Sans-serif

In typography, a sans-serif, sans serif, gothic, or simply

sans typeface is one that does not have the small project-
ing features called "serifs" at the end of strokes.* [1] The
term comes from the French word sans, meaningwith-
outand seriffrom the Dutch word schreef mean-
ing line. Sans-serif fonts tend to have less line width
variation than serif fonts. In most print, sans-serif fonts
are often used for headings rather than for body text.* [2]
They are often used to project an image of simplicity and
modernity or minimalism.
Sans-serif fonts have become the most prevalent for dis-
play of text on computer screens. This is partly because
interlaced screens have shown twittering on the ne de-
tails of the horizontal serifs. Additionally, on lower-
resolution digital displays, ne details like serifs may dis-
appear or appear too large.
Before the termsans-serifbecame common in English
typography, a number of other terms had been used. One
of these outmoded terms for sans serif was gothic, which
is still used in East Asian typography and sometimes seen
in font names like Century Gothic, Highway Gothic, or
Trade Gothic.
Sans-serif fonts are sometimes, especially in older docu-
ments, used as a device for emphasis, due to their typi-
cally blacker type color.

Simple sans-serif capitals on a late nineteenth-century memorial,

1 History
The rst sans-serif types were developed in the 18th cen-
tury. They became popular in printed media in the early
19th century, at rst under the terms Egyptianand
later grotesque, as the omission of serifs was a sig-
nicant departure from hundreds of years of tradition in
printed text.* [3] The term grotesquecomes from the
Italian word for cave, and was often used to describe Ro-
man decorative styles found by excavation, but had long
become applied in the modern sense for objects that ap-
peared malformed or monstrous.* [4]
Letters without serifs historically appear in epigraphy,
especially in casual, non-monumental epigraphy (while
serifs were developed for monumental inscriptions in
Roman capitals in the Roman imperial era). The ear-
liest typesets which omitted serifs were not intended to
render contemporary texts, but to represent ancient in-
scriptions. Thus, Thomas Dempster's De Etruria regali
libri VII (1723), used special types intended for the rep-
resentation of Etruscan epigraphy, and in c. 1745, Caslon
London
foundry made Etruscan types for pamphlets written by
Etruscan scholar John Swinton.* [5]
In the late 18th century, Neoclassicism led to architects
increasingly incorporating ancient Greek and Roman de-
signs in contemporary structures. Among the architects,
John Soane was noted for using sans-serif letters (or let-
ters with minimal wedge serifs) on his drawings and ar-
chitectural designs, which were eventually adopted by
other designers, such as Thomas Banks and John Flax-
man.
In 1786 a rounded sans-serif font that was developed by
Valentin Hay rst appeared in the book titledEssai sur
l'ducation des aveugles(An Essay on the Education of
the Blind).* [6] The purpose of this font was to be invisi-
ble and address accessibility. It was designed to emboss
paper and allow the blind to read with their ngers.* [7]
The design was eventually known as Hay type.* [8]
In London, 'Egyptian' lettering was popular for advertis-

1
2 1 HISTORY

very common on tombstones of the Victorian period in

Britain.

The January 13, 1898 edition of L'Aurore (the "J'accuse" issue):

An early example of sans-serif in the media. Select headlines are
in a sans-serif typeface.
Sans-serif type in both upper- and lower-case on a 1914 poster.

