About

The Kanji/Hanzi Prototype is a limited-scope, carefully drawn Kanji and Hanzi character set developed for each typeface in our library.

The term prototype refers to the scale of the character set rather than its level of refinement. Designing a complete Japanese or Chinese typeface is a substantial, multi-year undertaking, often involving the design of several thousand characters.

Within this defined scope, the prototype establishes form, proportion, stroke behavior, rhythm, and tonal consistency, and defines the structural and visual alignment between Kanji/Hanzi and the corresponding Latin typeface. It represents a deliberate and resolved foundational stage, without aiming for full script coverage.

Approach

Each Kanji/Hanzi prototype is developed alongside its corresponding Latin typeface. Drawing decisions are informed by the Latin design, including stroke modulation, contrast, spacing logic, and overall visual density.

The character set begins with a core group of foundational characters traditionally drawn at the earliest stage of Kanji and Hanzi type development. This initial set includes characters such as 東, 国, 愛, 永, 袋, 三, 力, 今, 酬, 鷹, 霊, 鬱, which are commonly used to define structural rules, stroke relationships, and spatial frameworks.

In addition to this core set, a small number of supplementary characters may be added to support basic layout and typesetting evaluation. The selection is sufficient to define a coherent system, without extending toward full script coverage.

Kanji/Hanzi Distinctions

Although Kanji and Hanzi share a large portion of their character repertoire and historical structure, many characters differ in certain forms.

Within the prototype, shared characters are drawn from a common structural basis, while localized forms are introduced where conventional usage differs between Japanese and Chinese contexts.

These distinctions may include differences in stroke count, component structure, or formal emphasis. Localization decisions are treated as integral design choices rather than stylistic variations.

Viewing the Prototype

A preview of the Kanji/Hanzi Prototype is avallable on each typeface's specimen page.

When scrolling to the bottom of the page, a small set of Kanji and Hanzi characters is displayed on the left. Clicking this preview opens a popup view, allowing you to examine the prototype In greater detail and see how the characters are drawn in relation to the Latin typeface.

Use and Licensing

The prototype is not a complete writing system and is not intended for continuous text or extended content. It should be understood as a structural and visual framework, rather than a retail-ready CJK font.

The prototype may be licensed for limited, project-specific applications such as titles, logotypes, or short phrases.

Kanji and Hanzi characters are not included in any Latin retail font files. All retail fonts released by the foundry currently support Latin script only, and the Kanji / Hanzi Prototype is licensed separately.

Custom Drawing

For projects requiring a small number of Kanji or Hanzi characters, such as logos, wordmarks, or bespoke typographic marks, commissioned drawing is available upon request.

These commissions are not limited to the existing prototype and may be developed independently based on the specific needs of each project.

Please contact us with a brief description of your project and required characters.