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Papyrus (typeface)

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Papyrus
CategoryFantasy
DesignerChris Costello
FoundryLetraset
Date created1982
Date released1983
Re-issuing foundriesLinotype
ITC
Sample
Shown herePapyrus EF Alternatives

Papyrus is a typeface designed by Chris Costello and released by Letraset in 1983. It has a number of distinctive characteristics, including rough edges, irregular curves, and high horizontal strokes in the capitals.

History and overview

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Costello created the font in 1982, when he was 23 years old and just out of college. He had been studying the Bible and came onto the idea of what a written font would have looked like during biblical times in the Middle East.[1] He hand-drew the font over a period of six months by means of calligraphy pen and textured paper. Costello described his goal as a font that would represent what English language texts would have looked like if written on papyrus 2,000 years ago.[2] The font, titled Papyrus, was released by Letraset in 1983.

Papyrus has a number of distinctive characteristics, including rough edges, irregular curves, and high horizontal strokes in the capitals. ITC, the current owner of the typeface, describes it as an "unusual roman typeface [that] effectively merges the elegance of a traditional roman letterform with the hand-crafted look of highly skilled calligraphy".[3] Costello sold the rights to the font for $750 (equivalent to $2,500 in 2025), and as of 2017, states he still receives "very low" royalty payments despite its inclusion since 1997 on all personal computers using a Mac or Windows operating system, or Microsoft Office.[1][4] In any case, Costello claims "it was not my intent (for it) to be used for everything...it's way overused".[5]

Availability

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Papyrus has been included in many Microsoft programs for Windows, including Microsoft Office.[6] macOS includes the font as part of its basic installation (starting with version 10.3 Panther, released in 2003).[7]

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Over the years, Papyrus has gained infamy for its omnipresence in graphic design, usually in situations for which it was not intended. The criticism towards the typeface is similar to that of Comic Sans.[8] In 2008, a website named "Papyrus Watch" was created for documenting the typeface's ubiquity and misusage.[9]

In the webcomic xkcd, a character annoys a "typography geek" by giving her a birthday card printed in Papyrus.[10]

Papyrus is used in the subtitles of the 2009 film Avatar, with a modified version of the font used for the film's logo.[11][12] Its use in the film was highlighted in a 2017 Saturday Night Live sketch titled "Papyrus," featuring Ryan Gosling,[1][13] which also claimed that it was widely used for Shakira merchandise, hookah bars, and off-brand tea companies.[14] Jon Landau, producer of the first two Avatar films, claims that the sketch helped to keep Avatar relevant during production of the second film.[15] In preparation for the expansion of the Avatar franchise, Avatar: The Way of Water saw the film series change to a proprietary font called Toruk;[15] Papyrus is still used for subtitles.[16] Following the release of The Way of Water, Gosling starred in a second SNL sketch called "Papyrus 2", in which he discovers that, despite the sequel's enormous budget, the typeface has merely been changed to bold.[17]

The 2015 video game Undertale features a skeleton named Papyrus, whose dialogue is written in the font. His brother Sans's dialogue is written in the similarly infamous Comic Sans.[18]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Bey, Justin (October 1, 2017). "Papyrus font creator reacts to viral "Avatar" skit from "Saturday Night Live"". CBS News. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  2. ^ Costello, Chris (2003). "Chris Costello—Interview". Chris Costello official site. Archived from the original on October 3, 2003. Retrieved February 19, 2024. I soon came up with what vernacular writing may have looked like if the English language existed 2,000 years ago.
  3. ^ "Type Gallery – Papyrus". Linotype. Archived from the original on January 24, 2023. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  4. ^ "Papyrus font family". Microsoft. March 30, 2022. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
  5. ^ Cooper, Gael Fashingbauer (October 2, 2017). "Papyrus font creator faces up to Ryan Gosling's 'SNL' skit". CNET. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  6. ^ "Papyrus - Version 1.11". Microsoft Typography. Archived from the original on February 10, 2009. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  7. ^ "Mac OS X 10.3: Fonts list". Apple Support. Archived from the original on September 18, 2008. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  8. ^ Ovsyannykov, Igor (June 22, 2022). "Why Papyrus is One of the World's Most Hated Fonts". HipFonts. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  9. ^ "Papryus Watch". Papyrus Watch. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  10. ^ Randall Munroe (May 29, 2009). "XKCD". XKCD. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  11. ^ Kring-Schreifels, Jake (December 14, 2022). "The Intertwining History of the 'Avatar' Papyrus Font and the 'SNL' Sketch That Spoofed It". The Ringer. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
  12. ^ Garfield, Simon (2011). Just My Type: A Book about Fonts. Gotham Books. p. 306. ISBN 978-1-592-40652-4.
  13. ^ Kennedy, Mark (October 1, 2017). "New Season of SNL Roars Back by Mocking Donald Trump Early". U.S. News & World Report. Associated Press. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  14. ^ Brewer, Jenny (October 3, 2017). "Designer of Papyrus font reacts to Ryan Gosling's SNL takedown". It's Nice That. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  15. ^ a b Jackson, Matthew (December 9, 2022). "The 'Avatar' Team Saw The 'SNL' Sketch And Designed A New Font For The Sequels". Syfy Wire. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  16. ^ Perry, Spencer (December 15, 2022). "Does Avatar: The Way of Water Include the Papyrus Font?". ComicBook.com. Paramount Global. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  17. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (April 14, 2024). "'Papyrus': Ryan Gosling Back For Sequel To Cult 'SNL' Skit". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  18. ^ Ward, Travis (April 8, 2021). "Undertale: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Papyrus". TheGamer. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
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