Backstage
Ana Rita Ribeiro, Mariana Quaresma and Ricardo Gomes
Backstage is a serif typeface in the Garalde tradition, developed from the observation and reinterpretation of Garamond. While it keeps the legibility, proportion and elegance associated with Renaissance models, its design introduces a more vertical structure, more defined serifs and a more contemporary graphic presence.
Backstage seeks a balance between tradition and the present. Garamond’s characteristic organic forms were simplified and rationalized, resulting in a more assertive visual language without compromising performance in running text.
The name reflects the concept behind the family and its specimen: bringing the elegance of classical typography into a less conventional world — the backstage of live music and the preparation for performance.
Designed for editorial contexts, Backstage works effectively at text sizes while keeping a strong visual identity at larger scales.
Imprint / Technical Rider:
Year: 2026
Dimensions: 210 × 130 × 8 mm; 72 pages
Materials: Specimen: matte coated 120 g for the text block; matte coated 300 g for front and back covers.
Production and finishing: Specimen hand-bound with French sewing; includes five holes made with a drilling press.
Resources and credits: Inspired by the typeface on the cover of: Abendroth, W. (1967). Histoire du mouvement ouvrier en Europe (J. Denand & P. Laveau, Trans.). F. Maspero.
Software: FontLab 8 and Adobe InDesign
Curricular Unit:
Type Design (1st year)
Supervising Professor:
Pedro Amado
Keywords: Garalde, Verticality, Inclined Axis, Expressiveness
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