Old Brass: A Bold Display Font for Dynamic Editorial Design
Choosing the Right Typeface for a Lifestyle Blog Redesign
While working on a redesign for a wellness and travel lifestyle blog, I found myself staring at a grid of fonts, trying to find one that matched the energy of the content. The blog features stories from road trips, adventure photography, and slow-living retreats — all of which needed a visual anchor. That’s when I tried Old Brass. From the first test header, it was clear this display font had a presence that stood out without shouting too loudly. It’s bold, confident, and carries a kind of visual momentum that suits editorial content aiming to engage and inspire.
What Makes Old Brass Unique
Old Brass is a modern display font with a strong personality. It’s not meant for body text or long paragraphs — instead, it shines in headlines, cover titles, and featured quotes. The letterforms have a rhythmic balance between sharp angles and subtle curves, giving it a dynamic feel that works especially well for themes related to movement, speed, or sport. It’s the kind of font you’d see on a magazine cover for a cycling journal or a weekend travel zine.
What stood out to me during testing was how well Old Brass holds attention without disrupting the reading flow. In a digital layout, especially on mobile, the font remains legible even at smaller sizes when used for subheadings. On printables and PDFs, it gives a tactile presence that adds editorial weight. This versatility made it a great fit for the blog’s redesigned header, newsletter banners, and feature article titles.
Where Old Brass Works Best
I used Old Brass across several elements of the blog redesign — each time with a slightly different application, but always with the same goal: to elevate the tone and visual rhythm of the content. Here’s how it performed in different contexts:
- Blog Headers: Perfect for primary navigation and logo treatments. Its assertive style anchors the brand identity.
- Article Titles: Stands out beautifully on featured posts, especially when paired with a clean sans serif for body text.
- Newsletter Graphics: Adds a strong visual hook in email headers, making the content feel more intentional and designed.
- Printable Guides: Works well in chapter openers or pull quotes, giving structure and visual interest to long-form downloadable content.
- Cover Titles: Whether for an ebook or a digital magazine layout, Old Brass brings editorial flair without feeling overly stylized.
Visual Hierarchy and Reader Engagement
One of the key considerations when choosing a font for editorial design is how it contributes to visual hierarchy. Old Brass helps guide the reader’s eye naturally — it’s not just about being loud, but about being clear and purposeful. When used for headlines or section dividers, it creates a natural pause in the reading experience, allowing the content to breathe.
In the blog redesign, I found that using Old Brass for featured quotes helped break up dense blocks of text. It also added a sense of rhythm to the layout, making the pages feel more curated and intentional. Readers have mentioned that the new design feels more “designed” — and that’s exactly the kind of feedback that matters when you're balancing aesthetics with usability.
Readability Considerations Across Formats
While Old Brass is primarily a display font, I wanted to make sure it worked across multiple formats — from screen reading to print. Here’s how it held up:
- Web Layouts: On desktop and mobile, the font scaled well and remained legible even at smaller headline sizes.
- PDF Exports: Used for chapter openers and printable worksheets, it gave a polished editorial feel without being distracting.
- Email Newsletters: Added a strong typographic presence in header images and call-out text.
- Print Materials: Looked crisp and intentional in downloadable guides and planner templates.
- Long-Form Content: Best reserved for titles and short bursts of emphasis — not ideal for long body paragraphs.
Font Pairing for Editorial Balance
One of the joys of working with a bold display font like Old Brass is the opportunity to pair it with more restrained typefaces. For the blog redesign, I chose a clean, readable serif font for body copy and a modern sans serif for captions and navigation text. This created a balanced visual contrast — Old Brass brought energy and character, while the supporting fonts provided clarity and structure.
For example, using Old Brass in a feature article title with a serif like Playfair Display for the body and a sans like Lato for captions made the layout feel both expressive and grounded. It’s a pairing that feels editorially sophisticated without being overdesigned.
Practical Notes Before Using Old Brass
Before incorporating Old Brass into any digital or print project, it’s important to review the font’s included styles, weights, and licensing. Since it’s a premium font, checking for commercial use rights is essential — especially when embedding it in ebooks, templates, or client-facing publications.
I also recommend exploring the font’s alternates and ligatures if available. These small design touches can add a custom feel to your layout, especially in logo treatments or cover titles. File formats should include web-optimized versions if you're using the font online, and make sure multilingual support matches your content’s needs if you’re publishing in more than one language.
Final Thoughts
Old Brass has become a go-to display font for moments when editorial design needs a strong visual voice. Whether you're building a digital magazine, redesigning a lifestyle blog, or crafting a printable planner, this font offers a unique blend of boldness and readability. It’s not just about looking cool — it’s about creating a reading experience that feels intentional, well-designed, and engaging.
