Polka
Eliott Grunewald · Eliott Grunewald
A single-weight display grotesque reviving a 1972 Estonian calligraphic specimen by Villu Toots, itself rooted in Eugene Nerdinger's earlier German grotesque, pushed to an even bolder extreme with a large x-height and compact proportions.
About
Polka is based on an alphabet drawn by Estonian typographer Villu Toots in his 1972 book 'Kirjakunsti abc', which Toots himself described as resembling an antique owing to its stroke contrast. The design goes bolder than Toots's heaviest version, intentionally preserving irregularities in weight distribution and proportion. A generous x-height and tight default spacing encourage dense, compact typesetting at display sizes.
Classification
A high-contrast display grotesque with round, bubbly letterforms and deliberately uneven weight distribution, derived from an Estonian calligraphic specimen and rooted in the German grotesque tradition of Eugene Nerdinger.