Sansarah began as a custom type commission for Columbia College, Chicago. Sarah Faust, photographer and designer on the school’s Creative Services staff, had been contributing her own handwriting to the brand. When it came time for Sarah to take maternity leave, we developed a limited character set in the regular weight for the staff to use in her absence.

Since that time, the school has shifted its look and feel, although Sarah’s oversized lettering can be seen on many a streetcorner where Columbia College Chicago claims real estate. Rather than let the design disappear, I decided to resurrect and expand upon it for this retail release.

There are 4 sets of alternate alphanumeric glyphs, with 6 alternates for more common lowercase letters. The Stylistic Alternates feature in Opentype-savvy applications will automatically rotate the alternates for a more varied, handwritten appearance.