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Curlz was designed by Carl Crossgrove and Steve Matteson in 1995 for Agfa Monotype.

You may be familiar with the typeface, mainly because it's bundled with almost every PC that's sold, and subsequently used by sign making companies up and down the country every time a client asks for something fun and quirky. And as they don't have Remedy (the typeface used on the Cold Feet TV series) they opt for Curlz.

When should Curlz be used:
• If you are putting together an invitation for a 5 year-old girl's birthday party.
• You're writing a break-up letter and want to ease the pain with this whimsical typeface.

This blog is dedicated to all the misuse of Curlz. Enjoy.
Oh. 
It would seem Eastbourne has a Curlz quota to meet. We get rid of one use, and low and behold another appears. Here we have Appyfeet in the Arndale Centre. I give it 6 months before it shuts down.

Oh.
It would seem Eastbourne has a Curlz quota to meet. We get rid of one use, and low and behold another appears. Here we have Appyfeet in the Arndale Centre. I give it 6 months before it shuts down.

Furniture Classics, formerly Perfect Homes in Eastbourne. It may not be a great improvement on the previous sign, but it’s one less Curlz shop sign in Eastbourne. Hurrah!

Furniture Classics, formerly Perfect Homes in Eastbourne. It may not be a great improvement on the previous sign, but it’s one less Curlz shop sign in Eastbourne. Hurrah!

Here we have Kipps hostel in Brighton, a bit like Dream Tubes, I can only imagine that Curlz was chosen because of the phrase ‘curl up to’. What kind of person would go with this idea, probably the kind that finds a tshirt with a cat on it saying ‘moo’ funny. Which beyond the age of 3 ceases to be funny or clever.

Here we have Kipps hostel in Brighton, a bit like Dream Tubes, I can only imagine that Curlz was chosen because of the phrase ‘curl up to’. What kind of person would go with this idea, probably the kind that finds a tshirt with a cat on it saying ‘moo’ funny. Which beyond the age of 3 ceases to be funny or clever.

So what typeface do you use for a dealer in fine jewellery, a distinguished old-style, or perhaps a refined thin geometric style. 
What about Curlz. 
Yea… wait what?

So what typeface do you use for a dealer in fine jewellery, a distinguished old-style, or perhaps a refined thin geometric style.
What about Curlz.
Yea… wait what?

So you’ve opened a jewellers called Spiral, now you need to create your logo, why not design your own type, okay you’ve done the ‘S’, now the ‘P’ … oh sod it just use Curlz already.

So you’ve opened a jewellers called Spiral, now you need to create your logo, why not design your own type, okay you’ve done the ‘S’, now the ‘P’ … oh sod it just use Curlz already.

Dream Tubes packaging design feedback: Yeah generally good, but not keen on the curly bits on the type. 
Designer’s solution: Yeah just lopped those curly bits off, couldn’t be bothered to finish off the ends, because well, your product is shit.

Dream Tubes packaging design feedback: Yeah generally good, but not keen on the curly bits on the type.
Designer’s solution: Yeah just lopped those curly bits off, couldn’t be bothered to finish off the ends, because well, your product is shit.

Not only is this another bad choice of Curlz being used on a cafe, but they’ve also done another of my pet hates, bad gradient fills. Sign-making used to be an art, but nowadays sign-makers seem to be 5 year-olds that have found the fill feature in Microsoft Word.

Not only is this another bad choice of Curlz being used on a cafe, but they’ve also done another of my pet hates, bad gradient fills. Sign-making used to be an art, but nowadays sign-makers seem to be 5 year-olds that have found the fill feature in Microsoft Word.

Perfect Homes

Once again, where you find one inappropriate use of Curlz you’re bound to find another. Here we have Perfect Homes on Terminus Road, Eastbourne, not Stardust Lane, Pixieland, the only place I’d find this use of typeface acceptable.

Perfect Homes

Once again, where you find one inappropriate use of Curlz you’re bound to find another. Here we have Perfect Homes on Terminus Road, Eastbourne, not Stardust Lane, Pixieland, the only place I’d find this use of typeface acceptable.

Rockwells
If you thought clipart was dead, then you obviously haven’t visited Eastbourne lately. And what better way to convey the swirling of coffee cups and endless supply of Belgian buns than Curlz.

Rockwells

If you thought clipart was dead, then you obviously haven’t visited Eastbourne lately. And what better way to convey the swirling of coffee cups and endless supply of Belgian buns than Curlz.

Barber Blacksheep

And as if Saint Georges Road didn’t have enough Shop fronts branded with Curlz already. Here’s yet another less than 100ft from the previous two.

Barber Blacksheep

And as if Saint Georges Road didn’t have enough Shop fronts branded with Curlz already. Here’s yet another less than 100ft from the previous two.