LRHB Industries Dept. of Public Records

Everyone who knows me, even if they don’t know Arial from Times New Roman, knows at least one font: Rosewood. What was once a great font to invoke the era of the Industrial Revolution, or even the Old West, is now one of the most overused fonts in the design arena, seen on everything from book covers to food packaging to billboards.

Based on the ornamental, attention-getting typefaces of the early 19th century, Rosewood was introduced into the digital age around 2000. While some may argue that it’s a relatively nice font (and I’ll admit Rosewood Fill isn’t too bad…), that’s still no excuse for using it in such inappropriate ways (eg. on everything). it seems that designers fall back on it for anything “old-fashioned”, using it any chance they get to invoke a bygone era. What do The Dodgers, Trader Joe’s turkey chili, knockoff BBC Dollars & Diamonds hoodies, and Old Navy’s search for a new dog mascot have in common? If you answered “nothing”, you’re absolutely right!

So instead of kvetching about it on and on ad infinitum, I’m going to offer up some classy alternatives to Rosewood. Note that proper font usage really depends on the designer picking the right face for the right job. I’m going to note the ideal usage for these alternatives as I see fit, but please use discretion in your own designs.

Western - Home Style or Railhead, from FontMesa

If you truly need to “go west”, then do it in style! FontMesa specializes in western fonts ranging from the ornamental to novel, and if you’re looking for a bold alternative to Rosewood, Home Style and Railhead are just what the traveling apothecary ordered. Home Style has a bit heavier top than Railhead, which is a little bit airier, and both come in a mixed open ornamental style as well as a fill.

Old Fashioned - Thick and Thin from Thomas Kennedy

Again, if you’re going for something “old fashioned”, I’d say go “whole hog, plus postage”. Type designer Thomas Kennedy’s specialty is just that. Thick and Thin is a wonderful display font in all caps, but many of his other designs would be just as good in the right situation. Thick and Thin in particular mixes beautifully with a variety of other fonts, be they serif or sans, or even script.

I know this is a small sample of what’s out there, but take just a few moments of your day to think about what you’re doing, and wether or not Rosewood is really the best font for the job. Take a look at Myfonts, if just for a moment, and hopefully you’ll be steered in the right direction, saved from using what has to be the typographic “page curl” of the new millennium.