Tiro Tamil
Tiro Tamil has its origins in a typeface designed for the Murty Classical Library of India book series, so is especially suited to traditional literary publishing but also made with the needs of today’s multiple print and screen media in mind. The design takes inspiration from Tamil metal types developed in Madras (Chennai) in the 19th and early 20th Century, which were influenced by both traditional palm leaf manuscripts and contemporary writing. The stroke modulation makes for a dynamic design for modern typography, while traditional forms of ligatures are accessible via OpenType Layout features. For the Open Font License release, Tiro Tamil has been extended to support additional characters, and features a new italic companion suitable for traditional slanted Tamil typography. Each font also includes a Latin subset including diacritics for transcription of Indian languages. Tiro Tamil was designed by Fernando Mello and Fiona Ross. The italic was adapted by Kaja Słojewska. To contribute, see github.com/TiroTypeworks/Indigo . To learn more, read Modern Tiro Indic collection for classical South Asian texts .
- Classification
- Serif
- Foundry
- License
- free
- Source
- Get this font ↗
01Style templates
Tiro Tamil for the heading, Oswald for the body.
02Suggested pairings
AaBbCc
0123456789
{(!@#$?&})
05Type scale
Waterfall · 64 → 16 pxDesign starts with a question.
Good letters carry the memory of the pen.
A soft serif with old-style warmth, drawn for display sizes and unhurried reading.
This typeface borrows the melting charm of phototype and rebuilds it, patiently, for the screen.
At text sizes the warmth settles into something quieter: open counters, a generous x-height, and forms that curve rather than cut. It reads like a well-worn paperback — familiar, unhurried, and slightly mischievous.
07In context
Text settingsGood letters carry the memory of the pen.
The brief asked for warmth without nostalgia, and authority without sternness. Tiro Tamil answered both at once — a face that feels typeset by hand yet holds up at retinal resolutions. At this size it settles into an unhurried rhythm: generous spacing, open counters, and letterforms that carry tone before they announce themselves.
Small sizes are where display faces usually apologise for themselves. Tiro Tamil does not. Drop into text and the texture tightens into a competent, readable grey — open counters, a generous x-height, and forms that curve rather than cut. At text sizes the warmth settles into something quieter: familiar, unhurried, and slightly mischievous. It reads like a well-worn paperback, holding its voice across captions, footnotes, and long paragraphs without flattening into noise. Paired with a neutral grotesque for wayfinding and labels, it gives an identity system exactly one strong opinion — usually the right number — while the body keeps doing the quiet work underneath.
08Character set
Hover a glyph to inspect09About Tiro Tamil
Tiro Tamil has its origins in a typeface designed for the Murty Classical Library of India book series, so is especially suited to traditional literary publishing but also made with the needs of today’s multiple print and screen media in mind. The design takes inspiration from Tamil metal types developed in Madras (Chennai) in the 19th and early 20th Century, which were influenced by both traditional palm leaf manuscripts and contemporary writing. The stroke modulation makes for a dynamic design for modern typography, while traditional forms of ligatures are accessible via OpenType Layout features. For the Open Font License release, Tiro Tamil has been extended to support additional characters, and features a new italic companion suitable for traditional slanted Tamil typography. Each font also includes a Latin subset including diacritics for transcription of Indian languages. Tiro Tamil was designed by Fernando Mello and Fiona Ross. The italic was adapted by Kaja Słojewska. To contribute, see github.com/TiroTypeworks/Indigo . To learn more, read Modern Tiro Indic collection for classical South Asian texts .