Terry Gillespie

Airlie is a serif type family crafted for casual text, editorial, or display use—and designed to not doesn’t take itself too seriously. Originally inspired by Garamond and 18th-century punch-cut type, the letterforms took a distinct turn during development, embracing rounder, softer serifs and playful curves. Airlie is steeped in ’90s nostalgia, drawing from print advertisements, souvenir stands and a time when the Macintosh came in just one colour: beige.
Created as part of TypeParis25, I kept coming back to something JFP said at the start of the journey: “You are here to learn, not to invent.” That really stuck with me—especially when taking on a new skill later in your career. We often strive for perfection, but in doing so, we forget that real learning happens in the messy middle: through play, making mistakes, trusting the process, and getting better over time.
While working on the regular weight, I also began sketching a condensed and black version, which helped shape some of the design decisions that followed. Airlie is available in 3 styles and 15 weights, from Condensed to Black, making it a flexible type family that feels right at home in an editorial spread—or on your mate’s band poster.
A heartfelt thank you to Jean François, Véronique, all the instructors, guest critics, and the entire TypeParis crew. My self growth and new typographic path to explore would not be possible without the care and love that goes into making TypeParis such a meaningful experience. Merci beaucoup.

‍