- For the uninitiated, Berkeley Mono[1] (the font this is mimicking) is the oft cherished[2] font by Neil Panchal[3]
[1]: https://usgraphics.com/products/berkeley-mono
[2]: https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=false&qu...
- I think there was some backlash about the author of Berkeley Mono at some point. Might be a reason for considering this "copy".
- It's not that I believe all HN comments must be fruitful, but contributing the suggestion that there may have been "some backlash" against someone at "some point", could do with a little more help.
- That's fair.
I only have a vague recollection, but I found [0]. I think there were also deleted posts on twitter from @usgraphics which I can no longer find, so that's limited.
That being said, I'm a happy customer of Berkeley Mono, but I ended up liking Mono Lisa more [1].
- Hey, Neil here. This one bothers me more than it should. :-(
I posted the situation on Twitter: https://x.com/usgraphics/status/1889932074758578686?s=20
- Thanks Neil for taking the time to clarify this. Sorry I brought I point in the first place then!
Thanks a ton for Berkeley Mono, and good luck on that Houston Mono project! Kinda looking forward to it, ngl.
- > All credit for the original design and build system goes to Belleve Invis and the Iosevka contributors.
But no credit or thanks to Neil the designer of Berkeley Mono?
- This looks like nothing more than a 300+ line Iosevka configuration
https://github.com/ahatem/IoskeleyMono/blob/main/private-bui...
- That's pretty cool.
FWIW, here's screenshot of same code snippet using both original and mimic.
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ahatem/IoskeleyMono/refs/h...
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ahatem/IoskeleyMono/refs/h...
Creating such a close match impresses me. Many times, I'll like parts of a font, but can't abide by the line spacing, heights, widths, weights, or whatever.
The ability to more precisely "tune" a typeface would be neat.
- What is the point of this? Either buy Berkeley Mono or go use something else.
- Font piracy by tracing is legal. That's why the creators of the "you wouldn't download a car" ad, which used a traced pirated font, didn't get prosecuted.
- This is a weird take. I can as the same in reverse: why buy Berkeley Mono if I can use this?
- Here’s an even wilder take: to support the effort of someone that gave us an incredible font that is now being copied. Crazy right?
- Sure, if you absolutely need the original one. Nobody is talking about illegal download of the original here.
Not to mention that you can easily find free fonts similar to the mentioned font even without this chimera.
- No trust society invades high trust society.
- Not OP, but I think the take is similar to: "why market yourself as a rip off of Neil's[1] work?"
