Schmaltzy is about as relaxed as a blackletter can get. It contains not a single sharp edge, only smooth curves flowing gleefully into one another. This concept was once applied by Oswald Cooper to his Roman typeface, Cooper Oldstyle, the most famous weight of which saw popular success under the name “Cooper Black”.

It could be said that Schmaltzy is to a blackletter what Cooper Oldstyle is to a Roman: Cooper Blackletter.

But that’s a bit reductive. Schmaltzy is also a modernization of classical blackletter faces, legible to today’s reader and without the baggage. If you’re looking for a fresh, friendly, and highly usable take on the genre, look no further.

Ultimately based on calligraphic hands, Schmaltzy merges a weight and width-axis into one: a nib size axis. As the weight goes up, the typeface expands in width considerably too, which can help you fit your type more easily, as well as allow for dramatic contrasts.

By default, Schmaltzy’s characteristics are more vanilla: the standard capitals are more akin to Roman forms, which makes them easy to read and appropriate for use in an all-caps setting. If you’re feeling adventurous, they can be switched to ornamental fraktur caps with the click of a button. There’s plenty more cool features but why bore you with descriptions: go give Schmaltzy a try yourself.