NN Editeur: A Contemporary Tribute to the Typewriter Era

NN Editeur is a type family that bridges the gap between analog nostalgia and digital precision. Born from a fascination with the iconic aesthetics of typewriters, it reflects Nouvelle Noire’s ongoing commitment to honoring typographic history while shaping the future of type design.

The story began when designer Alexander Colby rediscovered the Light Italic of an IBM Selectric® “golfball” typewriter — a removable spherical typing element that replaced traditional typebars, tilting and rotating to strike the ribbon. Resembling a golf ball in form and function, this mechanism not only revolutionized the typewriter industry but also left behind a distinct typographic voice. Colby could not let that voice fade into obscurity. Instead, he revived it for the digital age, laying the foundation for what would become NN Editeur.

What started as a one-weight curiosity soon grew into a comprehensive exploration of typewriter-inspired forms. Today, NN Editeur exists as a complete type family divided into three parts: Editeur Italic, Editeur Serif, and Editeur Semi. Each style offers five weights, providing designers with a versatile toolkit that can adapt seamlessly from screen to print.

With its subtle nods to the tactile charm of mechanical writing machines, NN Editeur is more than a typeface collection. It is a quiet homage to the analog past, reinterpreted with the clarity and flexibility demanded by contemporary design.

NN Editeur is available at www.nouvellenoire.ch.

Nouvelle Noire is a Swiss-based type foundry and design atelier.
They publish a tightly curated catalogue of typefaces, each selected for its clarity, precision, and cultural relevance.
Their work is rooted in the legacy of Swiss typography, yet evolves it for today’s designers — in digital culture, global branding, and contemporary publishing.
They believe in quality over volume, in fonts that endure rather than follow trends, and in sharing their work through the lens of designers who use it.

NN Editeur: A Contemporary Tribute to the Typewriter Era

NN Editeur is a type family that bridges the gap between analog nostalgia and digital precision. Born from a fascination with the iconic aesthetics of typewriters, it reflects Nouvelle Noire’s ongoing commitment to honoring typographic history while shaping the future of type design.

The story began when designer Alexander Colby rediscovered the Light Italic of an IBM Selectric® “golfball” typewriter — a removable spherical typing element that replaced traditional typebars, tilting and rotating to strike the ribbon. Resembling a golf ball in form and function, this mechanism not only revolutionized the typewriter industry but also left behind a distinct typographic voice. Colby could not let that voice fade into obscurity. Instead, he revived it for the digital age, laying the foundation for what would become NN Editeur.

What started as a one-weight curiosity soon grew into a comprehensive exploration of typewriter-inspired forms. Today, NN Editeur exists as a complete type family divided into three parts: Editeur Italic, Editeur Serif, and Editeur Semi. Each style offers five weights, providing designers with a versatile toolkit that can adapt seamlessly from screen to print.

With its subtle nods to the tactile charm of mechanical writing machines, NN Editeur is more than a typeface collection. It is a quiet homage to the analog past, reinterpreted with the clarity and flexibility demanded by contemporary design.

NN Editeur is available at www.nouvellenoire.ch.

Nouvelle Noire is a Swiss-based type foundry and design atelier.
They publish a tightly curated catalogue of typefaces, each selected for its clarity, precision, and cultural relevance.
Their work is rooted in the legacy of Swiss typography, yet evolves it for today’s designers — in digital culture, global branding, and contemporary publishing.
They believe in quality over volume, in fonts that endure rather than follow trends, and in sharing their work through the lens of designers who use it.