kontotype

Kontotype is a term used primarily in niche typography and digital type design to describe a class of letterforms defined by a pronounced external contour, or kontour, of characters. It refers to analyzing and categorizing typefaces by the silhouette their letters present when viewed at typical sizes, rather than by more conventional metrics such as stroke contrast, serif treatment, or x-height. The term is not part of formal typographic taxonomy and lacks widespread standardization.

Etymology and scope vary by author. Kontotype appears to be a coinage blending contour-related language with type design, and its exact meaning can differ in different texts. Because there is no authoritative definition, discussions of kontotype often rely on subjective judgment about a font’s outer shape.

Usage and examples. In some design discourse and software-oriented typography discussions, kontotype may appear in articles about outline-driven classification, font-generation techniques, or brand identity studies that emphasize contour signatures. Fonts with highly distinctive or geometric silhouettes are commonly discussed in kontotype terms by proponents, but mainstream typography typically relies on more established categories such as serif vs. sans, geometric vs. humanist, or stroke modulation.

Relation to other concepts. Kontotype overlaps with contour analysis found in computer vision and silhouette-based font comparisons, while remaining distinct from standard typographic metrics like stroke width, contrast, or serif presence. It represents a specialized lens for evaluating how the outer shape of letters contributes to overall perception of a type family.

See also: Contour, Typography, Typeface classification, Font design, Silhouette analysis.