Univers
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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This article is about a typeface; for information about similarly spelled topics, see Universe (disambiguation).
Univers is a realist sans-serif typeface designed by Adrian Frutiger in 1956. Both Univers and Helvetica, which it is sometimes confused with, take inspiration from the 1896 typeface Akzidenz Grotesk. These typefaces figure prominently in the Swiss Style of graphic design.
Different weights and variations within the type family, which consists of twenty-one typefaces in all, are designated by the use of numbers rather than names, a system since adopted by Frutiger for other type designs. Frutiger envisioned a large family with multiple widths and weights that maintained a unified design idiom.
[edit] The Frutiger numbering system
Adrian Frutiger designed his unique classification system to eliminate naming and specifying confusion. It was first used with Univers, and is also seen in Frutiger, Avenir, Helvetica Neue, and others.
Due to some typeface manufacturers’ failure to understand and implement the system correctly, however, things have actually become more confusing (some Helvetica Neue fonts are numbered, for example, and some are not).
The system, as simply stated as possible, consists of a prefix (the first numeral) which defines weight, and a suffix (the second numeral) which defines width and orientation as to roman or italic. The prefix indicates the weight, beginning with "2", as in Univers 25 (ultra light), and progressing up to "9", as in Univers 95 (black). Very infrequently, the weight will go up to "10".
The suffix indicates the width and/or angle (even numbers are always italic, odd numbers are always upright; numerals less than 5 indicate extended, and numerals greater than 5 are always condensed) of the font.
[edit] Prefixes
- Ultra Light
- Thin
- Light
- Normal, Roman, or Regular
- Medium
- Bold
- Heavy
- Black
- Ultra or Extra Black
[edit] Suffixes
- Ultra Extended
- Ultra Extended Oblique (Italic)
- Extended
- Extended Oblique (Italic)
- Normal
- Oblique (Italic)
- Condensed
- Condensed Oblique (Italic)
- Ultra Condensed
[edit] Usage
Univers enjoyed great popularity in the 1960s and 1970s. It became the sans-serif typeface most favoured by designers at that time and has been used in a modified version by the new Swiss International Air Lines (previously, Swissair used the typeface Futura), Deutsche Bank and for signage all over the world. General Electric used the font from 1986 to 2004 before switching to GE Inspira [1]. Apple Computer uses this typeface as well as its italic variant for the keycaps on many of its keyboards. It is known for its clear lines and legibility at great distances.
The Paris Metro, Montreal Metro, San Francisco BART [2], Frankfurt airport and the Walt Disney World road system also make extensive use of this font. The Royal Air Force adopted the font for all merchandising material in 2006 to complement its new corporate logo. Ordnance Survey also adapted Univers for use on their maps (added tails on the lowercase l and t, and other small changes to help distinguish the type from the map details) of which they own all rights to.
