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The task was given to the three men, André Gürtler, Erich Gschwind, and Christian Mengelt, who formed Team ’77. After extensive research on the neogrotesques of the time, especially Univers and Helvetica, the team devised a new typeface called Unica whose design intention of combining the two is perfectly captured in the name. The research document titled From Helvetica to Haas Unica ( ) is a wonderful piece of design documentation and well worth a read.
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Unica was released in 1980, though it didn’t enjoy much success back in the day. Common criticism was that it was too close to the two typefaces that inspired it in my view of the densely crowded neogrotesque genre of today, the point sounds dated. One prominent use case of the time was Octavo magazine that were published between 1985–92. The digital version was available from Scangraphic which was taken down after a copyright dispute with Linotype which had acquired Haas. Linotype hadn’t touched Unica for a long time, since it had Helvetica and Univers, and did not have much commercial interest in the typeface.
#Neue haas unica free archive#
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.On a visit at the Linotype archive near Frankfurt one day, I stumbled upon a large pack of drawings and negative masters of Unica. Soon after, the design began to undergo revisions yet went on to great success. It eventually became arguably the world's most famous typeface, used widely in branding, advertising and signage - but under a different name. "Think of Neue Haas Grotesk as the prequel to Helvetica," said Allan Haley, director of words and letters at Monotype Imaging. 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. "The story of Helvetica is somewhat like the story of Marilyn Monroe," Haley said. "Helvetica began with a different identity and became the object of multiple interests. 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. "My goal was to restore and preserve the original design intent as faithfully and authentically as possible," said Schwartz. 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. The firm's parent company, Germany-based Stempel, made the decision to rename the typeface to improve its marketability outside of Switzerland. The name, Helvetia, was suggested, which is the Latin name for Switzerland. However, Helvetica was ultimately chosen to reflect the design's Swiss heritage, instead of the country itself. With Miedinger's design, type could be set by hand in sizes ranging from five to 72 points. Each size required a different font, and each incorporated subtle design differences in order to achieve optimal reproduction of the typeface.
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However, as machine-set typesetting overtook handsetting techniques, changes were made to the design to simplify production - but at the expense of aesthetic nuances. Further modifications continued, as production methods evolved to phototypesetting and eventually to digital technologies. The Neue Helvetica family, released in 1983, introduced additional weights along with refinements for enhanced legibility. Improved punctuation was also included, as well as adjustments in cap-height and x-height to ensure uniformity across the family.
#Neue haas unica free pro#
Neue Helvetica was further expanded in 2004 with an OpenType® Pro version, which included support for additional languages.