Monarch Nova is a distant, hazy memory of centuries past. A rickety cart, blunted by cobblestones. Moss-covered dolmens standing tall. Wind-swept hills and crumbling follies. Clay pipes and pottery wash ashore…

The design started life as ‘Monarch’, the first font published on WiseType and based on a rough set of sketches. It was an attempt to capture the graphic design zeitgeist of the time – one which harked back nostalgically towards a mystical, bygone age. Echoes of the Arts & Crafts movement of the early 20th century, conjuring an idealised vision of the past in response to an increasingly industrialised world. Modernism is dead – craft, beauty, and ornament are the new pillars of worship!

Although the original Monarch was a little rough around the edges, it more than made up for it in character, combining a unique bodge of historical pastiche to create something thoroughly original in spirit. The font was revisited a few years later and fully redrawn, published in 2020 as Monarch Nova. The update sought to tone down some of the more clumsy aspects to create a more harmonious and legible revision. Besides this, it offers a range of alternative glyph sets to either tone down or crank up the character; formal pantaloons or silk breeches – whichever mood you're in.

Monarch Nova's strokes are clean, sharp and un-serifed. The font has a tall x-height, wide open counters, and features an array of characteristics including flourished cross-bars and various calligraphic cues. It's simultaneously flamboyant yet rational in design. The font works best at display sizes due to its delicate nature and stroke contrast but also serves well in running text. Legibility can be further improved by enabling the more conventional stylistic sets.