Univers Typeface Book

Page 1

Uni 1957

vers


U


Univers 2 Adrian Frutiger 4 Characteristics of the Typeface 7 Comparisons 10 Univers in Use 12 References, Bibliography, Colophon

1


Adrian

Frutiger


“When I put my pen to a blank sheet, black isn’t added but rather the white sheet is deprived of light.” Adrian Frutiger is one of the most important

Frutiger has created a broad range of typefaces

type designers to emerge since World War II. He

including OCR-B a type for optical character rec-

is the designer of many notable faces—the best

ognition. His 1982 Breughel is an original face

known being the sans serifs Univers and

almost wholly comprised of curves and fitting

Frutiger—and was one of the first designers to

into no existing type category. He has embraced

create type for film.

new technology and used it to advantage in faces such as Centennial, a modern whose fine

Although Frutiger has said that all his types

serifs are made possible by recent improve-

have Univers as their skeleton he felt, when he

ments in definition. More than ten years earlier

came to design a face for the Charles de Gaulle

his Iridium had demonstrated that the classical

Airport at Roissy, that Univers seemed dated,

modern face was neither outdated nor neces-

with a 1960’s feel. His airport face, originally

sarily caused legibility problems. Frutiger

known as Roissy but renamed Frutiger for its

himself is skeptical about theories of legibility.

issue to the trade by Mergenthaler Linotype in

He learned to read with Gothic characters with-

1976, is a humanistic sans serif that has been

out difficulty and says legibility is solely

compared to Gill and Johnston types.

a matter of habit.1

3


Characteristics of the Typeface To achieve the goal of an expansive, inte-

Frutiger’s decision to use different stroke

grated type family, designers must be

thicknesses for the horizontal, diagonals,

sensitive to the nuances of each letter form

and verticals was a response to his as-

while simultaneously considering the over-

sessment of visual discrepancies in other

all system. In the case of Univers, this so-

typefaces. It is also no coincidence that

phisticated approach to type-family design

Frutiger’s interest in creating a functional

is supported by a well-considered set of

and efficient type family followed well-doc-

typographical characters. Univers is a neo-

umented scientific research done in the

grotesque sans-serif typeface. Frutiger

1930s and ‘40s on the mechanics of eye

created a large type family with different

movement during reading. 2

styles and categorized the different fonts as numbers within Univers.

4

u


u u

The n is slightly larger than the u because white entering a

letter form from the top appears more active than white entering

from the bottom. Ascenders and descenders were shortened in

comparison with existing typographic norms, and x-heights were increased.

C

The c is smaller than the o because in open letters the white space achieves greater penetration into the form, thereby appearing larger.

5


T Z By overlapping a Z and a

T of the same point size,

variation in stroke thickness becomes apparent.

While Frutiger’s goal was to make letters that fit together so flawlessly that the assemblage formed a new satisfying gestalt, he also deemed it important that individual letter forms remain distinct from one another. “Built up from a geometric basis, the lines must play freely,” Frutiger wrote, “so that the individuals find their own expression and join together in a cohesive structure in word, line, and page.” To maintain the integrity of each letter form, careful optical adjustments were made, based on the current knowledge of the principles of perception. Larger x-heights also provided greater legibility, addressing the concern that sans-serif type was more difficult to read than serif type. All of these innovations contributed to the overall harmony among letters, allowing for a smooth line flow.3

a a aa a a a 6

Within the Univers typeface,

adopted the system of cate-

(Left to Right) 49 Light Ultra

there are 44 different fonts

gorizing the fonts into num-

Condensed, 53 Extended,

with 16 different styles of

bers because he envisioned

55 Roman, 65 Bold, 73 Black

weight, width, and position

a large typeface family with

Extended, 75 Black, 93 Extra

combinations. Frutiger

multiple widths and weights.

Black Extended.

