Helvetica.

ABCDEFGHIJK
MNOPQRSTUV
WXYZ01234567
9abcdefghijklm
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Helvetica Typography
Helvetica is ubiquitous because it
works so well. The design embodies
the concept that a typeface should
absolutely support the reading
process—that clear communication
is the primary goal of typography.

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Helvetica Typography
Classification:
Neo-Grotesque
Sans-Serif

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Helvetica Typography
01 Origins
Background
Swiss
Uniformity and Geometry

Graphic
Grid systems

Design The iconic Swiss tourism poster by

Herbert Matter. 1934
1957
Helvetica was
designed by
Max Miedinger &
Eduard Hoffmann
Switzerland
EDUARD HOF FM ANN

MAX MIEDINGER
Haas Type
Foundry 1600’s
Foundry; Swiss manufacturer of foundry type
Linotype
1886
Re-issuing foundries; A system to cast metal
type in lines invented by Ottmar Mergenthaler.
Swiss typeface designer

Max
Miedinger
Max Miedinger was a Swiss typeface designer. He was
famous for creating the Neue Haas Grotesk typeface in
1957 which was renamed Helvetica in 1960. Marketed
as a symbol of cutting-edge Swiss technology, Helvetica
went global at once. Between 1926 and 1930 Miedinger
trained as a typesetter in Zürich, after which he attended
evening classes at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Zürich.
At the age of sixteen Max became an apprentice
typesetter at a book printing office for Jacques Bollmann
(in Zürich). After four years as an apprentice, Miedinger
enrolled in the School of Arts and Crafts. When he was
26 years old, he went to work for an advertising studio
called Globe. Here he worked as a typographer and
improved his skills. After ten years of working at Globe,
Miedinger then gained employment with Haas Type
Foundry as a representative. This is where he made his
mark on history and designed the most used typeface of
the 20th century, Helvetica.
Advertisement promoting Helvetica.
Designed by Max Miedinger, 1957
 Swiss Born May 26, 1892 in Zurich, died September 17,
1980 in Basel. After finishing college, Eduard
typeface Hoffman, who was fascinated by the beginnings of
designer aviation, completed study trips and internships in

Eduard
Zurich, Berlin, and Munich to learn more about
technology and engineering. In 1917 he took on a
position at the Hass Typefoundry, which was under
the management of his uncle Max Krayer.

He showed great commitment in acquainting

himself with a field he had never studied, making
typography and typefaces his new line of business.
In 1937 he began managing the type foundry as
co-director of equal status with his uncle, and after
the latter’s death in 1944, he continued as sole

Hoffmann
manager of the company until retiring in 1965. His
son Alfred entered the company in 1951 and
energetically supported him. He served as deputy
director from 1959 and subsequently took over as
managing director in 1968.
 International
Style
The International Typographic Style, also
known as the Swiss Style, is a graphic
design style developed in Switzerland in
the 1950s that emphasizes cleanliness,
readability and objectivity. Hallmarks of

Typographic
the style are asymmetric layouts, use of a
grid, sans-serif typefaces and flush left,
ragged right text.

Style
Character istics
Helvetica Order
Sans-serif Grid
Clarity Simple
Hierarchy Neutral
Loud Versatile
Legibility Flexible
Timeless Geometric
18
Germany Switzerland United States
1890 1957 1963
The German company Berthold Type Max Miedinger and Eduard Hoffman of Helvetica is introduced to the US in
designs a sans serif typeface known as the Haas Type Foundry in Switzerland Print Magazine

90-
Akzidenz Grotesk design the typeface Neue Haas Grotesk
based on Akzidenz Grotesk
1961
Stempel, the parent company of Haas,
changes the name to Helvetica,
meaning “Swiss”, to appeal to the
German market
1964
American company Linotype adopts
Helvetica for their equipment, the
typeface’s first major headway into the
American market
1969
Helvetica is ubiquitous in American
advertising by the late 1960s

1983
American company Linotype adobts
Helvetica for their equipment, the
typeface’s first major headway into the
American market

1989
Helvetica becomes the official typeface
of the NYC subway

2007
Helvetica documentary film released to
wide acclaim and public exposure

Helvetica Timeline
Neue Haas Grotesk was
Helvetica’s first name.
Haas Type Foundry named
it after their attempt to
improve Akzidenz-Grotesk.

