Typefaces: one i love, one i don't

To me, type is a crucial part of every design. We see it everyday, we are influenced by it, it’s everywhere around us, in the products we buy, the signs in the roads, posters, books, magazines, websites, etc. 

A design can change completely depending on the type that you select. This is why it is very important to know when to use them, and to think about what message you’re trying to convey, before selecting a typeface.

I’ve chosen a typeface that I really like (Futura) and one that I don’t like (Papyrus).

FUTURA

Futura is a geometric sans-serif typeface,  designed between 1924 and 1926 by Paul Renner, a German graphic designer, typographer, type designer, painter, and teacher. It is based on the geometrical shapes that became the representative visual elements of Bauhaus design. Renner is actually not associated with Bauhaus (1919-1933), but he used and shared many elements of this style. He believed that a mod

ern typeface should express modern models, instead of being a revival of a previous type design.

True to the time period it was created in, and its technique, Futura is derived from simple geometric forms, like near perfect circles, triangles and squares. It is based

on strokes of near-even weight, which are low in contrast (This is most visible in the almost perfectly round stroke of the letter o, but the shape is actually slightly ovoid.)

While he designed this type, Renner avoided anything that was decorative, eliminating all non-essential elements. The personality of this type can be seen as the lower

case has tall ascenders which rise above the capline, and the uppercase present proportions similar to those of classical capitals.

For me Futura is a very legible type, that can be used in many designs, it is clean and direct. But also, has weaknesses, like it is a very wide font, and takes up more space in the design than others. 

Although, it has a lot of varitations in its family that are more narrow, they don’t look the same. Futura family memebers include: Regular, Light (Oblique and Condensed), Book (Bold, and Oblique), Medium (Oblique and Condensed), Bold (Oblique andCondensed), Semibold (Italic), Extrabold (Italic and Condensed), Inline, Display, Black, amongst many others.

Also, the success of Futura inspired many other geometric sans-serif typefaces like: Kabel, Vogue, Metro, Erbar, Spartan, Twentieth Century and Century Gothic, amongst others. Also, typeface designer Adrian Frutiger recognizes Futura as one of his inspirations in designing Avenir in 1988.

Some examples of Futura:

PAPYRUS

Papyrus is a typeface designed in 1982 by Chris Costello, an American graphic designer, illustrator and web designer. It was originally hand-drawn over a period of six months with a calligraphy pen and textured paper. Also the designer used pencils, radiograph pens, white-out and French Curves.  

The designer’s inspiration was old style antique calligraphy. He was influenced a lot by Middle Eastern scriptures. His goal was to create a font that would represent what the English language would have looked like if written on papyrus paper 2000 years ago.

This typeface has a number of distinctive human touches, including rough edges, irregular curves, and high horizontal strokes in the capitals.

To me this type is very overused and became a font for the masses. Even the designer thinks that it is used excessively and not necessarily in the right way (the product or design doesn’t really go or match with the typeface). I think it is important to consider when to use it appropriately, like for giving a sensation of antique or handmade. Personally, I don’t like to use it, and I think there are more appropiate fonts that can be used, but I guess it depends on the designer.

Some examples of Papyrus:

As everything in our profession, it depends on the designer’s preferences and choices, as well as their purpose in each creation. I think Futura can be used in more applications because it’s more serious, much more legible, and can be easily integrated into many designs, on the other hand, Papyrus’ use is much more limited.