So deeply ingrained is our sense of typographic proportion that even the subtlest changes can stand out to a reader. A typeface’s weight is either regular or extreme; the size of its lowercase either goes unnoticed, or appears delicate and precious (if it’s especially small) or gentle and youthful (if it’s especially large.) Contrast is one of typography’s more curious characteristics: the relationship between thick and thin strokes, a distant vestige of calligraphy, is present in even the most mechanical and geometric typefaces. Amplifying an alphabet’s contrast turns up the drama, making it feel strange and exotic, a device that’s long been used by novelty typefaces. There are high-contrast faces that buzz with high-tech sparkle, using unexpected geometries to look futuristic, and others that feel old-fashioned, employing all the details of thirties Art Deco or sixties funk. But what if a typeface worked to avoid looking forward or backward, and instead summoned all the energy of contrasting darkness and light to create a typeface for today? Peristyle is a family that dodges eccentricity, to find drama, elegance, and style.