Author's note

Essays 1743 font by John Stracke is a free eroded retro serif typeface. Its chunky, timeworn curves and slightly wobbled outlines feel like ink pressed into rough paper on an old press, echoing the 1743 Montaigne edition it comes from. Letters are dark, weighty, and just irregular enough to look human, giving headlines and short quotes a bookish, antique warmth without feeling brittle or fussy.

Using Essays 1743, you can give instant literary gravitas to book covers, historical fiction titles, poetry posters, zines, museum graphics, or vintage-inspired packaging. This free font shines when set large, where its inky texture and subtle wear really show. For body copy or captions, pair it with a clean modern sans serif to keep layouts readable while letting Essays 1743 carry the storytelling mood.

Tags

Character map

Please use the pulldown menu to view different character maps contained in this font.
Basic Latin - Character map

Basic font information

Copyright notice
Copyright 2004, John Stracke. Based on a 1743 translation of the essays of Montaigne.
Font family
Essays1743
Font subfamily
Medium
Full font name
Essays 1743
Name table version
Version 1.0
Postscript font name
Essays1743
Designer
Based on the typeface in a 1743 English translation of the essays of Montaigne. PostScript/TrueType font designed by John Stracke.

Extended font information

Platforms supported

PlatformEncoding
UnicodeUnicode 2.0 and onwards semantics, Unicode BMP only.
MacintoshRoman
MicrosoftUnicode BMP only

Font details

Created2004-11-19
Revision1
Glyph count817
Units per Em1024
Embedding rightsEmbedding for permanent installation
Family classTransitional serifs
WeightMedium (normal)
WidthMedium (normal)
Mac styleBold
DirectionOnly strongly left to right glyphs + contains neutrals
Pattern natureRegular
PitchNot monospaced
Complete pack contains 4 font weights listed below:
Essays1743.ttf
Essays1743-Italic.ttf
Essays1743-BoldItalic.ttf
Essays1743-Bold.ttf