# Solitreo font

> A font for Solitreo, the Hebrew-based cursive of Judeo-Spanish writers, with a slanted Latin hand alongside.

Solitreo is a handwriting typeface by Nathan Gross and Bryan Kirschen that digitises Solitreo, the Hebrew-based cursive once used to write Judeo-Spanish. Solitreo comes out of the Documenting Judeo-Spanish project and has one Regular style with 499 glyphs in the Hebrew, Latin and Latin Extended subsets. It is released under the SIL Open Font License 1.1.

## Facts

- Classification: [Handwriting](https://trendhub.net/fonts/category/handwriting)
- Designed by: Nathan Gross, Bryan Kirschen
- License: SIL Open Font License 1.1 (https://openfontlicense.org/open-font-license-official-text/)
- Styles: 1 (Regular 400)
- Variable font: No
- Glyphs: 499
- Character sets: hebrew, latin, latin-ext
- Last updated: 2025-05-30
- Official source: https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Solitreo
- Page: https://trendhub.net/fonts/solitreo
- Tagged for: Editorial, Casual

## About Solitreo

Solitreo is a handwriting typeface made to reproduce a historical script. Solitreo is the cursive form of the Rashi alphabet that Sephardic Jews used for Judeo-Spanish, or Ladino, in letters, ledgers, diaries and community records; it differs from the cursive Hebrew taught today and is now rarely written. The font comes from Documenting Judeo-Spanish, a digital humanities project led by Bryan Kirschen since 2019, and maps the script onto the Hebrew character set. The Latin letters shown in the specimen are a slanted, unjoined pen hand with round stroke ends; the official notes say most non-Hebrew glyphs were forked from the open font Kalam. Solitreo has one Regular style, is not a variable font, and holds 499 glyphs across the Hebrew, Latin and Latin Extended subsets. Nathan Gross and Bryan Kirschen are credited as designers, and the license is the SIL Open Font License 1.1.

## License

SIL Open Font License 1.1. Copyright 2021 The Solitreo Project Authors (https://github.com/ladinoprojects/solitreo)

Allowed:
- Use the fonts in personal and commercial work, in print, on the web and in apps.
- Modify the fonts and build new versions from them.
- Redistribute the fonts, on their own or bundled with software, as long as the license text and copyright notice go with them.

Conditions:
- The fonts cannot be sold by themselves.
- A modified version must stay under the same license and cannot use a Reserved Font Name without the copyright holder's permission.
- The authors' names cannot be used to promote a modified version without permission.

Summary only, not legal advice. Full text: https://openfontlicense.org/open-font-license-official-text/

## Where it works

- **Teaching the Solitreo script**: Typed Hebrew characters appear in Solitreo cursive forms, giving learners clean models of each letter.
- **Transcribing family documents**: Researchers can retype old letters and ledgers so the digital text resembles the handwriting of the source.
- **Exhibition and museum labels**: A caption can show a Ladino phrase in its traditional script next to a translation.
- **Ladino publications**: Headings and quotations set in Solitreo sit beside Latin text in the matching slanted hand from the same file.

## Things to know

- **Hebrew code points, Solitreo shapes**: The font draws the Hebrew character set in Solitreo cursive forms. Text typed in Hebrew will not look like modern square or cursive Hebrew.
- **Latin derived from Kalam**: According to the official notes, most non-Hebrew glyphs were forked from Kalam, an open handwriting font.
- **One style**: Solitreo is Regular 400 only.

## FAQs

### Is Solitreo free for commercial use?

Yes. Solitreo is published under the SIL Open Font License 1.1, which allows personal and commercial use, modification and redistribution. The font cannot be sold on its own, and a modified version stays under the same license.

### Who designed Solitreo?

Solitreo is credited to Nathan Gross and Bryan Kirschen and comes out of the Documenting Judeo-Spanish project. The name table also mentions Binghamton University.

### What script does the Solitreo font show?

The Solitreo font shows Solitreo, the Hebrew-based cursive that Sephardic Jews used to write Judeo-Spanish. The script is a cursive form of the Rashi alphabet.

### How many weights does Solitreo have?

Solitreo has one weight, Regular 400.

### Does Solitreo include Latin letters?

Yes. Solitreo includes Latin and Latin Extended subsets in a slanted handwriting style, with the letters needed for languages such as English, Spanish, French, Turkish and Croatian.

### What fonts pair well with Solitreo?

Kalam is a close match for the Latin part of Solitreo, because most of the non-Hebrew glyphs were forked from it.

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Source: https://trendhub.net/fonts/solitreo (trendhub)