Typefaces by designers, for designers.
We built Gärde Design Foundry because we wanted a place made by designers, for designers. After more than two decades of typography-led branding, we know what a well-crafted typeface is worth to a brand: the cultural weight it carries, the emotion it shapes, the quiet authority it gives an identity.
Too often the typeface is the last thing a brand decides and the first thing people notice. It sets the tone before a single word is read. That is why we treat type as a foundation, not a finishing touch.
Gärde Design Foundry grew out of our daily work at Gärde Design, where we draw, test and refine typefaces for real identities, in real use. What we release here has already proven itself in practice.
Drawn by us. Every point.
Every typeface starts with our own drawings. Our team builds each design from scratch, placing every outline point and Bézier control point by hand. We never start from external font sources, only from our own library and the historical references that inspire us.
We are typographers with deep knowledge of typographic history, and we study it closely. The references inform our thinking, but the outlines are always ours. With a Gärde Design Foundry typeface you get more than a font. You get a piece of typographic history, reborn with craft, clarity, purpose and, yes, a bit of humor.
Every curve starts on paper. Every decision is made together.
Designers love narrative and systems thinking, so we built both into the names of our typefaces.
Most of our retail names follow a simple structure:
GD + an abbreviated root + IO
- GD
- GD is our signature. It identifies Gärde Design as the creator and gives the catalog a shared origin as it grows.
- Root
- The root is the story. It points to a typeface’s character, category or inspiration: a tradition, a historical reference, an idea.
- IO
- IO stands for Input/Output, the relationship between what we design and what you create with it.
Put together, you get short, coined names that tell you something. A few examples from the library:
- GD Gaio
- Ga refers to Gaia.
- GD Grio
- Gr refers to grotesque.
- GD Albio
- Alb refers to Albion and the typeface’s English typographic inspiration.
- GD Trio
- Tr refers to Trajan’s Column.
The system gives the catalog a family resemblance without forcing every typeface to tell the same story. Some families use other names when there’s a good reason. We’re building recognition from the ground up rather than inheriting a century-old catalog, so we’d rather have a clear logic than a random collection of words.
Our typeface names are not registered trademarks. Full terms are in our license agreement.
You know the value. We help you sell it.
You fall in love with a typeface. The client usually doesn’t. (If you’re one of those rare CMOs who genuinely cares, we see you and we salute you.) More often the question is “Why can’t we just use Verdana?” or “Isn’t Google Fonts enough?”
So we make the case easier. Every GD typeface starts from a clear idea, a historical reference or a specific use, and is drawn to work across logos, interfaces, print and signage.
Licensing without the headache.
We removed the part designers hate most. Our “One for All” license covers App, Web and Desktop in a single purchase. There’s no counting website visitors, no separate logo license and no “web, desktop or app, or all three?” Prefer to license just one area, such as Desktop? That option is available too.
Pricing starts with company size, measured in employees. Not users, not downloads. Small companies pay less, large companies pay more, because they can. Then you choose your scope: One for All, or just App, Web or Desktop. Simple, fair, human. Explore licensing.
The studio behind the foundry
Gärde Design is a Stockholm studio that builds identities through typography, branding and digital design.
Working at the studio every day keeps the foundry honest. Our typefaces are drawn for real clients and tested in real identities before anyone else sees them. GD Trio, for instance, started life in the identity for NGLM.
Got a revival in mind?
If there’s a historical reference you wish someone would bring back to life, tell us. We’d love to hear it.
Original work. Reserved rights.
Our drawings, outlines and font software are created by our team, and any derivatives come solely from our own work. A font license grants permission to use the fonts under its terms; it does not transfer ownership. Read our license agreement.
Contact
Project inquiries: hello@gardedesign.se
Typefaces and licensing: type@gardedesign.se
Gärde Design
Eriksbergsgatan 31
Stockholm, Sweden
