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Retro Font and a Thin Red Line

9 May 2024

I launched this simple HTML + CSS site less than a month ago. At the time I didn't even know what a CSS selector was. I started with MCSS by former coworker Mike Mai, and since then I have been slowly customizing it to suit my needs (Disclaimer: all design crimes have been committed by me). Recently I made two changes to personalize my CSS a bit more.


1. CARTRIDGE: A Retro Font


I love video games and old LEGO from the 1980's, so I wanted a font with a retro feel to use for headings. SimpleBits' Cartridge font fits the bill perfectly, and a license for a single domain website only costs a very reasonable 15 CHF. I decided to use all caps for H1 headers, but I'm not certain I'll stick with that choice.


CARTRIDGE: Stylistic Set 01

CARTRIDGE: Stylistic Set 02


The font includes two stylistic sets with alternate glyphs for capital A,R,T, V, W, and Y. I really like the first set, but it doesn't look right with every word, so I'm not specifying it by default.


2. Swiss Flag Red


I intentionally made my site just black and white for maximum contrast and easy support for light and dark modes, but I did want to add just a bit of color as an accent. Red always pairs well with black and white, and what better red than Swiss flag red? I like how it looks, and it has personal meaning for me.