11/29/24

Ligatures make me happy. I’m not sure why. I suppose it’s something to do with connection. Certain letters only change when they are placed next to each other.

I love seeing how different typefaces tackle the question. There is the obvious way to join some pairings, like f and i, because elements clash without some kind of shift.

But discretionary ligatures are my favorite. These are characters that don’t have to adapt for reasons of machinery or even legibility. These glyphs choose to merge. They do it because it’s more interesting to adapt to the person next to you than to stand alone in an unchanging shape.

*The E and N in my logo are an example of a discretionary ligature.