The Neue Helvetica family, released in 1983, introduced additional weights along with refinements for enhanced legibility. Further modifications continued, as production methods evolved to phototypesetting and eventually to digital technologies. However, as machine-set typesetting overtook handsetting techniques, changes were made to the design to simplify production - but at the expense of aesthetic nuances. Each size required a different font, and each incorporated subtle design differences in order to achieve optimal reproduction of the typeface. With Miedinger's design, type could be set by hand in sizes ranging from five to 72 points. However, Helvetica was ultimately chosen to reflect the design's Swiss heritage, instead of the country itself. The name, Helvetia, was suggested, which is the Latin name for Switzerland. The firm's parent company, Germany-based Stempel, made the decision to rename the typeface to improve its marketability outside of Switzerland. The original Neue Haas Grotesk, which means "New Haas Sans Serif," was designed in 1957 by Max Miedinger, under the direction of Eduard Hoffmann, of the Haas Type Foundry in Münchenstein, Switzerland. "My goal was to restore and preserve the original design intent as faithfully and authentically as possible," said Schwartz. Now, thanks to the beautiful work of Christian Schwartz, the original design, under its original name, has been reborn for a new generation of graphic communicators and type lovers." It has endured cosmetic changes over the years yet has achieved and maintained extreme popularity. "Helvetica began with a different identity and became the object of multiple interests. "The story of Helvetica is somewhat like the story of Marilyn Monroe," Haley said. Aesthetic differences between the original and today's Helvetica can be traced to design modifications that were made to comply with requirements for machine-set typesetting, which replaced handsetting techniques. "Think of Neue Haas Grotesk as the prequel to Helvetica," said Allan Haley, director of words and letters at Monotype Imaging. It eventually became arguably the world's most famous typeface, used widely in branding, advertising and signage - but under a different name. Soon after, the design began to undergo revisions yet went on to great success. The transition was rushed, and so many of the design limitations from analogue systems were carried over to the digital realm.FontHaus's release of Neue Haas Grotesk marks Monotype Imaging's digital debut of a typeface that was first designed for handset composition using metal type in the late 1950s. The handset type continued to be sold as Neue Haas Grotesk for several years because the design had to be significantly altered for the limitations of the Linotype machine.īecause of its vast popularity, Helvetica was among the first typefaces to be adapted for digital typesetting. To compete with other sans-serifs in the global type market, in 1959 Neue Haas Grotesk was made available for the popular Linotype machine and from then it became known as Helvetica, meaning ‘the Swiss’ in Latin. The name change to Helvetica reflected the necessity to make it resonate better with an international marketplace-and so the name Helvetica was born. Adopted by many graphic designers, it became a hallmark of contemporary Swiss graphic design. When in the 1950s Eduard Hoffmann, President of the Haas type foundry in Switzerland, commissioned Max Miedinger to design Neue Haas Grotesk, it was an immediate success. Originally released as Neue Haas Grotesk, it existed as handset metal type, and some of its original personality traits were lost in translation throughout its adaptation in digital form. The digital version of Helvetica that everyone knows and uses today is different from the original typeface created in 1957. Helvetica is probably the world’s most famous sans-serif font-books have been written about it, it has been used in public signage (the New York subway system was an early adopter), transport systems, and even a documentary film was produced about it.
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