Free Font Friday: Kavivanar

Kavivanar is a handwriting font that was created by Tharique Azeez for use in both Latin and Tamil Scripts. The dual-purpose nature of its design is actually what makes it so visually striking. Its varied line weights reflect the tool that was used to create it. Similar to the signature look of gothic calligraphy, the strokes that extend down and to the right show the broadness of the pen, while those that extend up and to the right show the narrowness of its edge. The result is a visual rhythm that both communicates its hand-made nature and lends it great readability.

The varied line weight also means that it’s well suited for body usage as the type has plenty of breathing space. The look of the typeface is inspired by a famous Tamil poet of the same name, Kavivanar Azeez, who lived in Sri Lanka and wrote in a similar slanted style.

Kavivanar strikes an interesting balance between being handwritten and digital and works well in both digital and print environments. It has a pretty mild character with just enough imperfection to feel like it was made by a human. It’s great as a display type or for pull quotes, but it’s well-suited for longer reads as well. You can find Kavivanar here.