ing, apparently because of theastonishingeect the un- Sans-serifs with a lower-case were being created by the
usual style had on the public.* [9] A depiction of the style 1830s and the term sans-serif was rst employed in 1832
was shown in the European Magazine of 1805. However, by Vincent Figgins.* [13]
early 19th century commercial sign writers and engravers The rst use of sans serif as a running text is believed to be
had modied the sans-serif styles of neoclassical design- the short booklet Feste des Lebens und der Kunst: eine Be-
ers to include the uneven stroke weights found in serif trachtung des Theaters als hchsten Kultursymbols (Cel-
Roman fonts, producing sans-serif letters.* [10] ebration of Life and Art: A Consideration of the The-
In 1816, the Ordnance Survey began to use 'Egyptian' ater as the Highest Symbol of a Culture),* [14] by Peter
type, which was printed using copper plate engraving of Behrens, in 1900.* [15]
monoline sans-serif capital letters, to name ancient Ro-
Throughout the nineteenth century sans-serif types were
man sites.* [10] viewed with suspicion by printers of ne books as being
In 1816, William Caslon IV produced the rst sans-serif t only for advertisements (if that), and to this day most
printing type in England for Latin characters under the books remain printed in serif fonts as body text.* [16] This
title 'Two Lines English Egyptian', where 'Two Lines En- impression would not have been helped by the standard of
glish' referred to the font's body size, which equals to common sans-serif types of the period, many of which
about 28 points.* [11]* [12] now seem somewhat lumpy and eccentrically-shaped. As
Sans-serifs were popular due to their clarity and legibility late as 1922, master printer Daniel Berkeley Updike de-
at distance in advertising and display use, when printed scribed sans-serif fonts as having no place *
in any ar-
very large or very small. Much early sans-serif signage tistically respectable composing-room. [17] By 1937
was not actually printed but hand-painted, carved let- he stated that he saw no need to change this opinion in
tered, since large signs were dicult to print but could general, though he felt that Gill Sans and Futura were the
*
easily be painted by hand. (This makes tracing the de- best choices if sans-serifs had to be used. [18]
scent of sans-serif styles hard, since a trend can arrive in Through the early twentieth century, an increase in pop-
the printed record from a signpainting tradition which has ularity of sans-serif fonts took place as more artistic
left less of a record.) Because sans-serif type was often and complex designs were created. As Updike's com-
used for headings and commercial printing, many early ments suggest, the more constructed humanist and geo-
sans-serif designs did not feature lower-case letters. Sim- metric sans-serif designs were viewed as increasingly re-
ple sans-serif capitals, without use of lower-case, became spectable, and were shrewdly marketed in Europe and
2.1 Early appellatives
2.1 Early appellatives
Rothbury, an early modulated sans-serif font from 1915. The
strokes vary in width considerably.
America as embodying classic proportions (with inu-
ences of Roman capitals) while presenting a spare, mod-
ern image.* [19]* [20]* [21]* [22] While he disliked sans-
serif fonts in general, the American printer J.L Frazier
wrote of Copperplate Gothic in 1925 thata certain dig-
nity of eect accompanies...due to the absence of any-
thing in the way of frills,making it a popular choice for
the stationery of professionals such as lawyers and doc-
tors.* [23] By the mid-century, neo-grotesque fonts such
as Univers and Helvetica had become popular through of-
fering a more unied range of styles than on previous
designs, allowing a wider range of text to be set artisti-
cally through setting headings and body text in a single
font.* [24]* [25]* [26]* [27]* [28]
2 Other names for sans-serif
Three sans-serif italics. News Gothic, a 1908 grotesque design,
has an oblique. Gothic Italic no. 124, an 1890s grotesque, has a
true italic resembling Didone serifs of the period.* [29] Seravek,
a modern humanist font, has a more calligraphic italic.
3
Egyptian: The term was rst used by Joseph Far-
ington after seeing the sans serif inscription on John
Flaxman's memorial to Isaac Hawkins Brown in
1805,* [10] though today the term is commonly used
to refer to slab serif, not sans serif.
Antique: In about 1817, the Figgins foundry in
London made a type with square or slab-serifs which
it called 'Antique', and that name was adopted by
most of the British and US typefounders. An ex-
ception was the typefounder Thorne, who confused
things by marketing his Antique under the name
'Egyptian'. In France it became Egyptienne, and
to worsen the confusion, the French called sans-
serif type 'Antique'.* [5] Some fonts, such as An-
tique Olive, still carry the name.
Grotesque: It was originally coined by William
Thorowgood of Fann Street Foundry in 1832.* [30]
The name came from the Italian word 'grottesco',
meaning 'belonging to the cave'. In Germany,
the name became Grotesk. German typefounders
adopted the term from the nomenclature of Fann
Street Foundry, which took on the meaning of cave
(or grotto) art.* [31] Nevertheless, some explained
the term was derived from the surprised response
from the typographers.
Doric: It was the term rst used by H. W. Caslon
Foundry in Chiswell Street in 1870 to describe var-
ious sans-serif fonts at a time the generic name
'sans-serif' was commonly accepted. Eventually the
foundry used Sans-serif in 1906. At that time, Doric
referred to a certain kind of stressed sans-serif types.
Gothic: Not to be confused with blackletter type-
face, the term was used mainly by American type
founders. Perhaps the rst use of the term was due
to the Boston Type and Stereotype Foundry, which
in 1837 published a set of non-serifed typefaces un-
der that name. It is believed that those were the
rst sans serif designs to be introduced in Amer-
ica.* [32] The term probably derived from the ar-
chitectural denition, which is neither Greek nor
Roman,* [33] and from the extended adjective term
of Germany, which was the place where sans-
serif typefaces became popular in the 19th to 20th
centuries.* [34] Early adopters for the term includes
Miller & Richard (1863), J. & R. M. Wood (1865),
Lothian, Conner, Bruce McKellar. Although the us-
age is now rare in the English-speaking world, the
term is commonly used in Japan and South Korea;
in China they are known by the term heiti (Chinese:
), literally meaning black type, which is
probably derived from the mistranslation of Gothic
as blackletter typeface, even though actual blacklet-
ter fonts have serifs.
4 3 CLASSIFICATION

