Chicago Font by Whymore — Cutting Specs & Pairings

At-a-glance maker compatibility

Cutting, print & workflow scorecard.

Weld or Unite overlapping script joins into one continuous vector path before sending to the blade.

Plotter & output verdictWeld Joins Before Cutting

Recommended minimum scale1.10 in+ x-height on vinyl

Character set & structureUppercase, Lowercase & Numerals

OpenType & PUA accessStandard Latin, Figures & Punctuation

Best surfaces & mediaBrand Packaging · Social Graphics · Vinyl Decals

Compatible design toolsIllustrator · Affinity · Canva Pro · Cricut & Silhouette

Visual anatomy & craft review

Letterform structure
of Chicago.

The C opens two spirals with a ball terminal, the h keeps a shaded ascender, the i sits under a drawn dot, the c turns a thin hook and the a closes a narrow bowl, all at a chisel contrast with hatched shading inside the thick strokes. The flourishes are the character: they run under and over the word and take up as much space as the letters, which is why the sample sets one word across the whole field with nothing beside it. Because the shading is drawn into the letterform, the face needs 40 pt before the hatch reads as shading rather than as a scratch, and it wants black on a light ground. The black field, the gold swooshes and the small caps caption are presentation; the tattoo word is the face.

Tattoo · Ornate · Floured

Two-font hierarchy recipes

Suggested font
pairings.

Tested contrast partners — pairing Chicago with grounded secondary typography.

Editorial Serif AnchorSerif

Chicago + Glofi

Companion by Perfectype · Minimalist flared wedge-serif with curved l & arch-topped i

Anchors Chicago's fluid strokes with crisp Roman proportions on wedding suites, headers and packaging.

Inspect Glofi specimen

Clean Subline & Body SansSans serif

Original Clyne Sans preview by IngingDigitalArt

Chicago + Clyne Sans

Companion by IngingDigitalArt · Light rounded mixed case with an open e and slender upright stems

Keeps small-scale dates, URLs, nutrition facts and care instructions crisp and legible below script titles.

Inspect Clyne Sans specimen

Practical applications

Project & layout
blueprints.

Concrete hierarchy, scale and production guidance tailored to Chicago’s stroke geometry.

Brand & packaging

Window decal for a barber shop

The ornate flourish reads as hand lettering from across the street, and the tattoo register gives a barber a mark with more character than a geometric sans at 80 mm.

Hierarchy & layout recipe

Cut a 500 by 200 mm decal: set the shop name at 80 mm, keep the thin flourishes at 3 mm of vinyl minimum, and leave 25 mm of clear glass beneath for the opening hours line.

Pre-production check

A flourish under 3 mm peels off glass at the first wash; check the vector at full size and thicken the tails rather than the letters.

Editorial & posters

Feature opener for a tattoo magazine

The shading and flourishes fill a whole spread opener, and the tattoo register matches the subject of the piece at 120 pt.

Hierarchy & layout recipe

Print an A4 opener: set the subject's name at 120 pt across the top third, let the lower flourish cross the column rule by 8 mm, and set the standfirst in a 9 pt sans under the word.

Pre-production check

A flourish crossing a rule reads as a misregistration in print; check the proof and either break the rule or raise the word clear of it.

Wedding

Back-bar sign for a wedding bar

The ornate capitals give a cocktail sign a vintage saloon feel, and the chisel contrast holds 'signature cocktail' at 34 pt.

Hierarchy & layout recipe

Print an A3 sign: set the bar name at 34 pt, set the drinks in a 12 pt sans beneath with 8 mm between lines, and keep 20 mm of margin so the downward flourishes are inside the frame.

Pre-production check

A downward flourish crowded by the drink list looks accidental; check the sign and open 10 mm of space under the title.

Technical & licence verification