S SERIFA TYPE SPECIMEN
DESIGNED BY
MARY LIM
designed by Adrian Frutiger (1928 − present)
released in 1967 in Switzerland
classification slab serif or Egyptienne
belongs to Bauer Type Foundry
4 SERIFA
ABOUT SERIFA 5
history of the typeface
SERIFA Univers is a sans serif typeface which belongs to the neo-grotesque sans serif classification.
Hallmarks of the Swiss Style include sans serif typefaces, flush left, ragged right text, and the use of the grid.
Combining both the geometrical and classical, Serifa contains two conflicting structures: the constant widths of sans serif typefaces and the changing widths associated with typical slab serif typefaces. Using the linear skeleton of Univers released a decade earlier, Adrian Frutiger created a new, unique typeface in 1967. Though often considered as “Univers with serifs,” Serifa’s letters are, in actuality, more open and condensed. These qualities, with the addition of serifs, speak to Frutiger’s sole intent of creating a readable typeface. As it was released in 1967, Frutiger’s intent of
clarity and readability perhaps stemmed from the Swiss Movement, which first emerged in the late 1940’s and ended around the 1970’s. Designers who followed the International Typographic Style, or Swiss Style, advocated for clarity and directness. They also defined design as a tool to communicate information as opposed to a means of artistic, personal expression. Under this influence, Frutiger designed Serifa. Both comfortable to read and pleasing to the eye, Serifa works as a mediator between function and aesthetic.
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about the designer
Adrian Frutiger (1928 − present) he was born in Unterseen, Canton of Bern, Switzerland.
The two-digit numbering system identifies the weight and face-width.
As an advocate of directness and readability, Frutiger claims that the most important thing he learned in life is that “legibility and beauty stand close together and that type design...should be only felt but not perceived by the reader.” Starting out as a typesetter’s apprentice from 1944 to 1948, Frutiger then became the artistic director of Deberny & Peignot Type Foundry after graduating from the College of Technical Arts in Zurich. Between 1952 and 1988, Frutiger created various fonts as well as signets, logos, and corporate identities. Though Frutiger was initially interested in sculpture, he knew at an early age that he would interpret the world two dimensionally. Highly influenced by the Swiss style, most of his designs emulate
clarity and simplicity. Frutiger is most wellknown for creating the Univers typeface along with the first efficient system that identified different weights, called the twodigit numbering system. He also created OCR B, a typeface which became a worldwide standard for automatic reading. Embracing the technology of his time, from hot metal to photosetting to digitization, Frutiger forever altered digital typography and the way it is perceived. Other fonts Adrian Frutiger designed include Frutiger, Glyphs, Avenir, and Iridium.
THE DESIGNER: ADRIAN FRUTIGER 7
ADRIAN FRUTIGER ABCDE FGHIJ KLMNO P Q R ST UV W XY &Z
UNIVERS Another famous typeface Adrian Frutiger created.
8 SERIFA
Frutiger took into consideration that some elements needed to be emphasized or changed because Serifa’s skeleton is based on Univers, a sans serif typeface. These anomalies help Serifa’s readability and legibility in body text.
the typeface & anomalies
ABCDEFG L M N O PQ XYZabcd lmnopq rs x y z 012 3 4
!”&’()*,-./:;?@
ALPHABET, NUMBERS, PUNCTUATION & ANOMALIES 9
GHIJK RSTUVW defghijk s t uvw 4 56789
@[\]_`~{|}
G added a spur
Q tail extends horizontally
W no middle serif
k stepped joint
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different point sizes
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
ABCDEFGHIJKLM PQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuv
ABCDEF JKLM NO STUVWX abcdefghijk rstuvwxyz
MNO
VARYING POINT SIZES OF SERIFA 11
12
36
vwxyz
72 FGHI OPQR XYZ klmnopq
12 SERIFA
bar
crossbar
cap height has a high x-height
baseline
dia
gon
al s
lan
t
stem
linear skeleton based on Univers
One can clearly see the influences of Univers in Serifa, especially in the lowercase ‘a.’ It almost looks as if Frutiger simply added a slab serifs. Yet, slight changes in weight make noticeable differences in its character. Though Frutiger seamlessly mediates the sans serif and slab serif, there are a few inconsistencies. For example, the uppercase ‘Q,’ lowercase ‘e’, and numbers 3, 5, 6, 8, and 0 all look very much like Univers with little to no changes.
serif
However, when placed together in blocks of text, these anomalies disappear into the background. Serifa also has a high x-height, making the letterforms appear slightly stout and condensed, but, the ample white space around the letters combined with its friendly, personality make it readable and legible.
small apertures
ANATOMY, EIGHT WEIGHTS & CRITIQUE 13
crotch
black
bold
italics
roman
light italics
light
thin italics
thin
ar
m
counter
u u u u u u u u 8 weights
A