Wednesday, December 1, 2021

BigStripesMono, a different kind of striped text

The latest stop on my exploration of ways to use the OpenType feature Contextual Alternatives is a typeface family named BigStripesMono. As the name suggests, it is a monospaced family that can create striped text, with a stripe different from other striped text. The stripe is not apparent in a single character but only becomes visible when members of the family are properly layered. Two of the four family members, the regular and outline styles, look ordinary. The other two contain half letters and these create the striped effect when properly layered over the regular or outline styles. The sample in the illustration shows the stripe. 


This use of contextual alternatives is completely different from my past uses. I began with letters forced into a two complementary template shapes: PoultrySign, Caltic, Lentzers, Snuggles, CloseTogether, ZoidicFun (Trapezoidal), Lopsickles, and Hexonu. I also did ordinary letters on complementary objects: Vinetters, BrightIdeas, Eggad, Coffinated, Ribbonetters, YinYangMessages, and Zigzaggy. Similar were letters on objects with mirror symmetry: ButterflyWings and OpenBook. Finally I did some typefaces that alternated top and bottom shapes: Bihext, Undulate, Undulated, Bannetters. This is, as far as I know, the biggest collection of these kinds of fonts anywhere.

BigStripesMono is available from fontspring and myfonts.