2.2 Recent appellatives to modern eyes they can look quite irregular and eccen-
tric.* [24]* [41] Grotesque fonts have a vertical axis and
Lineale, or linear: The term was dened by ty- limited variation of stroke width (often none perceptible
pographic historian Maximilien Vox in the VOX- in capitals). The terminals of curves are usually horizon-
ATypI classication to describe sans-serif types. tal, and many have a spurred Gand an Rwith
Later, in British Standards Classication of Type- a curled leg. Capitals tend to t within a square in the
faces (BS 2961:1967), lineale replaced sans-serif as regular width. Cap height and ascender height are gener-
classication name. ally the same to create a more regular eect in texts such
as titles with many capital letters, and descenders are of-
Simplices: In Jean Alessandrini's dsignations ten short for tighter linespacing.* [4] Most avoid having a
prliminaries (preliminary designations), simplices true italic in favour of a more restrained oblique or sloped
(plain typefaces) is used to describe sans-serif on the design, although at least some did have true italics.* [29]
basis that the name 'lineal' refers to lines, whereas,
Examples of grotesque fonts include Akzidenz Grotesk,
in reality, all typefaces are made of lines, including
News Gothic, Franklin Gothic and Monotype Grotesque,
those that are not lineals.* [35]
though some digital releases of these reduce their eccen-
Swiss: It is used as a synonym to sans-serif, as op- tricities in order to make them more suitable to modern
posed to roman (serif). The OpenDocument format tastes. Akzidenz Grotesk Old Face, Knockout by Hoeer
(ISO/IEC 26300:2006) and Rich Text Format can & Frere-Jones and Monotype Grotesque are examples of
use it to specify the sans-serif generic font family digital fonts* that* retain *
the characteristics of early sans-
*
* *
name for a font used in a document. [36] [37] [38]* serif types. [42] [43] [44] [45] The term realist has also
Presumably refers to the popularity of sans-serif been applied to these designs due to their practicality and
grotesque and neo-grotesque types in Switzerland. simplicity.

3.2 Neo-grotesque
3 Classication
For more details on this topic, see Vox-ATypI classica-
tion Lineal.

For the purposes of type classication, sans-serif designs

are usually divided into three or four major groups, the
fourth being the result of splitting the grotesque category
into grotesque and neo-grotesque.* [39]* [40]
The Helvetica typeface (Neo-grotesque)

3.1 Grotesque As the name implies, these modern designs consist of a

direct evolution of grotesque types. They are relatively
straightforward in appearance with limited width varia-
tion. Unlike earlier grotesque designs, many were issued
in extremely large and versatile families from the time of
release, making them easier to use for body text.
Neo-grotesque type began in the 1950s with the emer-
gence of the International Typographic Style, or Swiss
style. Its members looked at the clear lines of Akzidenz
Grotesk (1896) as an inspiration to create rational, al-
most neutral typefaces. In 1957 the release of Helvetica,
The Franklin Gothic typeface (Grotesque) Univers, and Folio, the rst typefaces categorized as neo-
grotesque, had a strong impact internationally: Helvetica
This group features the early (19th century to early 20th) came to be the most used typeface for the following
sans-serif designs. Inuenced by Didone serif fonts of decades.* [46]
the period and signpainting, these were often quite solid,
bold designs suitable for headlines and advertisements. Other examples include: Rail Alphabet, Highway Gothic,
Many did not feature a lower case or italics, since they Arial, Bell Centennial, MS Sans Serif, Acumin, San Fran-
were not needed for such uses. They were sometimes re- cisco and Roboto.
leased by width, with a range of widths from extended to Like some grotesque typefaces, neogrotesques often fea-
normal to condensed, with each style dierent, meaning ture a 'folded-up' design, in which strokes (for example on
3.5 Other/mixed 5

the 'c') are curved all the way round to end on a perfect
horizontal or vertical. Helvetica is an example of this.
Others such as Arial are less regular.

