Coign

Coign is an extensive study of condensed forms based on the DeLittle type foundry’s Elongated Sans. DeLittle’s type — extending far beyond the realms of legibility — challenges conventional letterforms, pushing the notion of what is ‘condensed’ to the absolute limit.

A quoin, coyne, coigne or, in this case, Coign, is a wedge-like device used in letterpress printing to lock type and spacing material into place within a chase or directly onto a press.

Combining the systematic approach of Adrian Frutiger’s Univers and the eccentricities of 19th and 20th century wood type, Coign offers a vast range of condensed styles that explore how the relationship between counterform and letter spacing can alter the expression and texture of type.

Super condensed designs are typically limited to a small range of styles as part of a much larger family, whereas Coign offers 28 styles — comprising seven weights in four different widths — all of them super condensed.

Coign is available in seven weights — 11 , 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 — alongside eight different widths, all of them super condensed, totalling 56 styles. It is available to license in both Standard (‘STD’) and Professional (‘PRO’) variants, the latter containing a range of additional OpenType features and Small Caps.

A full rationale of Coign's development can be read here.

N.B:

1. In a Desktop setting, some OpenType features (e.g. fractions) may require the use of the Adobe World-Ready Composer.

2. QuarkXPress is not supported with Coign.