no meal 'til breakfast—

Handwritten Textura Blackletter Variable Font

OC Noctem translates handwritten calligraphy into a flexible variable blackletter typeface for modern branding, editorial and display use.

A seamless fusion of traditional techniques with digital innovation.

OC Noctem is a handcrafted Textura blackletter font that bridges traditional calligraphy with modern variable type technology. Originally written by hand using a Pilot Parallel pen and later digitized, the typeface retains the rhythm and texture of historical blackletter while offering real-time flexibility for contemporary design use.

Inspired by the Textura Quadrata style used across Western Europe from the 13th to 15th centuries, OC Noctem brings this structured, woven letterform language into a customizable digital format suited for branding, editorial, and expressive typography.

The font is named Noctem as a tribute to all of the projects that get done after hours; when the phone stops ringing, emails stop coming, the kids have gone to bed, and there’s no meal ’til breakfast.

‘Carpe Noctem’, meaning ‘Seize the Night,’ stands in contrast to the well-known Latin phrase Carpe Diem, which means ‘Seize the Day’.

One license. Every style. All media.

From $50.

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Write

Multiple versions of each letter of the alphabet were written using a Pilot Parallel 6mm •

Scan

The letters were then scanned •

Trace

The scans were converted into scalable vectors to be taken across to the font software •

Pilot Parallel 6.0mm [Alt+P]

Horizontal Grid

Horizontal grids are set in evenly spaced “units”; one unit is the width of the nib being used to write with, in this case a 6mm Pilot Parallel pen. For blackletter text, a 2-4-2 ratio is common. Using the variable axes the ratio of Carpe Noctem is adjustable, starting at a 1-5-1 ratio. •

Vertical Rhythm

In theory the width between vertical strokes and between letters should be the same as the width of the stems, on an evenly spaced vertical grid. This has been used as a guide rather than dogma, and there is some kerning in the font to adjust for the appearance of larger spaces caused by certain adjacent creating negative space. •

Height

The Height axis adjusts the x-height / waist •

Heads

The Heads axis adjust the height of the ascenders •

Tails

The Tails axis adjusts the depth of the descenders •

GIFs made with:

Axes in Action

Using the variable axes to create customized display text in real time •

From Handwritten Calligraphy to Variable Font

OC Noctem began as ink on paper — written by hand before becoming a variable typeface.

With traditional calligraphy, every decision is permanent. If you want a letter taller, a word darker, or a composition more condensed, you write it again, sometimes the entire word, sometimes the entire page.

OC Noctem translates that tactile process into a flexible digital form. The original handwritten letters are preserved, but liberated from the fixed nature of ink. As a variable font, proportions, rhythm, and texture can be adjusted in real time, allowing experimentation without losing the character of the craft.

This hybrid approach allows manual discipline and digital precision to inform one another. The sensitivity developed through pen and paper carries into the screen, while the flexibility of digital tools extends what the hand alone can achieve.

What is Textura Blackletter?

Textura is a tightly structured blackletter style built from repeated vertical strokes.

Used across Western Europe from the 13th to 15th centuries, Textura creates a woven texture through its angular rhythm. OC Noctem draws on this logic while adapting it for contemporary use.

Alts ESX

At max height the letters in this example create a lot of negative space that breaks the vertical rhythm of the text — the alts are used to close the space and restore the rhythm •

Alts A R

The flourish on the 'a' fills some space and balances with the bar on the 'e'— the 'half r' distributes the negative space on the right side of the 'r' more evenly •

ss01

ss02

ss03

ss04

ss05

ss06

ss07

Omega

Alt+Z on the keyboard is the new Omega glyph which indicates the axes values of the variable font •

Ligatures

To prevent collisions and to tighten spacing between certain pairings, some ligatures deviate from the height parameters, adding a musical quality to text •

cc ee fa ff ffi ffl fi fj fl ft ri rr ss tt cc ee fa ff ffi ffl fi fj fl ft ri rr ss tt

Numbers

Roman Numerals

Marks

Ink smudges and other marks can be accessed with ligatures turned on •

Extras

Basic symbols that weren't around in the textura years are included in system font style forms •

OG Tester

young dynamite

Pangram

Seize the night crew vexed a kumquat, big up yourself. Ω

Glyph Set

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz.,:;-‘’–—™®

Static Styles

1-5-1
2-5-2
3-5-3

1-6-1
2-6-2
3-6-3

1-7-1
2-7-2
3-7-3

1-8-1
2-8-2
3-8-3

Demo & Specimen

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Variable & static file formats for all media come as one package starting at just $50

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Bespoke Services

If you love an Otherwhere font and feel that some customization will make it even more perfect for you or your client's needs get in touch we'd love to discuss it with you. ♥

• Re-naming
• Alternates Configuration
• Glyph Set & Language Extension
• Wordmark Design
• Font Customization
• Font From Scratch

Reference

Johannes Gutenberg (1393–1468)
A German inventor and craftsman who invented the movable-type printing press. He carved a textualis typeface—including a large number of ligatures and common abbreviations—when he printed his 42-line Bible.

Frederic Goudy (1865–1947)
An American printer, artist and type designer whose typefaces include Copperplate Gothic, Goudy Old Style and Kennerley. One of the most prolific of American type designers, he also designed the blackletter font Goudy Text (1928, Continental, later Lanston Monotype) “text” is short for textura.

Rudolf Koch (1876–1934)
A German type designer, professor, and a master of lettering, calligraphy, typography and illustration. Commonly known for his typefaces created for the Klingspor Type Foundry, his most widely used typefaces include Neuland and Kabel. In 1921 he wrote the book Das Schreiben als Kunstfertigkeit (Writing as a skill), which gives a detailed guide to learning how to write blackletter calligraphy in his signature style.

Jake Rainis
A calligraphy artist from Boston specializing in typographic arts. His goal is to spread awareness of this culture and help aspiring artists find success in their creative endeavors. Check his website here.