Betània Patmos is a free, open-source, and interdisciplinary project. It is designed by and for the classroom, with simple forms that make it easier to recognize the ductus of the letters. It isn't a display typeface; it's a connected script intended for teachers to create educational materials using basic tools such as LibreOffice, Notepad, or TextEdit.

The project focuses on two critical aspects:

1 • A minimalist design that avoids confusing the essential structure of the letters. Simple functionality, as this typeface is intended for teachers to create educational materials in virtual classrooms using tools like LibreOffice, or other readily available resources.

2 • Key Features of the Typeface: Functionality: The users of this typeface are not designers but teachers who self-edit worksheets and materials for use in virtual classrooms. They primarily use applications like LibreOffice, TextEdit, or even Notepad, rather than design software. The OpenType development has been structured with contextual alternates to ensure compatibility with these tools, following the research of Rosalie Wagner.

3 • Design: Although it adheres to the teaching model used in Spain, the typeface has been updated to meet modern requirements, removing any decorative elements that could interfere with letter recognition. The result is a clean, minimalist font. The proportions follow Montessori guidelines, where ascenders and descenders are in a 1:1:1 ratio. The horizontal proportions are slightly condensed to improve text efficiency per line.

These design decisions were made by an interdisciplinary team, including both a pedagogical department and a group of teachers who are end-users.

Reference:

•Escolar 1 – currently in use

• Rosalie Wagner – main reference — https://github.com/RosaWagner/Borel

• Ana Ronchi

• Scrivere a Mano nell’Era Digitalet — https://smed2015.it/formarsi-a-milano/

• Primarium