Acklebury
Studio Buchanan · Jonny Gibson · 2020
A chunky reverse-contrast slab in two styles – Regular and Tuscan – drawn from late 19th-century extended lining figures with an emphasis on wide, rounded forms and hard slab serifs.
About
Acklebury is not a strict revival but an homage to the varied display types of the 1880s and 1890s, celebrating the combination of wide rounded forms and heavy slab serifs that critics of the era condemned. Available in Regular and Tuscan variants, it includes OpenType features, special characters and dingbats. Modern spacing and kerning address the limitations that metal and wooden type imposed on the originals.
Classification
Acklebury uses reverse contrast – horizontal strokes are heavier than verticals – combined with hard slab serifs and wide rounded forms, placing it firmly in the display category as an Italienne-adjacent style rooted in 19th-century wood type traditions.