To type historians, the tilted bowls of Russell Oblique might suggest a Renaissance italic. In fact, its creator Karen Ackoff may have a little more familiarity with the Renaissance than most - she is a scientific illustrator at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

But you don’t have to be a typographer to appreciate this elegantly light and inviting font. This face also includes alternate characters.

Use Russell Oblique on menus, invitations, and book covers, or let its jaunty lines lighten up technical material and add personality to Web sites.