Helvetica facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Helvetica (also Neue Haas Grotesk) is a widely-used sans serif font family. It was developed in 1957 by font family designer Max Miedinger with input from Eduard Hoffmann.

Helvetica is a neo-grotesque or realist design. It is one that's influenced by the 19th century font family Akzidenz-Grotesk and other German and Swiss designs. It became one of the most popular font families of the 20th century.

It was originally named Neue Haas Grotesk. It was licensed by Linotype and renamed Helvetica in 1960.

Images for kids

Helvetica's tight apertures contribute to a regular, dense design.
A hand-cut rubylith master used in the 1983 phototypesetting release of Helvetica Neue
An early Helvetica specimen in the asymmetric Swiss modernist style, showing tight spacing in the poster style of the period
A number of unusual adaptations of Helvetica have been released that diverge from Miedinger's original design, notably the Bold Extended weight in which the 'r' has a droop, the extra-slanted Diagonal weight, Helvetica Compact with a different 'Q' and straight-sided capitals and the extra-condensed, high x-height Inserat.
Helvetica Arabic
Comparison of Helvetica, Arial and Microsoft Sans Serif. Bitstream Vera, a humanist design not based on Helvetica, is shown for comparison.
Forma compared to Helvetica Neue
A Helvetica Flair specimen sheet
Shatter
Top: Coolvetica, based on Helvetica modifications such as Helvetica Flair. Note curved designs of 't' and 'y' as well as the narrow letter spacing commonly seen in pre-digital Helvetica.
Chicago 'L' signage
National Film Board of Canada logo
UK government publication
1964 poster for Les Diaboliques

Helvetica facts for kids

Images for kids

See also