“We could talk about the global impacts of monoculture, monocyclic developments, monocoque structural systems, the real quantity of monosyllabic words, the constraints of monotheism, monochromatic colour ranges, the extinction of ammonoids, monocratic authorities, insane monolithic sculptures, the symptoms of monophobia, urban monocentric development strategies, the risks of monopolization, the necessity of monographic exhibitions, excessive monomaniacal behaviour, monotony at work, endless boring monologues, the monometric form in poetry, monomorphism in the context of abstract algebra, the origins of demonology, the difference between melodrama and monodrama, modern monogamy, famous monograms, mononucleosis a.k.a. “kissing disease”, Rudi Gernreich’s scandalous monokini, the return of the monoski, or about traditional Japanese kimonos.

But we’d rather talk about monospaced typefaces. It’s where we come from; time to revisit those days, and forget about kerning. LL Riforma, first in use in 2012, was released by Lineto in five proportional weights (Light, Regular, Medium, Bold and Heavy) in 2016. Since then, a monospaced companion has been on our mind.”

Excerpt from Norm in conversation with Markus Nebel, Beil, spring 2023

© 2016 Norm, Zurich & Anselm Burke