Chanpory Rith
Feb 15, 2007
Love Helvetica, but hate it too? Check out FontShop’s 13 Helvetica alternatives, a list of typefaces that are kinda-sorta like Helvetica, but not quite.
You’ll find familiar classics like Univers as well as more obscure choices like FF Schulbuch and Maxima. For the typophile in all of us, each entry comes with a little historical tidbit. If you’re lazy, here’s the complete list:
- Univers
- Heldustry
- FF Schulbuch
- Neuzeit S
- Maxima
- Paralucent
- Basic Commercial
- FF Bau
- Monotype Grotesque
- Folio
- Venus
- Titling Gothic
- Adesso
Hmmm… I wonder why Arial isn’t on the list. Oh, that’s right. It’s not a real typeface. ;-)
via FontShop
5 Comments
David Airey
7:14 am
Why do you say that Arial isn’t a real typeface?
Chanpory
12:34 am
It’s a bit of a nod to Arial’s ill favor among designers, typographers, and type designers. The typeface is generally seen as a cheap knock-off and inferior to Helvetica.
Chris
12:20 am
Arial is a real typeface, just like any other typeface around. It’s just that it’s been abused in the past 10 years thanks in part to Microsoft thrusting it on us all. Trained designers can distinguish the imperfections of Arial easily, but bear in mind that Arial as a screen font renders excellently and serves it’s own purpose just like Helvetica / Frutiger etc does.
typophile
3:52 pm
there is only one real alternative, apparently not from fontshop:
Akzidenz Grotesk.
Stephen
1:51 pm
Looks like your link to the article is broken. New URL: http://fontfeed.com/archives/helvetica-and-alternatives-to-helvetica/