Rant - An Ode to Papyrus
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There are few fonts that share the sheer versatility and worldwide adoration of Papyrus. The world is, no doubt, familiar with such chefs-d'oeuvre as Comic Sans (Vincent Connare, 1994) and Monotype Corsiva (Hermann Zapf, 1979), but neither has inspired nor complemented to the extent that their sister font has in its mere 23 years. Designed by Chris Costello in 1983, Papyrus has the capacity to be both casual and formal, whimsical yet professional. That it can represent both coffee shops and the Amazon River with such transcendence is testament to its universality. Whether gilded and stroked with soft green or set against a lilac backdrop and adorned with tiny blue flowers, this shining beacon of the font file never loses its identity within a design, nor does it overpower or in any way detract from the message it conveys. Nothing communicates "organized," "fresh pastries" and "quality merchandise" quite like an Egyptian-inspired typeface with uneven edges and a quirky ampersand. The font's effectiveness is such that one must wonder why it is not yet being used on major brand-name items, with the exception of AriZona brand iced tea, whose laudable use of the font can only be described as purely genius. But those who rightly favor Papyrus are not discouraged and sit quietly as their champion continues to make waves. It is only a matter of time. Staunch proponents of classics such as Times New Roman and Palatino Linotype must accept that in the coming years, these banal aspirants will fall into the inevitable obscurity of Papyrus' shadow. "We're considering Costello's Papyrus as the eighth wonder of the world," said Jason Smead, president of the International Council for the Determination of World Wonders. "Passing it by would be like ignoring the hanging gardens at Babylon. Even Alexander [the Great] couldn't do that, and I've heard he was pretty important." Important indeed. And just like him, Papyrus is determined to conquer the world. No matter where you travel, you're almost assured to a run-in with this glyphic giant. The next time you encounter it, take a moment for yourself to admire the simplistic beauty of what some have already called "the closest to perfection one can find this side of Paradise."
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