To mortise is “to join or fasten securely.” Created by an aspiring furniture-maker and an ageing typographer, Mortise is a solidly constructed new slab serif, and marks Signal’s first collaboration with outside designers. A generous x-height, open counters, wide proportions, and monoline strokes make it readable and practical, while the long, slightly curved vertical serifs give it a raffish, mustache-twirling air. The X-Light is neat and refined and holds the page nicely; the middle weights are sturdy and direct; and the broad, blocky serifs on the X-Bold are exuberant and perhaps a bit rowdy. Available in six carefully crafted weights, Mortise is both a fresh new face and a versatile addition to the venerable slab serif genre. And, of course, it goes well with its sans sibling, Tenon.
