Why Fraktur still works on a grid

One rule

We use Fraktur for four things: wordmarks, section numbers, drop caps and quotation marks. Everything else is a plain grotesque. This is not a style choice, it is a survival rule. A black letter is dense, and dense letters need air.

On a grid

Fraktur was drawn for narrow columns and dark pages. On a modern twelve-column grid, its verticals line up naturally with column edges. Set it two or three lines deep and it becomes a kind of ornament that is also a letter.

What to avoid

Do not set body text in it. Do not use it on colour. Do not pair it with a second display face.