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Helvetica: The Best Font Ever

Ranked #10,263 in Arts & Design, #184,028 overall

What makes Helvetica the best?

Helvetica, the typeface created by Max Miedinger in 1957, is a true "workhorse". This classic typeface is one of the most widely used and recognizable. It's clean, crisp shapes make it highly "readable" so it's superb for use in signage, posters and displays. Some may say it's boring and "safe". But to others, it pure perfection!

Helvetica photos from Flickr

Helvetica, The Movie. by _e.t
curated content from Flickr

See the Movie!

A great documentary that is enjoyable to both graphic designers and non-designers.

To coincide with Helvetica's 50th anniversary, Director Gary Hustwit produced this feature-length independent film.
Helvetica

Helvetica

Amazon Price: $10.99 (as of 01/27/2012)Buy Now

A feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. It looks at the proliferation of one typeface (which will celebrate its 50th birthday in 2007) as part of a larger conversation about the way type affects our lives. The film is an exploration of urban spaces in major cities and the type that inhabits them, and a fluid discussion with renowned designers about their work, the creative process, and the choices and aesthetics behind their use of type.

Read the Book!

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Buy the Font!

Purchase Helvetica from one of these websites.
Fonts.com
Helvetica 55 Roman starting at $24.00
Linotype
Full font family available.
Font Shop
Full font family available.
Adobe.com
Full font family available.
Veer
Full font family available.

Design with Helvetica

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All About Helvetica

Helvetica was created by Miedinger with Eduard Hoffmann at the Haas'sche Schriftgiesserei (Haas type foundry) of Münchenstein, Switzerland. Haas set out to design a new sans-serif typeface that could compete with Akzidenz Grotesk in the Swiss market. Originally called Neue Haas Grotesk, the typeface's name was changed by Haas' German parent company Stempel in 1960 to Helvetica - derived from Confederatio Helvetica, the Latin name for Switzerland - in order to make it more marketable internationally.

Read the rest of the Wikipedia article

Great Helvetica Gear

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But wait a minute, isn't Helvetica a "typeface", not a font?

Well if you want to be technical, then yes, Helvetica is not a "font" - it is a "typeface". Many people interchange the two terms, not realizing that there is a difference.

Read about the difference between a font and a typeface here:

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Font or Typeface?

The physical embodiment of a collection of letters more...1 point

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Font Origins - Where the term font came from

Back in the days when all typefaces were made of l more...0 points

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http://www.webopedia.com/quick_ref/fonts.asp

An online computer dictionary and internet search more...0 points

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When Is It Wrong To Call A Typeface Font » Inspiration Bit

Knowledge comes from an inspiration - one bit at a more...0 points

Videos about Helvetica

Helvetica - Trailer
by NewVideoDigital | video info

433 ratings | 162,677 views
automatically generated by YouTube

Helvetica on the Web

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Helvetica Movie and Typeface

Movie: Documentary film by Gary Hustwit. Released more...1 point

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Helvetica

Helvetica is a feature-length independent film abo more...0 points

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BBC NEWS | Magazine | Helvetica at 50

The Helvetica font is celebrating its 50th birthda more...0 points

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arial or helvetica? | a quiz from iliveonyourvisits.com

They "borrowed" Helvetica for their oper more...0 points

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The Scourge of Arial

An icon of the Swiss school of typography, Helveti more...0 points

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Helvetica NOW Poster Contest

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Helvetica more...0 points

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Veer: Ideas: Helvetica: A Documentary Film by Gary Huswit

Love it or hate it, Helvetica looms large in visua more...0 points

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Helvetica: The little typeface that leaves a big mark ...

Helvetica: The little typeface that leaves a big m more...0 points

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The Helvetica Meditations | Typographica

A daily journal of typography featuring news, obse more...0 points

What do you think about Helvetica?

Do you love or hate Helvetica?

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Love it - it's a true classic!

Hate it - it's boring and overused!

 

Tell the world your thoughts on this font.

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  • Reply
    mosaic May 31, 2008 @ 6:58 pm | delete
    Hi there! I just made a lens for Squidflix on the movie. Your page is pretty cool so I'm going to lensroll you. Except I might have to do that tomorrow because my lens is not "featured" yet.
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Alternatives to Helvetica

For all those who think Helvetica is played out, here are some alternatives.
Helvetica and Alternatives to Helvetica
Typographic Alternatives to Helvetica | SOME RANDOM DUDE
It is well-known that the general public literally could not care less about typography. If you asked the average Joe or Jane on the street what Helvetica was...
13 lucky alternatives to Helvetica
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.

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desertsky

HI! I'm desertsky. I'm a self-confessed movie addict. I enjoy movies of all kinds, but I'm partial to sci-fi,horror and film noir.

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