CombiStruct

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Balanced Rating: 8.51
Average Rating: 8.57
Click for more information about this rating. 8.51 37 votes

by cayo

119 1919845

Combis (or Micros) are really small vans used as local Transport in Lima, my hometown.
They have a wide range of scripts that are manually painted to the sides to indicate the main streets or avenues the route includes.
Styles vary from combi to combi, even in the same company, as I believe they hire different letterers for the job.
I'm working on a little project to make some of them into a font set called Combi Stylus & I created a flickr set to show my inspiration sources.

This one is my FontStruct version for the set & it needs a lot of kerning, but well...
Enjoy!
Info:

Created on 17th October 2009. Last edited on 7th January 2010.
License:

Creative Commons
Categories:
- Script
- Display
Sets:
Tag:
- Script(511)
- Display(3396)

19 Comments

Comment by cayo 6th january 2010

A brand new font that oozes quality. Despite the small grid it has delicate features and smart solutions. The spacing, tracking may be a bit too generous, but I know the limitations you face with small fontstructions. The K and X are too similar. Full extended set with some really nice pieces (eg.: dagger). Congratulations. 10/10

Comment by Frodo7 6th january 2010

Thanks for pointing it out, Frodo.
I was so busy with other details that I forgot to worry about the X.
I see what I can do to solve the issue.

PS I just made a minor change to accentuate the Xs waist. Not perfect, but better.

Comment by cayo 6th january 2010

Great flickr set. Thanks for showing your inspiration. I think you've captured the spirit of the hand lettering marvelously.

Comment by afrojet 6th january 2010

wow. like.

Comment by intaglio 6th january 2010

Very cute curves...
...which sounds like such a wrong way to describe a font.

Comment by chr.s 6th january 2010

A great set, based on an interesting inspiration. 10/10

Comment by p2pnut 6th january 2010

very flavorful :)

Comment by funk_king 6th january 2010

These are indeed the best rewards one can receive: Nice comments from my fellow FSors.
Thanks, guys!

Comment by cayo 6th january 2010

Very clean handwritten style. I think it adds a lot of depth when you include cultural relativity with a creative work. Thanks for sharing your culture as well as your font. Greetings to you in Peru, cayo!

Comment by geneus1 7th january 2010

Thank you, Gene. It´s quite ironic when one is a sans serif grotesque kind of guy; Boy, I loved my childhood exchange programm to the Bundesrepublik where helvetica rules the transport system, but here I'm exposed to this. So I think I have grown it in me to start liking it. :)

BTW I just remapped everything to match a better tracking, but still some glyph pairing might require individual kerning.

Comment by cayo 7th january 2010

Maravilloso! It's quite hard to bring something new on such a small grid, but you did it... And almost none of the 198 (respect!) characters looks like it was just "the only possible solution to complete the set".

Awesome flickr set, too. I'm about to make a similar collection of Berlin U-Bahn station shields. Might also serve as inspiration. :)

Comment by Tobias Sommer (shasta) 7th january 2010

Congratulations! FontStruct Staff have deemed your FontStruction worthy of special mention. “CombiStruct” is now a Top Pick.

Comment by afrojet 8th january 2010

really like your typeface and your inspiration set gives inspiration !
i really like it to !

Comment by zen_killa 8th january 2010

@shasta muchas gracias!
"Almost none" :D
And I can't wait to see that flickr set you have on the works to keep the inspiration sources comming!

@afrojet así que sudando la camiseta, ¿no?
Thanks for the pink dot. I hope you did not get biased on my tweeter extorsions & on behalf of our friendship I'm going to delete all those pictures involving you and the midget bearded lobster lady in the amsterdam red light district :) nah!

@zen_killa they are so many styles. Maybe one of them gets your creative juices flowing. Enjoy!

Comment by cayo 9th january 2010