau’s stained and scratched textures from iStockphoto — and you’re halfway there.

Tribute is best appreciated when viewed in a printed layout. Emigre’s recently published, lovingly crafted mini-booklet, “Various Types,” shows the font family to advantage. The booklet contains enlightening essays on a handful of superb Emigre faces. Besides Tribute, it features Fairplex, Los Feliz, and Cholla. The booklet comes free in the mail if you have ordered Emigre fonts in the past. Unfortunately, it’s not clear from the company’s site if it is possible to request (or buy) a copy.

Previous Heine typefaces for Emigre include the still-popular Remedy (queen of the early 90s ball) and Dalliance, a fine script with elegant flourishes.

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