Univers Type Specimen Booklet by Shar Krasniqi

un iv e r s D E B E R N Y

A N D

P E I G N O T

EXPLORE THE

U N I V E R S In 1954 Swiss designer Adrian Frutiger began working on Univers which was based on the Berthold Foundryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s early twentieth century typeface, Akzidenz Grotesk. There are 21 variations of Univers, Univers 55 being the epicenter of the typeface. Fonts to the left of Univers 55 are expanded; fonts to the right of Univers 55 are condensed. The stroke weights of fonts above Univers 55 are lighter, while stroke weights of fonts below Univers 55 are heavier. The x height of the characters is identical throughout the family, as are the heights of the ascenders and descenders, which gives the typefaces uniformity throughout the fontâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s different variations. The capitals are also similar in weight and height. It took Adrian Frutiger a mere 3 years to complete the entire Univers.

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21 DIF FER ENT STY LES

ABCDE FGHIJ KLMNOP QRST UVW XYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEF GHIJKL M NOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEF GHIJKL M NOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEF GHIJKL M NOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEF GHIJKL M NOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLM NOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLM NOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLM NOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLM NOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLM NOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLM NOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz A BCD EFG HI JKLMN O PQ RSTU VWX YZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz A BCD EFG HI JKLMN O PQ RSTU VWX YZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNO PQRS TUV W XYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNO PQRS TUV W XYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNO P Q RSTUV W X Y Z abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNO P Q RSTUV W X Y Z abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDE FGHIJKLMN O P QRST UV W XY Z

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the creator of the univers

ADRIAN FRUTIGER Adrian Frutiger is best known as a type-designer. He has produced some of the most well known and widely used typefaces. He was born in 1928 in Interlaken, Switzerland, and by the age of 16 was working as a printerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s apprentice near his home town. Later in Zurich he studied at the Zurich School of Arts and Crafts, under well known professor, Walter Kach. After his education in Zurich, Frutiger moved to Paris. It was here he started to work at the Deberny & Peignot typefoundry. Frutiger helped the foundry move the classic typefaces used with traditional printing methods to newer phototypesetting technologies. At the same time Frutiger started to design his own typefaces, a few of which became very significant, and this earned him his status as a great type designer.

THE UNIVERS WAS CREATED

As a student in Zurich, Adrian Frutiger began work on Univers, which would eventually be released in 1957 by the Deberny & Peignot foundry in Paris. The design is a neo-grotesque, similar to its contemporary, Helvetica. With the release of Univers, Frutiger began using numbers rather than names to designate variations of weight, width, and slope. The full Univers family consists of twenty-one typefaces, and Frutiger has used this numerical system on other designs, including Serifa and Frutiger. Linotype also has adopted this numerical system for many other faces. All twentyone Univers faces were designed to work together, so they can be mixed in a variety of ways. Their legibility lends itself to a large variety of applications, from text and headlines to packaging and signage.

READ YOUR TYPE

And, no, I’m not being facetious. If you’re setting text, whether

And, no, I’m not being facetious. If you’re setting text, whether it

it be for a novel about the Franco-Prussian war or for a single-

be for a novel about the Franco-Prussian war or for a single-word

word headline, read it—really read it. Reading the text will

headline, read it—really read it. Reading the text will give up vital

give up vital clues, not only for choosing the right typeface

clues, not only for choosing the right typeface or typefaces, but will

or typefaces, but will also be an aid in the overall design of

also be an aid in the overall design of the page. An example: you’re

the page. An example: you’re setting text for an essay on the

setting text for an essay on the history of blackletter; so you set the

history of blackletter; so you set the text in blackletter, right?

text in blackletter, right?

Probably not. There is a place for considering the historical

Probably not. There is a place for considering the historical context;

context; however, it would be wrong to stick rigidly to

however, it would be wrong to stick rigidly to this method of

this method of choosing type. If you’re setting a text on

choosing type. If you’re setting a text on Neanderthal man, you’re

Neanderthal man, you’re going to run into problems. On the

going to run into problems. On the other hand, if your only audience

other hand, if your only audience is the BAF (Blackletter Addicts

is the BAF (Blackletter Addicts Foundation), then perhaps blackletter

Foundation), then perhaps blackletter is appropriate.

is appropriate.

univers 68

univers 65

18pt

univers 45

univers 57

8pt

READ YOUR TYPE And, no, I’m not being facetious. If you’re setting text, whether it be for a novel about the Franco-Prussian war or for a single-word headline, read it—really read it. Reading the text will give up vital clues, not only for choosing the right typeface or typefaces, but will also be an aid in the overall design of the page. An example: you’re setting text for an essay on the history of blackletter; so you set the text in blackletter, right? Probably not. There is a place for considering the historical context; however, it would be wrong to stick rigidly to this method of choosing type. If you’re setting a text on Neanderthal man, you’re going to run into problems. On the other hand, if your only audience is the BAF (Blackletter Addicts Foundation), then perhaps blackletter is appropriate.

univers 83 18pt

univers 55 8pt

DANG “UNIVERS... YOU GOT A NICE BODY!”

T H E *

U N I V E RS Adrian Frutiger designed his unique classification system to eliminate naming and specifying confusion. It was first used with Univers, and was adopted for use in the Frutiger, Avenir, and Neue Helvetica typeface families. The number used in a font is a concatenation of two numbers. The first set defines weight, while the second defines width and position.

univers 45

I S

M A P P E D univers univers 45

univers univers 53

univers univers 63

univers univers 73

univers univers 83

univers univers 55

univers univers 65

univers univers 75

OUT * univers univers 46

univers univers 56

univers univers 66

univers univers 76

univers univers 47

univers univers 57

univers univers 67

univers univers 39

univers univers 48

univers univers 58

univers univers 68

univers univers 49

univers univers 59

â&#x20AC;&#x153;When I put my pen to a bla added but rather th deprived of ligh 39

-Adrian Frutiger

lank sheet, black isn’t he white sheet is ht.” 57

Consider too the canvas, the page. Perhaps you’re setting text within someone else’s page design and you have no control over margins or page dimensions. A cramped page, with small margins may benefit from a lighter type, whereas ample margins may well merit a blacker typeface.

Remind yourself that typography really is an art and that many of the decisions you make, including type choice, are subjective. If you’re unsure, ask others to read your work. And seek out examples of great typography.

univers 65

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talk about responsibility. Fundamentally, the responsibility we bear is two-fold: first we owe it to the reader not to hinder their reading pleasure, but to aid it; second, we owe a responsibility to the typeface or typefaces we employ. Good typefaces

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are designed for a good purpose, but not even the very best

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types are suited to every situation. Personally, I’m always a

it doesn’t throw-up on you): don’t drop it, squeeze

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don’t abuse it, treat it respectfully, carefully.

it too hard, hold it upside-down; in other words,

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new typeface is something like a newborn baby (though

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little nervous about using a newly acquired typeface. A

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Before we get to the nitty-gritty of choosing type, let’s briefly

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a science trammeled by axioms and rules is a cause to rejoice.

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produce sausages. That typography and choosing type is not

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However, this sausage-machine mentality will only ever

sample of data will somehow elicit good typography.

‘scientificize’; those who believe that a large enough

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Typography is not a science. Typography

is an art. There are those who’d like to

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SCI ENC EOR

UNIVERS TYPE SPECIMEN BOOKLET SHAR KRASNIQI GRDS 353 PROFESSOR GARVIN SPRING 2013