Futura: the modern type
Futura is a very versatile sans-serif font that is legible large or small. It has many different weights to make it even more versatile. It is still very applicable in many different contexts even almost a century after it was created. When a sans-serif font is needed, it is a go to for many designers.
Paul Renner
Sans-serif type is a modern,
font on geometric shapes,
uncluttered form of typogra-
and at first his designs
phy that rejects the use of
were hardly recognizable
serifs, or the “little finishing
as letters. The Bauer Type
strokes” that appear on
Foundry of Frankfurt worked
many classic typefaces.
with Renner to develop
Sans-serif fonts began to
a cleaner look while still
be used on a mass scale,
maintaining his initial
although poorly executed,
geometric forms, and they
in the mid 19th century.
released the official font to
The Bauhaus movement of
the public in 1927. Futura
1919-1933, which em-
is applicable in many
phasized legible, minimum
different contexts. It has a
shape fonts and geometric
variety of weights, and the
patterns, adopted the
letters can be condensed to
sans-serif form. Although not
maximize space. Its sharp
a member of the Bauhaus
angles and shape like
movement, as a designer
forms make it recogniz-
Paul Renner was no doubt
able and legible from any
influenced by their ideas.
distance. It can be used
He began sketching what
for large headlines, small
would originally become
body text, and everything
the classic sans-serif Futura
in between.
in 1924. He based the
From top to bottom: Futura Light, Futura Book, Futura Bold, Futura ExtraBold; lowercase is oblique form of each
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J
TH E TRULY
MODERN TO BE
IS WHAT WE HOLD TODAY
TIMELESSLY
PERFECT —PAUL RENNER
Futura is
EVERYWHERE
IMAGES Red Bull: i.huffpost.com/gen/2146856/images/o-RED-BULL-CAN-facebook.jpg Dominos: pizza.dominos.com/store/2778/photo-0.jpg Louis Vuitton: farm4.staticflickr.com/3051/2819966209_335876d594_b.jpg Best Buy: technobuffalo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/best-buy-logo.jpeg Absolut Vodka: cdn.scankart.com.s3.amazonaws.com/metadata/spirits/assets/absolut-vodka-3.png Renner: media.mutualart.com/Images/2012_12/06/09/093609604/f8ad5fa4-dcd4-416b-83ed-5de0281b5b9a.Jpeg TEXT Ettenberg, Eugene M. “FUTURA--A Typeface For Our Times.” American Artist 18.6 (1954): 44-99. Art & Architecture Complete. Web. 22 Sept. 2015. “Futura® Font Family.” Fonts.com. Web. 22 Sept. 2015. rlv.zcache.com/paul_renner_quote_sticker-rc72bf7c44cc04776b357b39a3ca39df0_v9byj_1024.jpg?rlvnet=1