3.3 Geometric

The Syntax typeface (Humanist)

with true italics rather than an oblique, ligatures and even

swashes in italic.
One of the earliest humanist designs was Johnston
(Edward Johnston, 1916), and, a decade later, Gill Sans
(Eric Gill, 1928).* [49] Edward Johnston, a calligrapher
by profession, was inspired by classic letter forms, with
The Futura typeface (Geometric) capitals based on roman inscriptions.
Humanist designs vary more than gothic or geometric de-
As their name suggests, Geometric sans-serif typefaces signs.* [50] Some humanist designs have stroke modula-
are based on geometric shapes, like near-perfect circle tion (strokes that clearly vary in width along their line) or
and square. Common features are a nearly-exactly circu- alternating thick and thin strokes. These include Lydian,
lar letterOand asingle-storeylowercase lettera Stellar, Rotis SemiSans, and most popularly Hermann
. Of these four categories, geometric fonts tend to be the Zapf's Optima (1958), a typeface expressly designed to
least useful for paragraphs and often used for headings be suitable for both display and body text.* [51] Some hu-
and posters. manist designs may be more geometric, as in Gill Sans
The geometric sans originated in Germany in the and Johnston (especially their capitals), which like Ro-
1920s.* [47] Two early eorts in designing geometric man capitals are often based on perfect squares, half-
types were made by Herbert Bayer and Jakob Erbar, who squares and circles. These somewhat architectural de-
worked respectively on Universal Typeface (unreleased signs may feel too sti for body text.* [49] Others such
at the time but revived digitally as Architype Bayer) and as Syntax, Goudy Sans and Sassoon Sans more resemble
Erbar (circa 1925). In 1927 Futura, by Paul Renner, was handwriting, serif fonts or calligraphy.
released to great acclaim and popularity.* [48] Frutiger, from 1976, has been particularly inuential in
Geometric sans-serif fonts were popular from the 1920's the development of the modern humanist sans genre, es-
and 30's due to their clean, modern design, and many pecially designs intended to be particularly legible above
new geometric designs and revivals have been created all other design considerations. The category expanded
since. Notable geometric types of the period include greatly during the 1980s and 1990s, partly as a reac-
Kabel, Nobel and Metro; more recent designs in the style tion against the overwhelming popularity of Helvetica and
include ITC Avant Garde, Brandon Grotesque, Gotham Univers and also due to the need for legible fonts on low-
* * * *
and Avenir. Many geometric sans-serif alphabets of the resolution computer displays. [52] [53] [54] [55] De-
period, such as those created by the such as Bauhaus art signs from this period intended for print use include FF
school (1919-1933) and modernist poster artists, were Meta, Myriad, Thesis, Charlotte Sans, Bliss and Scala
hand-lettered and not cut into metal type at the time. Sans, while designs created for computer use include
Microsoft's Tahoma, Trebuchet, Verdana, Calibri and
A separate inspiration for many geometric types has been
Corbel, as well as Lucida Grande, Fira Sans and Droid
the simplied shapes of letters engraved or stenciled on
Sans. Humanist sans-serif designs can (if appropri-
metal and plastic in industrial use, which often follow a
ately proportioned and spaced) be particularly suitable
simplied geometric design. Designs considered geomet-
for use on screen or at distance, since their designs can
ric in principles but which are less descended from the
be given wide apertures or separation between strokes,
Futura/Erbar/Kabel tradition include Bank Gothic, DIN
which is not a conventional feature on grotesque and neo-
1451, Eurostile and Handel Gothic.
grotesque designs.