1957 Helvetica Akzidenz-Grotesk

When the typeface was
asked to be produced for
Linotype Machines the
name changed to Helvetica,
the latin word for Swiss.
Political Context: Helvetica was
designed in post-war Europe where
the world was still reeling from the
events of WWII. Their original name
that translates to Switzerland, was
to make the font more marketable
internationally in the wake of WWII
and because the beginning signs of
the Cold War had arisen. the latin
word for Swiss.

Let my people go: Dan Reisinger

1969, Israel
Metal type Digital age
Iconic Designers
1. Max Bill 3. Wolfgang Weingart
2. Massimo Vignelli 4. Josef Müller-Brockmann

1 3

2 4
Grid Systems

Mathema tical
Max Bill
Concrete Art movement, Geometry
and mathematics
Josef Müller-
Brockmann
Contrast through varying elements, and
the typographical composition
Massimo
Vignelli
Modernism, clarity in design
Wolfgang
Weingart
New Wave, Deconstruction, and
Swiss Typography
02 Analysis
Anatomy & Forms
Full Character Sets Weights

ABCDEFGHIJKL Ultra Light

MNOPQRSTUV Thin
light
WXYZ012345678 Regular
9abcdefghijklmn Medium
opqrstuvwxyz Bold
 agrskf
Vetical Cut Offs Short Ascender &
Descender

Closed Apertures

Large X-height

Low Stroke Contrast

Horizonta Cut Offs

Helvetica Stroke contrast is minimal, horizontal and vertical cut offs, tight
Characteristics spacing between letters, large x-height, & closed apertures
 abc tf
Low Stroke Narrow
Contrast “t” and “f”

xyz
OO S
Geometric Squared “S”
Counter Space

Helvetica Helvetica Neue

Regular Regular
eo eo
Helvetica Helvetica Neue

Rounded characters have

been given softer curves

rtf rtf
Certain characters have
been widened and their
curves made softer
03 Usage
Applications
It’s neutral and versatile, Helvetica’s letterforms
are flexible at any size, making them a perfect
fit for a variety of applications.
Brand Identity Packaging Editorial
Transportation Sinage Apparal
Brand Identity Packaging Editorial
Transportation Sinage Apparal
Logos
Logos set in Helvetica: Its relevance
in design through the years and
even today seems unbeatable.
From airlines, to car companies to
the largest software company,
Helvetica’s use in logos throughout
the world remains as strong as ever.
Knoll: international graphic identity that
became the industry standard.
Film Industry
Title Sequence: Saul Bass, Goodfellas (1990)
Title Sequence: Split (2017)
Title Sequence: Alien (1979)
Movie Posters
Languages
Language Variants: There have been
a number of Helvetica variations
created, including a number of
language variants (Cyrillic, Korean,
Hindi, Japanese, Vietnamese, and
Greek among them)
“The meaning is in the content
of the text and not in the
typeface, and that is why we
loved Helvetica very much.”
WIM CROUWEL
Typographer, Graphic designer
References
01 "Helvetica® Font Family Typeface Story."
Fonts.com. N.p., n.d. Web.
02 "Lessons From Swiss Style Graphic
Design – Smashing Magazine".
Smashing Magazine. Retrieved
2015-12-11.
03 Encyclopedia Britannica, International
Typographic Style
04 Ferman, Corinne. "Helvetica Neue Type
Specimen Book." N.p., n.d. Web.
05 Matthews, William. "Max Miedinger." 09 "The Simplicity of Helvetica |
N.p., n.d. Web. Webdesigner Depot." 7 Feb. 2018.
06 "Helvetica Forever." 10 Müller, Lars; Malsy, Victor; Langer, Axel;
Helveticaforever.com. N.p., Kupferschmid, Indra (2009). Helvetica
2018. Web. Forever: Story of a Typeface. Baden,
Switzerland: Lars Müller. ISBN
978-3037781210.
07 "Helvetica Font - 40 Excellent Logos
Created With Helvetica | Webdesigner
Depot." Webdesigner Depot. N.p., 2018.
Web.
08 Art of the Title. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.artofthetitle.com/