Synthetic organisms look human, yet are made of artificial materials. Cardinal takes its name from the android characters called "synthetics" in the Alien film series. Synthetics bear a troubling resemblance to the humans they imitate, yet emit no heat, smell, or pheromones. Cardinal translates this idea into type design, navigating between the organicity of classic text typefaces and the plasticity of contemporary digital type. It carries traits of designs by Garamont and Granjon while maintaining its own dryness and rigidity. Reminiscent of old digital typefaces, Cardinal evokes the early days of computing. Synthetics do not die. They are just sometimes deactivated.

Cardinal Classic is the core of the system, available in Short, Mid, and Long variants offering three x-heights suited to different point sizes and line lengths. Cardinal Classic Long is intended for titles and subheads, Mid for standard body text, and Short for small-size settings. Cardinal Classic Mid is the standard bearer of the family, carrying the full character of the design at the sizes most readers encounter it.