3.4 Humanist 3.5 Other/mixed

These are the most calligraphic of the sans-serif type- Due to the diversity of sans-serif typefaces, many do
faces. Many take extensive inspiration from serif fonts, not t neatly into the above categories. For example,
6 5 GALLERY
Neuzeit S has both neo-grotesque and geometric inu-
ences, as does Herman Zapf's URW Grotesk, while
Whitney blends neo-grotesque and humanist inuences
and Klavika blends humanist and geometric inuences.
Sans-serif fonts intended for signage, such as Transport
on road signs, may in particular have unusual features to
enhance legibility and dierentiate characters, such as a
lower-case Lwith a curl or iwith serif under the
dot.* [56]
A particular subgenre of sans-serifs is those such as Roth-
bury, Britannic and National Trust with stroke contrast,
which have been called 'modulated' sans-serifs. They
are nowadays often placed within the humanist genre,
although they predate Johnston which started the mod-
ern humanist genre. These may take inspiration from
calligraphy or painted lettering, grotesque or humanist
fonts.* [57] In addition, many capitals-only sans-serifs of
the nineteenth century have a naturally geometric design,
but are classied in the grotesque genre.
4 Sans-serif analogues in non-
Latin scripts
From left to right: a serif typeface with serifs in red, a serif type-
face and a sans-serif typeface.
The concept of a typeface without traditional ourishes
spread from the Western European typographical tradi-
tion to other scripts in the late 19th century. Like their
Latin counterparts, non-Latin linear faces are popular for
on-screen text due to their legibility. Sans-serif analogues
are in common use for Greek, Cyrillic, Hebrew, and Chi-
nese, Japanese, and Korean. See also East Asian sans-
serif typeface.
5 Gallery
This gallery presents images of sans-serif font use across
dierent times and places from early to recent. Particular
attention is given to unusual uses and more obscure fonts,
meaning this gallery should not be considered a represen-
tative sampling.
Sample use of early sans-serifs, Dublin 1848. Set-
ting is caps only for titling, with the letters very bold
and condensed. Reasonably conventional except for
the crossed V-form 'W'.
Light sans-serif being used for body text. Germany,
1914
Capitals on a German propaganda poster, 1914.
Condensed but somewhat decorative sans-serif with
small ourishes on the 'v' and 'e'. Ljubljana, 1916.
A conventional, nearly monoline sans combined
with a stroke-modulated sans used for the title. Aus-
trian war bond poster, 1916.
Broad block capitals. Hungarian lm poster, 1918.
A monoline sans-serif with art-nouveau inuences
visible in the tilted 'e' and 'a'. Note embedded um-
laut at top left: accents are often compressed in
sans-serif capitals as here to allow tight linespacing.
Commemoration of Jewish soldiers killed ghting
for Germany, 1920.
Thick block sans-serif capitals, with inner details
kept very thin and narrow lines down the centres of
letters, characteristic of Art Deco lettering. France,
1920s.
Berthold Block, a thick German sans-serif with
shortened descenders, allowing tight linespacing.
Switzerland, 1928.
Simple Geometric-style sans (the line 'O Governo
do Estado', Brazil, 1930. Curves are kept to a min-
imum.
Lightly modulated sans serif lettering on a 1930s
poster, with pointed stroke endings suggesting a
brush.
Classic geometric sans-serif capitals, 1934, Aus-
tralia. Note the sharp points on the capital 'A' and
'N'.
Dwiggins' Metrolite and Metroblack fonts, geomet-
ric types of the style popular in the 1930s.
Lettering in relief, suggesting solid lettering on a
wall. Sweden, 1942.

