Playwrite

Latin-based languages can be found around the world, and handwriting is taught in many different ways in each of these locations. Inspired by the diverse requirements of educators worldwide, this is a versatile, research-driven type engine to enhance handwriting instruction. But rather than a simple typeface only, this is a typeface engine that allows the creation of primary school fonts — so far more than 60 models — delivered as free and adaptable digital fonts that respect local letterforms, teaching methods, and cultural contexts.

The font families are the practical result of the team’s three year research project studying handwriting instruction methodologies around the world. Its findings informed the design of this family with regards to the calligraphic models currently in use, their development, and rationale.

The shapes within the general handwritten Latin alphabet have developed from various methodologies, trends, and colonial influences around the world over the centuries. As a result, the very notion of what constitutes primary school cursive writing varies dramatically from region to region. Letterforms could be vertical or slanted, fully joined or semi-joined, uppercase letters can be ornate and decorative or simply borrowed from print styles, lowercase letters can be based on round or oval foundational shapes, and the proportion of the x-height compared to ascender and descender lengths can differ.

This completely free family includes static and variable fonts, support for over 150 Latin-based languages, Vietnamese, and stylistic sets with a combination of eight letter variations ranging from a precursive model to mirrored loops, different degrees of slant, plus idiosyncratic localised glyph variants, totalling 68 fonts to represent the current handwriting teaching models in 40 countries.