COMPARE & CONTRAST by: Michael Kochenburger
(Din, Helvetica, Chaparral Pro, Gill Sans, Hoefler Text)
A A Helvetica is the tallest typeface of them all and also has the widest construction.
Din has the skinniest construction and the lowest cross-bar.
Gill Sans has the widest sans serif A.
Hoefler text’s high contrast between its thick and thin strokes is way more dramatic than Chaparral pro.
Chaparral Pro has these harsh right angled serifs cementing it as a slab serif.
h h Helvetica is super measured and everything is equal then your eye automatically gravitates towards the narrow connector.
(Hoefler)This ascender makes it the tallest of the bunch and notice the strange little arch underneath the feet serifs.
Din’s H is comparitively skinny to helvetica and is once again shorter. Chaparral Pro is also narrow which makes it’s serifs look massive. Also, it’s serifs at the bottom are not straight there is a slight angle.
Gill Sans’ connector right here is super abrupt. Where as helvetica and Din had a smooth transition.
p p
Din “p” is really skinny. Where the p connects the circular part to the descender especially.
Gill Sans, doesn’t have any sort of ascender.
Helvetica “p” has the biggest circular area. It also has the skinny connectors. The upper circular part comes above the stem.
Chaparral Pro weird termination of the circular area and the stem.
Really skinny strokes on the bottom circular area.
xx Helvetica, tallest of the x’s in this bunch. Also fiercely symmetrical. Extremely neutral.
Very rectangular.
Skinny but basically the same as helvetica.
Perfectly, balanced everything is the same.
Parallel up and down, parts.
o o Hoefler Text, has shallow stokes on the top and bottom and the fatest strokes on the right and left.
Din has the most equal counter space.
Helvitica has the highest o-height. It also has the most equal.
Chaparral Pro, has a solid counter but almost like a swaylike movement with how the “o’s” stokes change weight.
Gill Sans “o” Basically a perfect circle.