Serif Other Joly 12 is a bold, wide, medium contrast, upright, normal x-height font.
Keywords: headlines, posters, book covers, brand marks, packaging, heritage, bookish, stately, crafted, editorial, decorative twist, vintage revival, engraved feel, display impact, bracketed serifs, soft joins, round terminals, ink traps, swashy caps.
A robust serif with broad proportions and a steady, upright stance. The design mixes traditional bracketed serifs with conspicuous triangular notches and cut-ins at joins and stroke endings, creating a carved, slightly stencil-like texture without fully breaking forms apart. Bowls are generously rounded and counters stay fairly open for a heavy weight, while stroke modulation is moderate and consistent. Uppercase shows a classical, inscriptional backbone with subtle flare and occasional decorative terminals; lowercase is compact and rhythmic with distinctive ear and tail shapes, and numerals are weighty and stable with clear, rounded forms.
Best suited to display settings such as headlines, book covers, packaging, and identity work where its notched detailing can be appreciated. It can also work for short editorial blurbs or pull quotes, especially at larger text sizes where the internal cut-ins remain clear.
The overall tone feels historical and editorial—confident, formal, and a little theatrical. The repeated notches and softened curves add a crafted, print-era character that reads as vintage and slightly ornamental rather than purely utilitarian.
The design appears intended to reinterpret a classic serif foundation with decorative carving and notch motifs, adding individuality and a tactile, engraved feel while keeping familiar letter structures for readability in display typography.
The recurring cut-ins become more prominent at larger sizes, where they add sparkle and a distinctive silhouette; at smaller sizes they may read as texture and could benefit from slightly looser spacing. The font’s strong color and wide letterforms create a dense, poster-like presence in lines of text.