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A geometric sans-serif typeface designed by German type designer Paul Renner first started creating Futura in 1924. He was inspired by the Bauhaus design style, and his initial design (Architype Renner) combined geometric character alternatives and old style-figures.
Futura
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Futura began as a German typeface. Renner’s initial concept for die Schrift unserer Zeit (“the type of our [his] time”) was similar to the work of the early nineteenth century Berlin printer, type designer, and typefounder Johann Friedrich Unger. Both Unger and Renner sought to create a new German type that would serve to diminish the variety of fonts required by German printing and reduce the overhead of maintaining multiple sets of letters. Unger’s efforts were directed at revising the style of German type.
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Renner redefined fraktur—the most elaborate of German scripts derived from the Gothic model—in keeping with the stroke contrasts and neo-classical proportional relationships of the roman fonts developed by French type-designer and printer Firmin Didot. Renner’s concept was to apply an aesthetically informed geometric structure compatible with mechanized type matrix production to what he regarded as the essential forms of European scripts.
Fut
14/16.8 pt Ultimately, Futura achieved success outside of Germany by taking on more roman characteristics and abandoning its “German” forms. Renner’s application of a formalist aesthetic to the design of anationalist letterforms separates him from both the German functionalist and English historicist schools prevalent in 1920s Europe.
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The first drawings for Futura were done in 1924. The typeface was finally released in 1927 in light (Mager), regular (Halbfett), and bold (Fett) weights. In 1927, commissioned by the Bauer type foundry, Futura was commercially released in light, regular, and bold weights. In 1930, the Futura typeface family grew to include semi-bold, bold condensed, light oblique and regular oblique weights, with a book weight added in 1932. Originally, Futura was intended to be used for body text for books, but in the 1950s and 1960s it was commonly used in headlines and subheads in advertising.
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Subsequently, the family was expanded by designers other than Renner to over twenty faces of varying weights and widths. In 1969, Futura was chosen as the typeface for the commemorative plaque to be left on the moon by the Apollo 11 astronauts.
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ABCDEFGHIJKLM NOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklm nopqrstuvwxyz p looks like a reversed q
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which also looks like a b and d reflected vertically
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The letter O is a Moon-like perfect circle. Other letters, such as the a, b and d are made from similarly circular bowls. Letter terminals finish cleanly and abruptly. Yet despite bold design choices, Futura still manages to carry a warmth with it.
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A A shape based on a triangle
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Futura Book
Extra Bold
Futura Oblique
Medium Condensed
Futura Medium
Extra Bold Condensed
Futura Bold
Medium Italic
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sharp joins
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Futura Book
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The typeface is derived from simple geometric forms (near-perfect circles, triangles and squares) and is based on strokes of near-even weight, which are low in con-
trast. This is most visible in the almost perfectly round stroke of the o.. In designing Futura, Paul Renner avoided the decorative, eliminating non-essential elements.
The lowercase has tall ascenders, which rise above the cap line. The uppercase characters present proportions similar to those of classical Roman capitals.
10/12 pt The typeface is derived from simple geometric forms (near-perfect circles, triangles and squares) and is based on strokes of neareven weight, which are low in contrast. This is most visible in the almost perfectly round stroke of the o.. In designing Futura, Paul Renner avoided the decorative, eliminating non-essential elements. The lowercase has tall ascenders, which rise above the cap line. The uppercase characters present proportions similar to those of classical Roman capitals.
14/16.8
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The typeface is derived from simple geometric forms (near-perfect circles, triangles and squares) and is based on strokes of near-even weight, which are low in contrast. This is most visible in the almost perfectly round stroke of the o.. In designing Futura, Paul Renner avoided the decorative, eliminating non-essential elements. The lowercase has tall ascenders, which rise above the cap line. The uppercase characters present proportions similar to those of classical Roman capitals. 7
Futura Anatomy ascenders rise above the ascender line low crossbar monoweight strokes
pointed apex
Futura Medium crossbars have an extended width
extends to the baseline cut-off terminal circular counterspace
The proportions are well balanced, particularly in the lower case. The circular derivation of some of Futura’s lower case letterforms gives them a pleasing quality, with the x-height and the letter width being similar.
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The curve of the lower case u or the descender on the g are softly seductive in contrast to angular w and y’s straight descender. Crucially, there is no sign of the overtly German blackletter typefaces which would have been prevalent in Renner’s upbringing – Futura is a rejection of that type.
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S Futura became so popular in the 90s that art directors were getting tired of it, and began boycotting its use with the Art Directors Against Futura Extra Bold Condensed movement:
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“It’s time for Art Directors the world over to boycott the use of Futura Extra Bold Condensed – the most over-used typeface in advertising history. Destroy the Great Satan of clichés and the Little Satan of convenience, and rally to the cause of a better type selection.
Please fill out the enclosed petition and mail it to our headquarters. It will be used to sway the opinion-makers of our industry toward our just and worthy cause. Together, we can whip this mother.” 10
Futura Bold 18/23 PT It didn’t work as they hoped, as Futura is still used and loved today! apes
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&& Type Specimen Book Designed by: Russell Absi Graphic Design II, 2013
El Kalyoubi, Aliaa. “Behance.” Behance.com. Adobe Systems Incorporated, 08 Nov. 2012. Web. 09 Dec. 2013.
Moore, Heather. “Futura Typeface – The History | Heather Moore.” Iamheathermoore. wordpress.com. The Twenty Ten Theme, 12 Dec. 2012. Web. 09 Dec. 2013. “A Brief History of Futura.” Issuu. Issuu Inc., 2013. Web. 04 Dec. 2013.
“Futura: First Font on the Moon.” Type Writing. The Wu Wei Theme, 01 Feb. 2013. Web. 09 Dec. 2013.
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