Tombino

A modular typeface that is an ode to the manhole covers of Rome.

Every day million of people step right over manhole covers and pay them little attention. These iron covers are imprinted with geometric patterns and bear the name of the foundry and location where they were cast.

I traversed the city to search for the most stunning manholes’ covers, choosing those with especially interesting patterns, beautiful geometry, and other aesthetic flourishes. I took hundreds of photos of my fetish feet and then turned the functional metal pieces into a type design.

The neon color, the texture and the patterns wanted to highlight the beauty of the shapes. Tombino offers a colorful tour through the industrial history of Rome, as seen through manhole covers.

DM for type specimen eabbadessa@me.com

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