Matrix II by Emigre is a thoughtfully refined display typeface, born from a complete reworking of the original Matrix family that Zuzana Licko designed in 1986. When Emigre undertook this substantial redesign in 2007, they were developing an OpenType version and saw an ideal opportunity to revisit and improve characters that had been in circulation for nearly two decades. The contrast between thick and thin strokes was carefully adjusted where needed, overshoots were corrected to improve optical quality, and character widths were regularized for better overall consistency and balance.

The refinement touches every corner of the typeface. The f's cross stroke was simplified across most weights, while the lowercase g received careful attention with a newly designed alternate single-story version added for extra typographic flexibility. Beyond these character-level improvements, the entire family expanded with seven substantial additions: Semi Narrow, Semi Wide, Semi Tall, Inline Italic, and three full weights of Italic, giving designers far more versatility than the original ever offered.

Matrix II excels for luxury brand identity systems, high-end fashion and beauty packaging, sophisticated editorial layouts, and gallery poster design. The thoughtful refinements make it feel contemporary without losing the distinctive personality that made Matrix memorable. Find Matrix II on Creative Fabrica and put this refined typeface to work on your next project.