Blackletter Abfa 16 is a regular weight, narrow, medium contrast, upright, normal x-height font.
Keywords: headlines, posters, logotypes, packaging, certificates, medieval, gothic, traditional, ceremonial, old-world, period evocation, decorative display, heritage tone, dramatic titles, angular, broken strokes, pointed terminals, tight spacing, dense texture.
This typeface presents a classic blackletter structure built from broken, angular strokes and pointed terminals. Vertical stems dominate, with compact bowls and sharply cut joins that create a faceted, chiseled look. Stroke endings form small wedges and hooks, and counters are relatively tight, producing a dark, textured rhythm across words. Capitals are more ornate and irregular in silhouette than the lowercase, with pronounced diagonals and spurs that add decorative emphasis.
It is well suited to short-form display settings such as headlines, posters, title treatments, and logo or wordmark work where the intricate broken strokes can be appreciated. It also fits thematic applications like historical packaging, event collateral, certificates, and signage that benefits from a traditional, authoritative voice.
The overall tone feels historical and formal, evoking manuscript and early print traditions. Its sharp construction and dense word color convey authority and ceremony, with an unmistakably old-world, gothic atmosphere.
The design appears intended to recreate a traditional blackletter reading experience with a strong vertical cadence and ornamental capitals, prioritizing period character and texture over neutral readability in long passages.
The numerals follow the same fractured, calligraphic logic as the letters, maintaining consistent texture in mixed text. In the samples, the font reads best when given generous size or leading, where the internal cuts and pointed details remain distinct rather than merging into the surrounding black mass.