Mrs Eaves, or “What typeface would you be?”

Yes, it’s the sort of question that only designers ask each other, but just in case you’re curious, my answer would be Mrs Eaves.

I came across Mrs Eaves almost a decade ago, and it’s remained my favorite typeface ever since. Smooth and elegant, it possesses a timeless, almost nostalgic quality while still looking clean and modern — which explains why I’ve used it on everything from wedding invitations and programs (including my own) to websites.

I’m especially fond of the “Petite Caps” version. A lot of small caps versions look disproportionate to me, but not Mrs Eaves’ “Petite Caps”; it’s well-balanced and looks especially good with a little extra spacing between the characters.

I’ll admit, I’m a little surprised at my choice of Mrs Eaves, as I tend to lean towards more minimal, “modern” sans-serif typefaces (e.g., Helvetica, Futura, Gill Sans) in everyday use. But I find working with Mrs Eaves to be quite relaxing and even comforting, if only because I know that anything I do is going to look good simply because Mrs Eaves is present.