Serif Normal Illes 2 is a regular weight, normal width, high contrast, upright, short x-height font.
Keywords: book covers, editorial, headlines, invitations, branding, classic, literary, formal, refined, slightly playful, heritage feel, editorial voice, display character, refined contrast, bracketed serifs, calligraphic, angular joins, wedge terminals, lively rhythm.
A high-contrast serif with crisp hairlines and stronger main stems, featuring bracketed, wedge-like serifs and subtly tapered terminals. The letterforms show a gently calligraphic construction: strokes swell and pinch in ways that create a lively, slightly irregular rhythm, and some capitals lean into distinctive, angular joins and flared feet. Counters are relatively open, while proportions vary by glyph, giving the texture a handcrafted, old-style feel rather than a strictly uniform, mechanical one.
Well-suited to editorial display, chapter openers, book covers, and branded typography that wants a traditional serif voice with extra character. It can also work for formal materials such as invitations or programs, particularly at display sizes where the contrast and tapered terminals remain clear.
The overall tone reads as classic and bookish, with a refined, traditional voice that still carries a touch of whimsy from its animated stroke endings and varied widths. It feels cultured and ceremonial, suited to settings where a sense of heritage and character is welcome without becoming overtly decorative.
The design appears intended to evoke a conventional literary serif tradition while injecting personality through calligraphic modulation, wedge-like serifs, and varied proportions. The goal seems to be an expressive, classically rooted typeface that stands out in display and editorial settings without abandoning familiar serif structure.
In the text sample, the contrast and delicate hairlines create an elegant sparkle at larger sizes, while the lively shapes and narrow joins can make spacing and texture feel more animated than a typical workhorse text serif. Numerals and lowercase show the same tapered, slightly eccentric detailing, helping headlines and short passages maintain a distinctive, crafted presence.