There’s a new update available to the Martin Luther king Font. You can download the font from your account:
You are new? Download the font for free here:
Following up on the number update from February, this Update adds the numbers: 7 9 0 0(version 2) and a semicolon.
The new version will show up in your font menu as “Martin Luther King 2021 April.” I recommend uninstalling older versions to keep your font menu organized.
A big “Thank you.”
to everybody who supported the creation of the font this month. This update is possible because of the financial support of 23 people from around the world. I want to take some space to thank them:
J. Harris, Montgomery, Al 🇺🇸
J. Horton, North Turramurra, NSW 🇦🇺
N. Renner, New Britain, CT 🇺🇸
B. Desclee, Brussels 🇧🇪
K. Engelbrecht, Bern 🇨🇭
R. Wampler, Colorado Springs, CO 🇺🇸
D. Chamberlain, Benicia, CA 🇺🇸
H. de Wolf, Zaandijk 🇳🇱
K. Tilley, Linthicum Heights, MD 🇺🇸
C. Smith, Nedlands, WA 🇦🇺
J. Ford, New York, NY 🇺🇸
P. Herman, Bonsall, CA 🇺🇸
F. Chaplais, Ile de France 🇫🇷
J. Holze, Magdeburg, Saxony-Anhalt 🇩🇪
N. Wilson, Broken Arrow, OK 🇺🇸
T. Zwitserlood, Amsterdam, NH 🇳🇱
J. Wilson, Nashville, TN 🇺🇸
G. Sjölin, Örebro 🇸🇪
R. Lindsey, Grand Terrace, CA 🇺🇸
H. Colsman-Freyberger, Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg 🇩🇪
F. Engerer, Nürnberg, Bavaria 🇩🇪
H. Billetter, Kerpen, North Rhine-Westphalia 🇩🇪
join the list of supporters:
Transparency is important. Please find a detailed spreadsheet with the total number of supporters and donations →here.
Let’s talk fonts.
Usage Tip: Activate Initial and Final Forms.
Why new numbers?
In the January update, I mentioned that almost all the alphabet letters are now in the font (capital Z is still missing). While looking for missing characters, I came upon the last page of Dr. King’s seminar notes* on Social Philosophy from October 3, 1961, to January 23, 1962. In the sample, we can see a lot of numbers.
Usually numbers appear between words. While the letters used to write English stem from Latin writing, numbers derive from Arabic writing culture. I like to think that this switching can throw off a writer. So I am always happy to find a sample with many numbers where the forms appear usually executed with more care. Note the different fives at the beginning or end of a number.
*Unfortunately, the manuscripts at the online archives of the The Martin Luther King jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University are currently not available for download. You can still see the records but no files. I hope this is just a temporary issue. I will update you as soon as this changes.
The former numbers remain in the font and are stored in stylistic set 1. You can switch between the different numerals through the advanced typography menu. In some contexts, one set may be more suitable than the other.
In Word, you can reach the menu with these short cuts:
Ctrl+D or Ctrl+Shift+F on PC
or
Command+D on MAC.
In Libre Office, you can change the stylistic Set through the character menu and then pressing the Features Button.
Future Outlook
In the next update, I will add the missing numbers. An exclamation mark or question mark is still missing. And I am still very excited about the initial and final letterforms for future updates.
You can support the development of the Martin Luther King font.
I hope you enjoy the font. I enjoy working on the project very much. Without support, this project would not be possible! The more people support the project, the more time I can spend working on the font. I will add one additional letter for each 100€ ($110, £90) donated monthly. Thank you.