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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