Karsten
Nasir Udin Studio · Nasir Udin · 2021
A contemporary serif family in nine weights inspired by Dutch colonial signage found on historical buildings in Java, named after architect Thomas Karsten.
About
Drawing on the visual character of old Dutch-Javanese architectural lettering, Karsten merges that historical reference with a modern sensibility across nine weights with matching italics and alternate styles. The family supports over 210 Latin-based languages as well as Cyrillic, including Bulgarian and Serbian variants, with an extensive OpenType feature set. The Thin styles are available as free downloads for commercial use.
Classification
Karsten exhibits characteristics of a contemporary transitional serif, blending classical European letterform conventions with modern proportions. Its origins in Dutch colonial signage on Javanese buildings suggest historical serif influences refined into a contemporary multi-weight family.