Modernist setting on a 1940s American poster. The
curve of the 'r' is a common feature in grotesque
fonts, but the 'single-story' 'a' is a classic feature of
geometric fonts from the 1920s onwards.
1952 Jersey holiday events brochure, using the pop-
ular Gill Sans-led British style of the period
Neo-grotesque type, 1972, Switzerland: Helvetica
or a close copy. The tight setting is characteristic
of the International style of graphic design. The
irregular setting may have been the result of using
transfers.
Swiss TV logo: tightly-spaced neo-grotesque capi-
tals with a more rounded sans-serif on the left.
6 See also
Articles:
Serif
East Asian sans-serif typeface
Roman type
Italic type
Monospace
Emphasis (typography)
San Serrie, an April fool joke by Guardian news-
paper.
Notable sans-serif typefaces:
Grotesque
Neo-grotesque
Humanist
Geometric
List of sans serif typefaces (general)
7 References
[1]sans serifin The New Encyclopaedia Britannica.
Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc., 15th edn., 1992,
Vol. 10, p. 421.
[2] Serifs more used for headlines
[3] Tam, Keith (2002). Calligraphic tendencies in the devel-
opment of sanserif types in the twentieth century (PDF).
Reading: University of Reading (MA thesis).
7
[4] Berry, John. A Neo-Grotesque Heritage. Adobe Sys-
tems. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
[5] Mosley, James (January 6, 2007), The Nymph and the
Grot, an update, archived from the original on June 10,
2014, retrieved June 10, 2014
[6] The First Book for Blind People
[7] Does your font choice measure up?
[8] How Braille Began
[9]It became clear that in 1805 Egyptian letters were hap-
pening in the streets of London, being plastered over shops
and on walls by signwriters, and they were astonishing the
public, who had never seen letters like them and were not
sure they wanted to.Mosley, James, The Nymph and the
Grot, an update , 6 January 2007.
[10] James Mosley, The Nymph and the Grot: the revival of the
sanserif letter, London: Friends of the St Bride Printing
Library, 1999
[11] Tracy, Walter (2003). Letters of credit : a view of type de-
sign. Boston: David R. Godine. ISBN 9781567922400.
[12] William Caslon IV's sans serif
[13] Meggs 2011, p. 149.
[14] Behrens, Peter (1900), Feste des Lebens und der Kunst:
eine Betrachtung des Theaters als hchsten Kultursymbols
(in German), Eugen Diederichs
[15] Meggs 2011, p. 242.
[16] Rogers, Updike, McCutcheon (1939). The work of Bruce
Rogers, jack of all trades, master of one : a catalogue of an
exhibition arranged by the American Institute of Graphic
Arts and the Grolier Club of New York. New York: Grolier
Club, Oxford University Press. pp. xxxvxxxvii.
[17] Updike, Daniel Berkeley (1922). Printing types : their his-
tory, forms, and use; a study in survivals vol 2 (1st ed.).
Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. p. 243. Re-
trieved 17 August 2015.
[18] Lawson, Alexander (1990). Anatomy of a typeface (1st
ed.). Boston: Godine. p. 330. ISBN 9780879233334.
[19] Fifty Years of Typecutting(PDF). Monotype Recorder.
39 (2): 11, 21. 1950. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
[20] Gill Sans Promotional Poster, 1928. Red List. Mono-
type.
[21] Robinson, Edwin (1939). Preparing a Railway
Timetable (PDF). Monotype Recorder. 38 (1): 24. Re-
trieved 12 July 2015.
[22] East Coast Joys: Tom Purvis and the LNER
[23] Frazier, J.L. (1925). Type Lore. Chicago. p. 20. Re-
trieved 24 August 2015.
[24] Shinn, Nick. Uniformity(PDF). Nick Shinn. Graphic
Exchange. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
8 7
[25] Shaw, Paul. Helvetica and Univers addendum. Blue
Pencil. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
[26] Schwartz, Christian. Neue Haas Grotesk. Retrieved
28 November 2014.
[27] Neue Haas Grotesk. The Font Bureau, Inc. p. Intro-
duction.
[28] Neue Haas Grotesk. History. The Font Bureau, Inc.
[29] Specimens of type, borders, ornaments, brass rules and
cuts, etc. : catalogue of printing machinery and materi-
als, wood goods, etc. American Type Founders Company.
1897. p. 340. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
[30] Lawson 1990, p. 296.
[31] Typolexicon.de: Grotesk
[32] Lawson 1990, p. 295.
[33] OED Denition of Gothic
[34] The Sans Serif Typefaces
[35] Haralambous 2007, p. 411.
[36] Open Document Format for Oce Applications (Open-
Document) Version 1.2, Part 1: Introduction and Open-
Document Schema, Committee Draft 04, 15 December
2009, retrieved 2010-05-01
[37] OpenDocument v1.1 specication (PDF), retrieved 2010-
05-01
[38] Microsoft Corporation (June 1992), Microsoft Product
Support Services Application Note (Text File) - GC0165:
RICH-TEXT FORMAT (RTF) SPECIFICATION (TXT),
retrieved 2010-03-13
[39] Childers; Griscti; Leben (January 2013).25 Systems for
Classifying Typography: A Study in Naming Frequency
(PDF). The Parsons Journal for Information Mapping. [53] Tankard, Jeremy. Bliss. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
The Parsons Institute for Information Mapping. V (1).
Retrieved 23 May 2014.
[40] Baines, Phil; Haslam, Andrew (2005), Type and Ty-
pography, Laurence King Publishing, p. 51, ISBN [55] Previous Next Commentary. Questioning Gill Sans
9781856694377, retrieved May 23, 2014
In British Standards Classication of Typefaces (BS
2961:1967), the following are dened:
Grotesque: Lineale typefaces with 19th-century origins. [56] Calvert, Margaret. New Transport. A2-TYPE. Re-
There is some contrast in thickness of strokes. They have
squareness of curve, and curling close-set jaws. The R
usually has a curled leg and the G is spurred. The ends of [57] Coles, Stephen. Identifont blog Feb 15. Identifont.
the curved strokes are usually oblique. Examples include
Stephenson Blake Grotesque No. 6, Condensed Sans No.
7, Monotype Headline Bold.
Neo-grotesque: Lineale typefaces derived from the
grotesque. They have less stroke contrast and are more
regular in design. The jaws are more open than in the true
grotesque and the g is often open-tailed. The ends of the
curved strokes are usually horizontal. Examples include
Edel/Wotan, Univers, Helvetica.
Humanist: Lineale typefaces based on the proportions
of inscriptional Roman capitals and Humanist or Garalde
lower-case, rather than on early grotesques. They have
REFERENCES
some stroke contrast, with two-storey a and g. Examples
include Optima, Gill Sans, Pascal.
Geometric: Lineale typefaces constructed on simple ge-
ometric shapes, circle or rectangle. Usually monoline,
and often with single-storey a. Examples include Futura,
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[41] Coles, Stephen.Helvetica alternatives. FontFeed. Re-
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[47] Ulrich, Ferdinand.Types of their time A short history
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[48] Meggs 2011, pp. 339-340.
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[52] Millington, Roy (2002). Stephenson Blake: The Last of
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graphic Style (3rd ed.), Hartley & Marks Publishers,
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Lyons, Martyn (2011), Books: A Living History (2nd

