The typeface is still in fashion and it’s used by brands such as Dolce and Gabbana, Omega, Gilette, and Cisco.

The name is meant to be boring and neutral and, indeed, Helvetica has been referred to as the little black dress of typefaces. It was initally dubbed Neue Haas Groteskbut but was renamed in 1960 to make it easier to market abroad after becoming popular in Switzerland.

The typeface was commissioned by the Bauer Type Foundry. Helvetica was not the first name for this now-iconic typeface. The uppercase characters, on the other hand, have similar proportions to the classical Roman capitals.įutura was designed as a contribution on the “ New Frankfurt”: a public housing program in Frankfurt. The lowercase ascenders go above the cap line and use a single-story ‘a’ and ‘g’. Futura anatomyīased on that believes, Paul Renner designed Futura with low in contrast strokes of near-even weight. For instance, he believed that a modern typeface should express new models, rather than revive previous design. Because of that, it became representative of Bauhaus’s style in 1919–33.Īlthough Renner was not associated with that art movement, he shared many of its idioms. His typeface Futura is based on simple geometric shapes (circles, triangles, and squares). Despite this, Renner is seen as a bridge between the traditionalism of the 19th century and the modernism of the 20th century. He was a member of the German Work Federation and his rejection of abstract art and modern culture were well known. Other than in religion and politics, his firmness shows also in his sense of duty and in his professional choices. Renner was a man of strong and unmovable beliefs: not only he was Protestant, but also an active anti-Nazis. It was released in 1927 -but designed in 1924- by Paul Renner, a German typeface designer. Digital type: 1987 Futura Eugenia, Futura Futuris 1991, 1995 Futura PT, 1999 Futura NDįutura is a geometric sans-serif typeface.

Modern typeface anatomy