Reckless Collection: 9 Families
Total: 12 Stylistic Sets, 9 Figure Sets, 6 Others
Note: Create your own version of our retail typefaces using available alternates and other OpenType features via our Editor.
Afrikaans, Albanian, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Esperanto, Estonian, Filipino, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Icelandic, Indonesian, Irish, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Luxembourgish, Macedonian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Scottish Gaelic, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish, Swiss German, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese, Welsh
The letter inconsistencies in Times and other traditional serif typefaces served as the starting point. In particular, the different shapes of the bottom parts in the letters “a, d, u” made me rethink why they are designed differently — and why not give them a consistent form. Source
Bembo typeface, calligraphy terminals. The letters “a, f, j, r,” where the terminals follow a calligraphic approach, caught my eye and sparked the idea for Reckless. It made me wonder where else such terminals could be used. Source
Research & studies during UAL London internship. In September 2012, in London, Martin Vácha researched serif typefaces in the Monotype archives during a major exhibition. The result was the first draft of Reckless.
Plantin typeface, the “a” detail. The detail in the letter “a,” where the calligraphic terminal of the top part ends in the same direction as the bowl of the upper part, is particularly elegant. Source
Reckless Medium, consistency: Finally, in September 2012, the first version of Reckless was drawn, where the bottom parts of the letters “a, d, u” share a consistent solution.
Reckless Medium, calligraphy terminals: A list of basic characters where the calligraphic terminals are applied.
De Vinne Series, specimen book from Barnhart Brothers & Spindler, 1907. The final piece of the puzzle comes from the terminal treatment of the letters “C, c, G, S, s”. Source
Gerrit Dou: Scholar Sharpening His Quill, 1635. The master himself prepares his tool for the renaissance of calligraphy. I put everything I liked into the mixer, and Reckless is the final cocktail. That’s the reason for the name, by the way. Source
Reckless is a serif typeface with a renaissance (old-style) character and a notably raised x-height. It was designed through an in-depth study of the historical development and origins of serif typefaces in various libraries. The central concept draws from the calligraphic influences of early serif designs, blending these traditional elements with a contemporary aesthetic.
Beyond its aesthetic appeal, Reckless is highly versatile in terms of language support. In addition to Latin and Central European languages, it now includes Vietnamese, Greek, and Cyrillic scripts. The collection has recently expanded with three width families: Condensed, Standard, and Wide. Each width is available in three contrast levels: S for smaller text with thick serifs and lower contrast, M for medium sizes, and XL with higher contrast, ideal for large-scale applications.
| Design | Martin Vácha |
| Assistance | Daniel Quisek, Marek Čuban |
| Spacing & Kerning | Igino Marini |
| Language Expansion | Ilja Bazhanov, Irene Vlachou, Tuan Vuong |
| Range | 72 Weights, 144 Styles 3 VF Axes: Weight, Contrast, Width |
| First Sketch | Sep 2012 |
| Released | Jun 2014 |
| Update | Feb 2026 |
| Version | 3.002 |
The legacy versions of Reckless and Reckless Neue have now been replaced with the new Reckless Collection. Please note that we are unable to provide the legacy versions anymore!
You can find below all versions and test them to find the closest match. Unfortunatelly you can not reach identical solutions!