ed.), Getty Publications, ISBN 9781606060834

Meggs, Philip B.; Purvis, Alston (2011), Meggs'

History of Graphic Design (5th ed.), Wiley, ISBN
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Tracy, Walter (1986), Letters of Credit: A View of

Type Design, David R. Godine, Publisher, ISBN
9780879236366

Kupferschmid, Indra, Some Type Genres Explained

10 8 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

8 Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

8.1 Text
Sans-serif Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sans-serif?oldid=741498359 Contributors: Tarquin, Jeronimo, Karen Johnson, Or-
tolan88, Ellmist, Zoe, Heron, Hotlorp, Nknight, Edward, Patrick, Fantasy, Stevan White, Djmutex, Charles Matthews, Furrykef, Hy-
acinth, Samsara, Wetman, Chuunen Baka, Sunray, 75th Trombone, Mattaschen, Mdmcginn, Alan Liefting, Smjg, DocWatson42, Haeleth,
Art Carlson, Moyogo, Proslaes, Isidore, Antandrus, Iceager, Oneiros, Mzajac, OwenBlacker, Reagle, Canterbury Tail, Chris j wood,
Rich Farmbrough, Marsian~enwiki, Andros 1337, Sbb, Dbachmann, Hhielscher, Bender235, Evice, Bobo192, DanielLC, Carbon Cary-
atid, Andrewpmk, Wtmitchell, Max Naylor, Jheald, Gpvos, Pethr, Woohookitty, Jacobolus, Pchov, Gniw, Gerbrant, Rgbea, Mandarax,
Magister Mathematicae, Jorunn, Rjwilmsi, Koavf, Rococo roboto, FayssalF, EvanSeeds, Riki, Alexhb, YurikBot, Ugha, Fabartus, Ir-
revenant, Dressed In Value, DGJM, Lockesdonkey, BraneJ, Tonym88, Relayer250, Jnow5369, Closedmouth, Petri Krohn, Dyfsunc-
tional, Finell, ABehrens, SmackBot, James Arboghast, McGeddon, Pgk, 1c3d0g, Gilliam, Vontafeijos, Psiphiorg, Chris the speller,
Miquonranger03, SvGeloven, Tetraglot, Raymie, Jacob Poon, Unilynx, Andrew c, Esrever, Kuru, John, Mauro Bieg, Waggers, Irides-
cent, NemethE, Dpmarshall, Green caterpillar, Zinjixmaggir, Thijs!bot, Christoph Knoth, Edwardx, Klausness, Stannered, The prophet
wizard of the crayon cake, Jasoneppink, Karoma, Mapmark, Rafuki 33, Burbble, JMyrleFuller, Edward321, Pax:Vobiscum, NMaia,
Dutchman Schultz, R'n'B, J.delanoy, Bogey97, Uncle Dick, 72Dino, Little Professor, Psychlopaedist, Ja 62, AngryBear, Signalhead,
VolkovBot, Frigglinn~enwiki, Moonriddengirl, MinorContributor, Hello71, TruesTheLamb, Anchor Link Bot, ClueBot, Asolovyov,
Stevenrasnick, Jengirl1988, Lsoares, LHMike, Critisizer, WikHead, Brandsen, Addbot, Ocrasaroon, MrOllie, Favonian, Perry chestereld,
Jarble, Jenn363, TaBOT-zerem, Lacrymocphale, AnomieBOT, Jfkjaya, Jj23air, Xqbot, Crookesmoor, RevoltPuppy, Mathonius, SD5,
Jersey92, Xhaoz, Pinethicket, I dream of horses, MastiBot, le ottante, Vrenator, Reaper Eternal, ButOnMethItIs, Tomchen1989, John
of Reading, Twbaroberts, Philafrenzy, ChuispastonBot, Curtc, TYelliot, DASHBotAV, ClueBot NG, Turn685, Frietjes, Widr, MerlIw-
Bot, BG19bot, Teika kazura, Dafeenah, BattyBot, StarryGrandma, W.D., Dexbot, Hmainsbot1, 331dot, Blythwood, Jlongrc, Joshhuish,
JaconaFrere, Filedelinkerbot, Jzo123, Cpoakes, Ihaveacatonmydesk, Mohitolovael, Audiencela, SouthboundLightning, CLCStudent, Woy-
Woy and Anonymous: 194

