#lang pollen

◊title-block{◊topic{Courier alternatives}
◊short-rule{When you must use a monospaced font}}

◊make-font-alternative-list{
Triplicate
Pitch
Source Code Pro
Nitti
}


I’m in an awkward position. As your typography advisor, I’ve counseled you not to use ◊xref{monospaced fonts}. 

But the truth is — I really like them. The golden age of monospaced fonts was probably the 1950s, when IBM led the typewriter industry and released a series of great monospaced designs. One of these was Courier, designed by Howard Kettler. But the ◊xref{system font} Courier New is a beastly imitation of the original: spindly, lumpy, and just plain ugly. 

So I designed ◊xref{Triplicate}, a monospaced font family influenced by several typewriter fonts of the ’50s, and optimized for ◊xref{body text}. Triplicate has a feature that’s very rare among monospaced fonts: a genuine italic, instead of a sloped roman like Courier. 

◊xref{Pitch}, ◊xref{Source Code Pro}, and ◊xref{Nitti} are other recent designs that show there's still room for exploration in monospaced fonts. Source Code Pro is even free.