We're counting down the 100 greatest typefaces in existence. Here we present number 97...
FontShop AG, the renowned type foundry, conducted a survey based on historical relevance, sales at FontShop.com, and aesthetic quality. With a few additions from the experts at Creative Bloq and Computer Arts magazine, the best fonts ever were selected for the new book, 100 Best Typefaces Ever.
Here we are counting down the 100 greatest fonts, but you can read interviews with some of the typefaces' creators, a brief history of type, the anatomy of a font, and much, much more in the book – find out how to get your copy in print or digital formats at the foot of this post.
But without further ado, here's the 97th best typeface ever...
Although ITC Bauhaus itself – the classic sans with its open-ended counterforms and curvaceous, rounded lines – was designed by Edward Benguiat and Victor Caruso in 1975, the origins of the typeface date back to 1925.
In that year, Austrian and American graphic designer Herbert Bayer designed Universal – an experimental typeface combining upper and lowercase characters into a single character set. Benguiat and Caruso took inspiration from Universal’s simple geometric shapes and stroke weights, creating the five-weight family.
ITC Bauhaus is immediately recognisable not only from its ultra-rounded strokes, but also the open-ended counterforms, as seen here in detail in the A character
The 100 Best Typefaces Ever
This is an extract from The 100 Best Typefaces Ever, the definitive guide to the greatest fonts ever created, in association with FontShop AG. Over 180 premium pages, the book dissects the world's greatest typefaces, bringing you some insightful background on each and interviews with their creators.
You can pick up the book at all good newsagents today or order it online. Or you can download a digital edition directly to your iPad from the Computer Arts app on iTunes.
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Rob is editorial, graphic design and publishing lead at Transport for London. He previously worked at Future Publishing over the course of several years, where he launched digital art magazine, ImagineFX; and edited graphic design magazine Computer Arts, as well as the Computer Arts Projects series, and was also editor of technology magazine, T3.
