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Hot Type: Frieze

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Hang your holiday lights on a typographic armature. Frieze, by Julian Morey, isn't the first dotted grid font, but its pointillism wanders away from a strict matrix that allows it to wave in the winter wind without blowing away. The non-uniform diameter of its dots give each character the illusion of varying depths; as a result, you can alternate its four weights to create holiday messages that nearly flicker without the need for electricity.

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Frieze's origins are not quite as romantic. Designer Julian Morey found his inspiration in waste packaging at his local supermarket, and, intrigued by the punched codes on discarded cardboard packaging, he acquired some sample metal dies and translated their aesthetic into a full alphanumeric set. ANNA MALSBERGER

Anna Malsberger is a filmmaker and designer for PBS's American Experience.

Discuss this Hot Type review and other past reviews in our forums. And if you want more Hot Type, read our reviews of FE-Schrift and Radio.