This is the design for the exclusive typeface 'Rocastle', created by Arsenal in collaboration with designer David Rudnick. Rudnick, along with Léa Bruno, produced three weights of the blackletter typeface at his studio, Terrain. The development took over four years. The name was chosen to honor the club's legendary player, David Rocastle.
The starting point was Arsenal's visual materials. The production team examined historical coats of arms, Gothic typefaces, paper season tickets, and match programs. Memorabilia kept by fans for decades was also utilized in the research. Only a few letters of the Blackletter used in the original club name existed. Based on forms familiar to fans, Rudnick created a typeface system capable of displaying a variety of phrases.
During the production process, the historical forms and letter structures of Blackletter were studied, and hand-drawn letters were repeatedly modified. The goal was to create a new form while ensuring that fans would recognize it as Arsenal's lettering. Rudnick explained that they ensured unnecessary ornamentation or the complexity of the typeface itself did not take precedence. The continuous lines applied to the representative weights represent the connection between London and fans around the world. It also reflects the history of the club and Rocastle moving from South London to North London.
Rocastle represents the cultural domain of Arsenal's typeface system. Following 'Northbank' for match-related expressions and 'Chapman' for the community, a typeface for fashion, music, and artistic activities has been added. 'The Capital,' an independent A-shaped typeface to be used alongside existing crests, was also unveiled. The project was introduced at the 'Arsenal by Design' exhibition held at the Design Museum in London on October 10–11, 2026. The club plans to selectively use Rocastle for major cultural activities and special moments.
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https://www.soccerbible.com/design/miscellaneous/2026/10/arsenals-new-rocastle-typeface-is-a-beaut