8.2 Images
File:Base_of_the_Reformers_Memorial,_Kensal_Green_Cemetery,_showing_Lloyd_Jones.JPG Source: https://upload.
wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2d/Base_of_the_Reformers_Memorial%2C_Kensal_Green_Cemetery%2C_showing_Lloyd_
Jones.JPG License: CC BY-SA 4.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Stephencdickson
File:Commons-logo.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg License: CC-BY-SA-3.0 Contribu-
tors: ? Original artist: ?
File:Folder_Hexagonal_Icon.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/48/Folder_Hexagonal_Icon.svg License: Cc-by-
sa-3.0 Contributors: ? Original artist: ?
File:FranklinGothic.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/20/FranklinGothic.svg License: Public domain
Contributors: Own work Original artist: Little Professor
File:Futura.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/Futura.svg License: Public domain Contributors: Trans-
ferred from en.wikipedia to Commons. Original artist: Dyfsunctional at English Wikipedia
File:Helvetica.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8b/Helvetica.svg License: Public domain Contributors:
Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons. Original artist: Dyfsunctional at English Wikipedia
File:J_accuse.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b4/J_accuse.jpg License: Public domain Contributors:
Scan of L'Aurore Original artist: mile Zola
File:Ming_serif.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/Ming_serif.svg License: Public domain Contributors:
Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons by Asoer. Original artist: Asoer at English Wikipedia
File:Portal-puzzle.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/fd/Portal-puzzle.svg License: Public domain Contributors: ?
Original artist: ?
File:Sans-serif_italics.png Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/42/Sans-serif_italics.png License: CC BY-SA
4.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Blythwood
File:Serif_and_sans-serif_01.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/Serif_and_sans-serif_01.svg License:
CC-BY-SA-3.0 Contributors: en:Image:Serif and sans-serif 01.png Original artist: Recreated by User:Stannered, original by en:User:
Chmod007
File:Serif_and_sans-serif_02.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a2/Serif_and_sans-serif_02.svg License:
CC-BY-SA-3.0 Contributors: en:Image:Serif and sans-serif 02.png Original artist: Recreated by User:Stannered, original by en:User:
Chmod007
File:Serif_and_sans-serif_03.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/Serif_and_sans-serif_03.svg License:
CC-BY-SA-3.0 Contributors: en:Image:Serif and sans-serif 03.png Original artist: Recreated by User:Stannered, original by en:User:
Chmod007
File:Stroke_modulation_sans-serif.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/52/Stroke_modulation_
sans-serif.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: H.W. Caslon catalogue of 1915 Original artist: H.W. Caslon Co.
File:Syntax_example.png Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/Syntax_example.png License: CC BY-SA 4.0
Contributors: Own work Original artist: Blythwood
File:berwachung_der_Eisenbahnlinien_-_Warnung_-_Laibach_-_Mehrsprachiges_Plakat_1914.jpg Source: https://upload.
wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8a/%C3%9Cberwachung_der_Eisenbahnlinien_-_Warnung_-_Laibach_-_Mehrsprachiges_
Plakat_1914.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: http://www.bildarchivaustria.at/Pages/ImageDetail.aspx?p_iBildID=14267633
Original artist: City hall of Ljubljana
8.3 Content license 11

8.3 Content license

Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0