futura

FUTURA

FUTURADesigners have been well aware of the importance of typeface for over a century, and the history of these deliberate and deeply thought-out forms can be downright amazing. The appropriately named Futura, for example, is as relevant today as it was at the time of its creation almost 90 years ago. The makers of this font saw more than just “good design” in their creation; they saw the makings of a maximally efficient society — a utopia. Here is the story.

CHARACTERISTICS

CHARACTERISTICS

Derived entirely from geometric forms (near-perfect circles, triangles and squares), with strokes of near-even weight and contrast and distinctively tall lowercase letters that rise even above its capitals, Futura looks like efficiency itself: clean, standardized, legible, stylish without any overt

“style.”

CHARACTERISTICS

low crossbarpointed apex

ascenders rise abovethe ascender line monoweight

strokes

circularcounterspace

crossbars have an extended width extends to

the baseline cut-offterminal

Futura Medium

QCHARACTERISTICS

Futura has an appearance of efficiency and forwardness.

Its distinct look and good readability make Futura a good headline font, but it is often also used for body text. Futura remains an important typeface family and is used on a daily basis for print and

digital purposes as both a headline and body font.

HISTORY

HISTORY

Jakob Erbar created the first ever geometric sans-serif typeface. In

accordance with the Bauhaus school of design, the typeface aimed for a pure functionality, with no ornamentation or

individual characteristics. It is based on the circle and is supremely easy to

read. The Bauhaus designers believed in a world where form and function

destroyed ornamentation, clutter and revivals of the more decorative past.

Only in this world could social equality truly come into being, they believed.

1922 It would be utopia by design.

HISTORY

1927

Though not officially part of the Bauhaus school, another German

typeface designer, Paul Renner, believed in the school’s principles and

felt he could make Erbar’s typeface better.

In 1927 he created Futura.

HISTORY

1928

The family was originally cast in Light, Medium, Bold, and Bold

Oblique fonts in 1928.

HISTORY

1930Light Oblique, Medium Oblique,

Demibold, and Demibold Oblique fonts were later released in 1930.

HISTORY

1936

Futura was commercially released in 1936.

HISTORY

1952

Extra Bold font was designed by Edwin W. Shaar in 1952.

HISTORY

1955

Extra Bold Italic font was designed in 1955 by Edwin

W. Shaar and Tommy Thompson.

HISTORY

1969

Futura has walked on the moon. The Apollo 11 mission, the first ever manned moon landing in 1969, wisely chose this lettering for the

plaque they left up there.

USAGE

USAGE

USAGE

USAGE

USAGE

ABC

DEF

GH

IJKL

MN

OFutura was derived from

geometric shapes, has monoweight strokes and

tall lowercase letters

Futura was designed in 1927 by Paul Renner.

It remains one of the most used sans serif fonts

Futura looks like efficiency itself: clean, standardized, legible,

stylish without any overt style

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