The Northern Block is an independent type foundry internationally recognised for producing modernist fonts for brands, creatives and makers.
In The Spotlight
Nurom Next
A unique, adaptable sans-serif, shaped by an international team
Nurom Next, the evolution of the original Nurom typeface released in 2017, represents a contemporary sans-serif design influenced by early grotesque styles. A significant enhancement is its extended language support, now accommodating Cyrillic, Greek, Hebrew, and Vietnamese. Ten years in the making, Nurom Next is a true collaboration, shaped by an international team.
Mynor-B
An organic and imperfect sans-serif in 14 styles
Inspired by the Japanese art of Kintsugi—this philosophy inspired Mynor-B’s departure from the strict geometric style of its predecessor, Mynor, towards a more organic and imperfect design approach. Additionally, a desire to create a more humanist, expressive, and readable typeface, particularly in longer text passages, guided the development of Mynor-B.
Cagney
A modern grotesque slab serif in 14 styles
Cagney is a modern grotesque slab with humanist touches. The inspiration comes from the Egyptian style of the 19th century. Outsized ball terminals and off-track angles, mix with heavy and light strokes, to give an unexpected dynamic. Applying deep cuts and ink traps makes an impactful typeface, compatible with modern-day scenarios.
Heltar
A typeface born from the legacy of Helvetica
Heltar is a modern neo-grotesque typeface born from the legacy of Helvetica and refined for the digital age. Drawing inspiration from The Designers Republic’s treatment of Helvetica and the improvements of Hass Unica, Heltar strikes a balance between homage and innovation. Its meticulously crafted letterforms ensures readability and rhythm, even under close tracking.
Paradroid Mono Soft
A refined, rounded adaptation of the original Paradroid typeface
The typeface retains Paradroid’s pragmatic and balanced design, placing it at the midpoint of the grotesque and geometric style spectrum. The rounded edges introduce a subtle softness, enhancing its approachability while maintaining the neutral and modern aesthetics of the original design. This results in a typeface that is functional and easy to read, with a smooth, understated character.
Zabawa
A playful handwritten typeface with a distinctive personality
Zabawa is a playful handwritten typeface that explores the possibilities of the pointed brush tool, capturing a distinctive hand-drawn personality. Light and rhythmic forms give a sense of freshness and natural flow, with each stroke telling a story reminiscent of playful doodles on a napkin, or spontaneous scribbles on a shopping list.
Latest News
RELEASES
Nurom Next by The Northern Block—
Unified over a decade. Unified with respect. Unified by design.
RELEASES
A typeface for world-builders and futurists—The Northern Block’s Heltar strikes a balance between homage and innovation.
FONTS IN USE
Moret—Undoubtedly distinctive and one of The Northern Block’s most popular typefaces used by creatives worldwide.
RELEASES
Uniquely Destroyed and Boldly Re-made: Mynor-B, The Latest Typeface from The Northern Block. Read more about its inspiration →
NEWS
Success for Angusta at the Hiiibrand International Design Awards, as the typeface wins its second competition.
NEWS
A round-up of foundry news from the last six months, featuring Mynor-B, Markus Low, and Zabawa. Plus, a sneak peek of Nurom Next.
Our Approach
Customise it
We’ve been making typefaces for some of the world’s leading companies for the best part of a decade. And out of this, have concluded that no two type design projects are the same. Work together uniquely to discover what font you want to make and learn to understand the details behind its making.
Modify it
Modifying a typeface together can be a faster cost-effective solution when budgets and deadlines don’t allow for a design made from scratch. You may have been working with one of our existing fonts and would like to have an exclusive version to create a unique visual identity.
Expand it
The Northern Block, in collaboration with trusted partners around the globe, has the experience and expertise to expand a font to cover the following languages; Arabic, Cyrillic, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Georgian, Greek, Hebrew, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Thai and Indic.
