Ladna is a grotesk-style typeface that doesn’t take itself too seriously and has a friendly presence through its slight quirks which it doesn’t bother hiding. The typeface interprets certain clumsiness of soviet-era enamel street signs found around Estonia, giving it a relaxed tone while not interrupting the reading experience too much. Ladna sits in the “workhorse” category of typefaces that can just as easily be used for headlines and running text. The word “Ladna” comes from the Russian “Ладно” which literally means “Okay” but is also used to describe something as alright/easy/simple/familiar etc.
Ladna Faux is the nihilist companion to Ladna that is blissfully unaware of optical correctness. Its italics are robust obliques of the normal styles and the faux upright styles were achieved by back-slanting true italics — a No-go zone considered by typography connoisseurs, but a suitable addition to a font family rooted in amateurism.
Both typeface families come in 18 styles, plus Variable Fonts.
Available at Tüpokompanii
Download free trials here
Credits:
Andree Paat & Aimur Takk (type design)
Igino Marini (spacing and kerning)
ETDM (Support for Cyrillic language extension)
Ladna Black weights were inspired by the iconic signage on the roof of the “Standard“ furniture factory building in Tallinn (1970, architect Ülo Ilves). Photo by Tõnu Tunnel.
Soviet-era enamel street signs in Tallinn, Estonia
