I released Algol on May 17, 2005. The name comes from the programming language, which seemed fitting for a project rooted in computer aesthetics. At the time, there were already plenty of simulated pixel fonts available, but I designed Algol specifically to solve a practical problem for vinyl sign cutters.

Traditional pixel fonts caused issues in sign cutting because the tiny square shapes tended to fall off during application. Algol preserved the feel of pixel lettering but modified it for better performance. I created intersections that overlapped and used rounded corners to make the shapes sturdier. That also softened the tone compared to most bitmap-style fonts.

The family came in three variants: Regular, VII, and IX. The VII and IX versions filled in the counters of letters, which created a drop-shadow effect when combined with Regular.

Algol sold fairly well when it was first released, though I’ve never seen it in use myself. For me, it was primarily a practical tool rather than a conceptual project. Anyone can download hundreds of bitmap fonts for free, but Algol offered something more focused on production—especially for vinyl cutters and for layered effects.

On June 4, 2021, I updated the family by adjusting vertical metrics for cross-browser compatibility, which increased character size by 11%. I also removed deprecated characters like L with dot and E with breve, replaced reversed left quotes with proper quotation marks, and refined curves to correct outline errors.