C


Comparisons Univers font was created almost simultaneously with other successful alphabets: Helvetica (1957) and Optima (1958). Whereas Helvetica, for example, had a general clarity and a modern, timeless and neutral effect without any conspicuous attributes (lending to its great success), Univers expressed a factual and cool elegance, a rational competence.4

Inspired by his study of the limitations of existing sans serifs, Frutiger began with the assumption that “a purely geometric character is unacceptable in the long run, for the vertical ones; an O represented by a perfect circle strikes us as shapeless and has a disturbing effect on the word as a whole.�5

O OO Futura 78 pt

Univers 78 pt

Gill Sans 78 pt


Cap-height

Univers 55 Roman

Optima Regular

Baseline

Futura Book Ascender

Crotch Tail

Univers 55 Roman, in general, has a circular and rectangular curves with consistent strokes whereas Optima typeface has inconsistent strokes and Futura with very sharp and crisp edges. Futura is also has thinner strokes and higher cap-height compared to Univers. The edge of the character N is extremely sharp 8

for both Optima and Futura, but the edge of the N for Univers is more like a rectangle. The same characteristic is shown for the edge of the w. The stroke of Optima Y’s crotch has thin and thick parts, whereas Futura and Univers stay consistent. But, again, the Futura typeface is more thin compared to Univers.

The tail of the g for Futura almost touches the baseline. The g for the Optima connects with the upper and the lower part of the character, linking the neck. The ascender of the l for Futura reaches the cap-height whereas the Optima l has a thicker end stroke compared to its middle part of the l.


n n n y yy Univers

Helvetica

Optima

The shoulder (the gray rectangu-

Univers’s x-height by far, but the

ica is higher than that of Univers

lar block) of the Univers is slightly

Optima n shoulder is lower than

and the x-height of Optima is

higher than the x-height. Helveti-

the x-height of the Univers. Like-

lower than that of Univers.

ca’s shoulder of the n passes the

wise, the x-height of the Helvet-

Univers 65 Bold

Futura Bold

Helvetica Neue Bold

The y of Univers and Helvetica

Univers 65 Bold. The crotch (gray

(gray circular block) of the Helvet-

Neue have similar width whereas

rectangular block of the y) for

ica Neue points towards upwards

Futura’s is thicker. The baseline

both Futura and Helvetica Neue

and Futura’s goes more down-

for Futura Bold is higher than

is higher than Univers. The tail

wards compared to Univers’s. 9


Univers in Use

10

Typographische Monatsbl채tter, 1961 No. 12

Brazil Postage Stamp: Cardiogram (ca. 1978)

How Music Works by David Byrne

Magazine cover designed

Postage stamp focused on heart

Selected by graphic designers as

by Emil Ruder, with one lower-

disease awareness, designed by

favorite book cover from 2012,

case, Swiss International Style.

Marcelo Martinez in Brazil.

designed by Dave Eggers.


Bible Study Books Booklet about religion, use of graphics and typeface at the same time.

1972 Munich Olympics Tickets Munchen, Germany Olympics Ticket, designed by Otl Aicher.

Gallusplatz Signs

Typographische Monatsbl채tter 1962 issues

Sign posts in Sankt Gallen,

Magazine cover in Swiss

Switzerland on the streets.

international Style, designed by

Designer unknown.

Andre Gurtler and Bruno Pfaffli.

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References 1

Pincus W. Jaspert, The Encyclopedia of Typefaces. (Poole, Dorset: Blandford Press, 1983), 69-70.

2

Jennifer Gibson. Revival of the Fittest: Digital Versions of Classic Typefaces (New York: RC Publications), 171.

3

Ibid, 173.

4

Linotype Library GmbH, Available at http://www.linotype.com/7-267-7-13347/univers.html Accessed November 1, 2005

5

Alexander S. Lawson, Anatomy of a Typeface (Boston: D.R. Godine, 1990), 304.

Bibliography Blackwell, Lewis. 20th-Century Type. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2004. (A&A: Z250.A2 B59 1998 and Vault) Carter, Sebastian. Twentieth Century Type Designers. Great Britain: Lund Humphries, 2002. (A&A: Z250 A2 C364 1995 and Vault) Kunz, Willi. Typography: Macro- and Microaesthetics. Sulgen: Verlag Niggli AG, 2000. (A&A: Z246 .K86 2000 and Vault) Revival of the Fittest: Digital Versions of Classic Typefaces, essays by Carolyn Annand ... [et al.]; Edited by Philip B. Meggs and Roy McKelvey, New York: RC Publications, 2000. (A&A: Z250.R45 2000) http://www.linotype.com http://www.fonts.com http://fontsinuse.com/typefaces/1160/univers

Colophon Designed by Cynthia Rhee Sam Fox School of Design Washington University in St. Louis Class of 2016 Typography I Spring 2014 Used various typefaces with different weights of Univers Typeface

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Uni 1957

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