DDEUSTCHES INSTITUT I FÜR NORMUNG N
type family
FF DIN 1451 Engschrift
FF DIN 1451 Mittelschrift FF DIN 1451 Regular Italic
FF DIN 30640 Grotesk
FF DIN 30640 Grotesk Light
“It’s very mechanical, bold, and strik HISTORY OF DIN
The history of the typeface DIN is a
This committee sought to unify public
it. In 1936, the German Standards
long one that involves many variants
communication across Germany with
Committee settled on it as the
and different designers. One of the
a clean typeface such as DIN, which
standard font to be used everywhere in
earliest variants of the typeface was
was designed on a grid and very
Germany. From street signs to public
DIN 16 which was released in 1916 by
industrial in form. It became an even
transportation and to the Autobahn,
the German Standards Committee,
more accepted typeface in 1923 when
DIN was a font that was to be the
(Deutsches Institut für Normung).
the D. Stempel A G Foundry released
standard for the public.
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Following in September 1939, DIN
In 1995 Albert Jan Pool created FFDIN,
Din Mittelschrift was what was used
achieved legal status, the same time
which expanded the original typeface
primarily and Engschrift only when
Germany invaded Poland and started
to be a more polished form for graphic
Mittelschrift didnt’ fit. These new
WWII. Consequently, the German
design. There are two variants of DIN
variants renewed interest among
Standards Committee was careful
and that includes Din 1451 Mittelschrift
graphic designers, including Akira
to separate itself from Nazi political
(main) and DIN 1451 Engschrift
Kobayashi, who was the lead designer
usage.
(condensed).
behind another version, Din Next.
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bert Jan-Pool
A apex
crossbar
counter
b ascender
bowl
counter
ascender line
Minim tittle
cap height
counter
body
x height
counter
baseline
mally shoulder
counter
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“Typography i human speec translated int what can be r -H
is ch to read� Herbert Bayer THE BAUHAUS
Design movements that surrounded
standardized, and stripped away of
the inception of DIN included most
ornament. Notable designers of the
importantly Bauhaus, which spanned
Bauhaus include its instructor Joost
from 1919 to 1933. The Bauhaus was
Schmidt who taught lettering. Schmidt
a German design school started by
encouraged students to focus on the
the architect Walter Gropius and it
treatment of rectangles, squares,
was known for combining fine art and
and circles, the very structures that
design principles in its curriculum.
made up letterforms. Also of note
The Bauhaus’ general aesthetic was
was Herbert Bayer who was another
extremely minimal and industrialized
instructor and also commissioned by
and this was reflected in all its work,
Gropius to create a standard typeface
from architecture to print design and
for the Bauhaus. Bayer believed in
Gropius stressed that the work be
creating compositions that consisted
made for the masses.
of bold geometric elements and was
Typography became an increasingly
in tune with the expressive qualities
important facet at the Bauhaus when
that color could have. Any notion of
it was viewed not only as a pragmatic
handiwork was to be dispelled in favor
form of communication but also had
of a more industrialized and minimal
the potential for artistic expression.
look. As a result, the end result to
Visual clarity played a significant role
Bayer’s commission was a typeface
its typographic aesthetic.
that was geometric and universal, an
As accordingly, designers there were
ideal sans serif font that contained no
keen to use sans serif typefaces,
capitals and was stripped of anything
which were geometric and could be
unnecessary.