It’s a rather murky history, so I’ll just hit the main bullet points.Ĭlaude Garamond (also spelled Garamont during his lifetime) was a 16th century Parisian type designer, punch-cutter*, and publisher who created a number of old-style serif typefaces. Though to say that Garamond is “one of” anything is misleading, since Garamond typefaces as we know them are actually revivals of a number of different faces, designed by different people. Up close of The Patrick Bateman card featuring Garamond Classico as the typeface.Īt nearly 500 years old, Garamond is truly one of the greats. Sitting at my desk, without even turning my head I can see it on the Scotch tape, a Pantone swatch book, a Sharpie, my mug, and even my keyboard! Keep an eye peeled whether you’re out and about or at home, and you’ll see Helvetica follows you everywhere. Look around you right now and see if you can spot it in the wild.
So does Nestle, MetLife, Run-DMC, Adult Swim, Tupperware, Verizon, Energizer, The North Face, Oral-B, The EPA, Panasonic and Skype. Toyota, Jeep, BMW, General Motors and Saab all use Helvetica. Been to a Target, Sears, JC Penny, Crate & Barrel, Staples or Urban Outfitters? Helvetica.
Remember the NASA space shuttles? That’s Helvetica. Ever watched The Office? Helvetica is used for the title card at the beginning of every episode. If you’ve ever filled out a tax form from the IRS you’ve seen it. If you’ve ever caught a train on the New York City Subway or the Chicago “L”, you’ve seen it. Even though I just said Futura is everywhere, truly, Helvetica is absolutely everywhere. Maybe you’ve seen the 2007 documentary about it (if not, you should!) or maybe you’re just familiar with it from sheer over exposure. It is neither fussy nor embellished Helvetica is simply built to convey a clear message and not make a commotion while doing it.Ĭhances are, you know a bit about Helvetica already. It is an egalitarian typeface: all-purpose and lucid, neutral and forward-facing. Designers in post-World War II Europe wanted to help build a better and more democratic society, and Helvetica’s creation aspired to these goals. As a “neo-grotesque,” Helvetica was designed with the same goals of legibility and clarity as the original grotesques, but with some idealistic pursuits as well. These were popular workhorse faces used for signage and advertisements, such as Akzidenz-Grotesk, released in Berlin in 1898. Helvetica is a revival of the unadorned “grotesque” san serifs of the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was originally called Neue Haas Grotesk but was given a more marketable name when it was licensed by Linotype in 1960 (Helvetia is the Latin word for Switzerland). Helvetica is a Swiss typeface designed in 1957 by Max Miedinger and Eduard Hoffmann. Up close of The Helveticard, which features Helvetica Bold as the typeface. Pretty much everyone uses Futura – NASA even put it on the moon! There is so much to say about this typeface, and if you are interested in learning more, Douglas Thomas wrote a whole book about Futura’s history and usage, it’s a really fun and fascinating read. Ikea used it until 2009, and Volkwagen was iconic for its use of Futura for the better part of six decades (it switched to a custom typeface in 2015). Richard Nixon used Futura in his 1972 reelection campaign. Wes Anderson used Futura to give The Royal Tenenbaums set a cohesive treatment it’s used in the title cards and credits throughout the film as well as sprinkled heavily throughout the set on buses, signage and posters. But it is equally at home in the fashion world featured in logos for Calvin Klein, Dolce & Gabbana, and Louis Vuitton. Futura can be all business on bland cautionary signage alerting you of fire exits, automatic doors, and private property. It’s on cans of Red Bull and boxes of Domino’s Pizza. You can find it at Best Buy, Bed Bath & Beyond, Costco, Petsmart, K Mart, Claire’s, Forever 21, and Party City. The Futura font family (including combinations of its various fonts such as Light, Medium, Heavy, Bold, Black, Condensed and Oblique) runs rampant across big box stores and other retail locations. As one of the most used typefaces of the 20th and 21st centuries, it’s just about everywhere. If you’re thinking that Futura looks familiar, there’s a good reason for that. Volkswagen's use of Futura in their 1960s ads for the Beetle
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