Nikki New Roman combines noticeably thin hairlines with sturdy serifs – a combination resulting in a balanced design which works well at both standard and smaller text sizes. Nikki’s utility at smaller text sizes was a specific design criterion, well achieved by designer George Ryan. The elegant equilibrium of this typeface presents itself as a playfulness on the page, though it has ‘legs’ also in formal contexts.

The discerning observer will detect traces of Hermann Zapf’s Melior design of the 1950’s.

This typeface was named for one of George’s daughters, at her request, after she discovered that another of George’s designs (ITC Kristen) bore an appellation strikingly similar to that of her sister. And then there was peace...