![]() ![]() The capitals of Akzidenz-Grotesk are wide and relatively uniform in width. ![]() This is most visible in the quite folded-up apertures of letters such as ‘a’ and ‘c’. Modern type designer Martin Majoor has described the general design of Akzidenz-Grotesk and its ancestors as similar in letterforms to the Didone serif fonts that were standard printing types in the 19th century, such as Didot, Walbaum and their followers. This gives a sense of simplicity and an absence of the adornment and flourishes seen in the more decorative sans-serifs of the late 19th century influenced by the Art Nouveau style. ![]() ![]() Like most sans-serifs, Akzidenz-Grotesk is 'monoline' in structure, with all strokes of the letter of similar width. Design characteristicsĭigital variants of Akzidenz-Grotesk, showing the slight inconsistencies and idiosyncrasies between different weights and widths If it had an intended meaning, it may have reflected the "primitive" feel of sans-serifs, or their roots in archaic Greek and Roman inscriptions, and was commonly used to mean "sans-serif" without negative implication. Grotesque (German: Grotesk) was a standard term that had become popular in the first half of the 19th century for sans-serifs, initiated by the London type-founder William Thorowgood. Akzidenzschrift was by the 1870s a generic term meaning typefaces intended for these uses. Both words were everyday, descriptive terms for typefaces of the time in the German language: Akzidenz meaning trade printing or printing for some occasion or event a modern German-language dictionary describes it as work such as advertisements and forms, from Latin accidentia (occurrence, chance happening). It has sometimes been sold as Standard or Basic Commercial in English-speaking countries, and a variety of digital versions have been released by Berthold and other companies.Īkzidenz-Grotesk is often translated into English as "jobbing sans-serif" (in the sense of "used for jobs"). Its simple, neutral design has also influenced many later typefaces. Relatively little-known for a half-century after its introduction, it achieved iconic status in the post-war period as the preferred typeface of many Swiss graphic designers in what became called the 'International' or 'Swiss' design style which became popular across the Western world in the 1950s and 1960s. Originating during the late 19th century, Akzidenz-Grotesk belongs to a tradition of general-purpose, unadorned sans-serif types that had become dominant in German printing during the 19th century. Akzidenz indicates its intended use as a typeface for commercial print runs such as publicity, tickets and forms, as opposed to fine printing, and "grotesque" was a standard name for sans-serif typefaces at the time. Akzidenz-Grotesk is a sans-serif typeface family originally released by the Berthold Type Foundry of Berlin. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |