Phông

Phong-Hóa, first published in 1932, was a groundbreaking satire journal in Vietnam journalism and visual culture. Created by the Self-Reliant Literary Group (Tự Lực Văn Đoàn), it rejected the rigid, colonial-aligned style of earlier periodicals like Nam Phong, which prioritized academic discussions and moralistic essays. Instead, Phong-Hóa embraced humour, satire, and a modern use of Quốc ngữ (national script) to critique outdated traditions, political corruption, and social norms. It was both critical and playful, engaging readers with sharp commentary while maintaining a lighthearted tone. Visually, Phong-Hóa revolutionized the press. Unlike most publications of the time, which relied solely on typeset text, Phong-Hóa made extensive use of hand-drawn lettering, illustrated banners, and satirical cartoons. Among its most striking typographic experiments were its crossword puzzles. They mirrored the constraints of metal type, which imposed limits on letterforms and diacritics. Yet, Vietnamese illustrators adapted creatively. Their solutions, cut in wood, not only preserved legibility but also introduced a distinct visual rhythm.

It is within this balance of structure and playfulness that the typeface Phông – Vietnamese for 'Font' – finds its inspiration. Khải Quang Nguyễn studied Phong-Hóa’s typographic history at Atelier National Typographique in Nancy. Phông, designed by Nguyễn and published by Poem in 2025, reinterprets the journal’s typographic quirks into a modern system with five weights, two widths and extensive Latin and Vietnamese language support. Additionally, the inclusion of hundreds of pictograms and playful features extends the typeface’s utility, becoming an efficient tool for grid-based design.

The fonts contain an extended Latin glyph set covering many languages, plus Vietnamese support. Advanced OpenType features include black boxed and unboxed versions. For more information find a detailed PDF specimen below. Trial fonts on demand.

FEATURES
Words
Phrases
Paragraphs
Glyph set
Font names

Phông Thin

Phông Thin

Phông Light

Phông Light

Phông Regular

Phông Regular

Phông Bold

Phông Bold

Phông Black

Phông Black

Phông Thin Half

Phông Thin Half

Phông Light Half

Phông Light Half

Phông Regular Half

Phông Regular Half

Phông Bold Half

Phông Bold Half

Phông Black Half

Phông Black Half

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