ULGA Grid Typeface Family

Update August 2022: ULGA Grid now features an oblique variant. It's also been expanded into a family of different but related designs with the addition of ULGA Grid Solid and ULGA Grid Rounded typeface families. All variants and new designs are monospaced, sharing the same width as the original ULGA Grid font and matching character sets.

ULGA Grid is a modular, monospaced typeface reminiscent of the old Letraset LCD and Quartz typefaces from the 1970/80s with lots of alternative characters and ornaments to bring a fresh twist to the genre.

The idea's seed germinated while I was going through a phase of binge watching my favourite 1980/90s sci-fi movies (classics such as Terminator, Total Recall and RoboCop) that took the viewer on a journey into an imagined future. However, perception and reality don't always align. Thirty years later, when compared to today's technology, some visual elements look kind of outdated, almost Retro Futuristic.

The initial design process started out in Adobe Illustrator when I constructed letters from a few geometric shapes within a square block. Just playing around with different shapes was so much fun that it wasn't long before there were enough characters for a basic typeface. The project grew again as I experimented with designs within the shapes and set paragraphs of text in patterns, resulting in over a hundred alternative characters and ornaments, some of which double up as border designs.

This typeface may be square but it's anything but boring. What it lacks in legibility ULGA Grid makes up for in style and the end result is a surprisingly versatile typeface that can be used for a wide range of display purposes including CD covers, posters, packaging, advertising, brochures and film titles. Ironically, the fixed grid structure frees the characters to create patterns of text not possible with variable widths.

ULGA Grid Rounded is the smooth, rounded sibling of ULGA Grid and ULGA Grid Solid. The typeface consists of three weights, regular, medium and bold with corresponding oblique styles. Every character in the extended ULGA Grid family shares the same width.

ULGA Grid Rounded features a rounded square design, giving this typeface a soft, yet sturdy appearance. A contradictory mix of stiffness and suppleness, characters slide around like lead-filled snakes trying to find their way through a maze. If this typeface were a snack, it would be a smooth, chocolatey treat – too much of it and you'll feel dizzy and a bit sick. But, hey, I'm not your dad, do what you want. Learn from your mistakes, that's what I say.

A versatile display typeface that can be used for a wide range of purposes including CD covers, posters, packaging, advertising, name badges for robots, brochures and film titles. Mix and match with ULGA Grid and ULGA Grid Solid, use the alternatives, sneak in an oblique style to spice things up, but most of all this is a fun typeface family.

ULGA Grid Solid is the sharp, blockier sibling of ULGA Grid and ULGA Grid Rounded. The typeface consists of three weights, regular, medium and bold with corresponding oblique styles. Every character in the extended ULGA Grid family shares the same width.

Forged from a box full of ninja throwing stars – props from the now-forgotten 1976 Japanese film, Gridzilla, Revenge of King Gridorah – the solid shapes and sharp, chamfered corners give the characters a hard, cut-from-metal feel.

A versatile display typeface that can be used for a wide range of purposes including CD covers, posters, packaging, advertising, nameplates for tractors, brochures and film titles. Mix and match with ULGA Grid and ULGA Grid Rounded, use the alternatives, sneak in an oblique style to spice things up, but most of all this is a fun typeface family.