Jen Wagner | Type Design

“Feminine” as a design descriptor can be laced with stories, influences, and cultural factors we grew up with. Case in point: I always liked when people described my type as feminine, but also felt a tiny insecure twinge of “what does that mean though?” in the back of my mind. Is it too dainty? Delicate? Soft? Silly, right? Because, yes, while my type can absolutely feel (proudly!) delicate and soft, it’s also strong. “Feminine” is kickass. Feminine is evolving, perceptive, detailed, embracing. Honestly, “feminine” (to me) is whatever makes you feel held, pure, whole, safe, accepted. No weakness or negative connotation there. It’s gorgeous. And this is what I’m making of it at the moment, proudly putting that “feminine perspective” on my design because damn does the world need more of that. More beauty, empathy, grace, weight, consideration. And if I can bring that to the world in the form of letters, I’m honored. And I’m so lucky to be a part of the beauty you create with these feminine typefaces 🤍 (And to be clear, I’m talking about the word “feminine” as a descriptor often used in design, not about specific gender roles/traits as humans - although I think challenging those stereotypes can be really productive as well 🤍)

That sweet, subtle, inky touch on Perfectly Nineties Handwritten 🤌🏻 Find and license this latest typeface on my site at www.jenwagner.co 🤍

Perfectly Nineties Handwritten was made here (#2) and here (#3). No pretty, aesthetic studio or dreamy, optimized setup. Just me tracing letters, crawling under our old kitchen table to plug in/unplug whatever variety of printer and scanner I need in the moment. I feel like it is SO easy to imagine the creative process behind whatever magic end result to be just as magical. Like all the animals fluttering around to make Cinderella’s dress. But, more realistically, it’s me in my sweatpants diving headfirst under the most cluttered we-just-moved-in tables you could imagine, or shaking out my cramping hand after sheets and sheets of tracing, or doing a whole character set only to realize it won’t vectorize the way I imagined it would. Creativity at every stage is haphazard and messy and a little ridiculous. But, especially when it’s coming from an inspired, authentic space, is worth it every time 🤍 Comment NINETIES for the link 🤍

The newest addition to the catalog: Perfectly Nineties Handwritten 🥹 I love how subtly inky and textured this type feels. It leans into the analog/handwritten trend while still feeling elevated, especially when paired with a clean and modern sans and luxe-leaning branding/photography. It’s really all about the environment you set it in - add it to a textured paper background for something that feels warm and handmade, or bring it into something a bit more structured and elevated to get that lived-in charm. Either way, I’m obsessed with this new one 🥲😍 Comment NINETIES for the link 🤍

As design trends kept going more and more analog, I started craving type that felt inky, imperfect, and alive. But I also didn’t want to make just another handwriting font. What I really wanted was a handwritten version of a classic I’d loved for a long time: Perfectly Nineties. So I got to work! Every letterform was traced by hand on tracing paper, then brought into Illustrator to vectorize. Getting the scale right took a lot of trial and error. Too small and the texture disappeared, too big and you lose the natural variance that makes it feel real. Then came the doubles problem. What happens when the same letter appears twice in a row? That “this is a font” repeat pattern is the enemy of authenticity, so every single letter and number got an alternate. The work doubled but was worth every second. And the best part? They’re all coded as contextual alternates that switch automatically in Adobe programs. It just feels handwritten, no extra steps required. A labor of love, and honestly one of the most fun projects I’ve made in a long while - it finally got me off my screen and back to pen and paper. Perfectly Nineties Handwritten is beautiful, personal, and elevated enough to hold its own with the right imagery and complementary fonts. Comment NINETIES below and I’ll send you the link. 🤍

She’s here 🥹 Comment NINETIES for the link to this stunning, inky rendition of the type you made a best-seller: Perfectly Nineties Handwritten 🤍

What if there was a human-centric spin on the typeface you guys have loved the most? 👀 4/30. Comment NINETIES to get on the list 🤍🤍🤍

A new take on your nostalgic favorite… 👀 Comment NINETIES to get on the list 🤍

Perfectly Nineties: the typeface that felt like a rebirth, and continues to inspire new type 👀 Perfectly Nineties was the first typeface I created after maternity leave with my firstborn and my continued education at @coopertype . It felt like a rebirth for me too – finally being able to sit and create with everything I’d learned at Type Cooper through my pregnancy. I came back different, and I felt the clear line in the sand in my work. Since then, I’ve been honored to see it used around the world, by brands big and small. And it continues to inspire… 👀 4/30 🤍 @sweetgreen @creativedeprtmt @by_them.co @ingoodspirits.socialclub @hollister @settlersclub

Just something I’ve been obsessing over… 👀

And yes, I personally wrote this caption and slides 😂 I have a lot of opinions on AI that I’d prefer to talk about in person (and do) rather than online. But one thing is for sure, the “trend” of our very own humanity and imperfection is on full display and I am so here for it. Handwritten fonts (or, gasp, your actual scrawled handwriting), paper texture, scans and film - anything that screams, “REAL HANDS MADE THIS” is suddenly extra special. And I really think it’s just beginning. There are still so many unknowns to all of this, but at the end of the day our shared humanity is all we’ve really got. And showcasing that process of what you’ve made – that YOU made it – can make it so much more valuable to anyone who sees your gorgeous work 🤍 Wool Stop Motion: @andreaanimates Cabernet Layers: @jasminedowling Founder’s Hand: @jenwagnertype (you can find it at www.jenwagner.co)

Customizing type is something just about every brand designer is expected to be able to do these days, and there are some things you need to know that will help things feel immediately more locked in 🙌🏻 Creating a guide, workshop, course, PDF, checklist – *something* on this topic to help designers lock in customized wordmarks is an idea that, after months and months, just will not leave me alone. So before I go down the rabbit hole… is this something you want? Need? A format you’re looking for? Something in depth? Or a quick checklist to reference during your process? Comment your thoughts/questions below, let me know if this was helpful, and comment CUSTOM if you wanna get on the waitlist for… whatever this is 😂