Encinitas Hardware is a vintage display font inspired by the original neon signage of a local hardware store that operated on Coast Highway 101 in Encinitas in the 1940s.
I built the typeface from an old photograph of the storefront. The surviving letters gave me enough to establish the proportions, shapes, and visual rules of the original sign. From there, I drew the rest of the alphabet, expanding a handful of letters into a complete typeface while staying true to the character of the original.
The result is a bold, all-caps font that feels distinctly mid-century without feeling overly polished or recreated. It’s also become one of those fonts I find myself using all the time.
Use it for logos, apparel, packaging, posters, signage, branding, merchandise, or anywhere you want typography with a vintage Southern California feel.
Includes uppercase letters, numbers, and punctuation.
Encinitas Hardware is a vintage display font inspired by the original neon signage of a local hardware store that operated on Coast Highway 101 in Encinitas in the 1940s.
I built the typeface from an old photograph of the storefront. The surviving letters gave me enough to establish the proportions, shapes, and visual rules of the original sign. From there, I drew the rest of the alphabet, expanding a handful of letters into a complete typeface while staying true to the character of the original.
The result is a bold, all-caps font that feels distinctly mid-century without feeling overly polished or recreated. It’s also become one of those fonts I find myself using all the time.
Use it for logos, apparel, packaging, posters, signage, branding, merchandise, or anywhere you want typography with a vintage Southern California feel.
Includes uppercase letters, numbers, and punctuation.
