Blackletter Abfa 13 is a regular weight, narrow, medium contrast, upright, normal x-height font.
Keywords: mastheads, posters, book titles, certificates, branding, medieval, gothic, formal, dramatic, solemn, historic voice, decorative display, manuscript revival, ceremonial tone, brand character, angular, calligraphic, broken strokes, sharp serifs, flared terminals.
This face uses a blackletter-inspired structure with broken strokes, sharp angles, and compact letterforms. Stems are crisp and mostly vertical, with pointed, wedge-like serifs and occasional curved bowls that stay tightly controlled. The overall texture is dark and rhythmic, with deliberate stroke breaks and notched joins that create a faceted silhouette. Capitals are more ornate and emblematic, while the lowercase is simpler but still strongly calligraphic, producing a consistent, disciplined color in text.
This font is well suited to display typography such as mastheads, posters, album or book titles, packaging, and branding where a historic or gothic voice is desired. It can also work for ceremonial materials like invitations and certificates, especially when set with ample size and spacing to preserve the intricate joins and counters.
The tone is historic and ceremonial, evoking manuscripts, heraldry, and traditional signage. Its sharp, carved-feeling details and dense rhythm convey seriousness and drama, with a distinctly old-world character that reads as authoritative and stylized rather than casual.
The design appears intended to reinterpret traditional blackletter calligraphy into a clean, repeatable digital form with strong vertical rhythm and decorative capitals. It prioritizes period atmosphere and typographic presence, aiming to deliver a bold historical voice that remains structured and readable in short passages.
The numerals follow the same angular, calligraphic logic as the letters, with pronounced curves kept under tension and terminals that end in crisp wedges. In running text the forms maintain a steady cadence, though the distinctive broken-stroke construction makes it best suited to display sizes where the interior counters and notches remain clear.