Is Euclid inspired by Dessau?

[Chris Dean]

This topic was imported from the Typophile platform

Having a conversation on twitter.

This morning I was having a conversation with the foundry Swiss Typefaces (@swisstypefaces). They are in the process of designing a typeface called Euclid.

I responded asking them if it was inspired by the Dessau series of typefaces.

They responded “no.”

I was particularly interested in the similarities between the [&] and [a] in Dessau Pro Zukunft.

I’ll let you decide:

[PabloImpallari]

Both remind me of the original design of Futura
http://sietepecadosdigitales.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/004_paul_renner...

Digital as Futura Classic
http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/wiescherdesign/futura-classic/

[clauses]

Exactly Pablo. Know thy type history!

[HVB]

The font doesn't appear to be "in the process of designing", since it's being sold for €75. I don't see any particular resemblance in the glyphs you cite. Both typefaces have what to me is a disturbing mixture of 'standard' glyphs and specialty letters that interrupts reading.

Euclid has some very strange ligatures; the 'bw' looks more like a misprint than anything else! It has some other natural similarities to Dessau Pro Zukunft - such as Euclid's 'u' compared to Zukunft's 'n'.

- Herb

[Chris Dean]

I know the history of the typeface, and to quote Swiss Type, “Euclid BP is a 21st century font: not another wise revival of an early 20th century geometric font.”

Gonna have to play the BS card on that one.

“I don't see any particular resemblance in the glyphs you cite.”

You’re kidding, right?

The best I can say is that Euclid is clearly an homage to early 20th century geometric fonts, specifically old Futura sketches. Anything other than that, to me, is a bit of a stretch.

[hrant]

Not close enough.

But the name Euclid is taken.

hhp

[5star]

Exactly Pablo. Know thy type history!

Great advice.

n.

[Chris Dean]

If I must, I will rephrase the question:

Do you think Euclid is inspired by the original Futura sketches?

So far, I’m getting a general sense of “no” which honestly boggles my mind. As much as someone saying “Arial and Helvetia aren’t really that similar.”

[Nick Shinn]

Your Arial-Helvetica comparison is way off.
Euclid and Dessau are nothing like each other, apart from being “geometric” (simple curves) and having experimental/unorthodox letter forms.

[John Hudson]

These two types, along with the Futura forms to which they obviously refer, seem to me to represent three examples of a particular genre. Renner's designs may be the first expression of this genre in type, but I reckon one would need to look at a lot of German poster and sign lettering of the 1920s to determine what extra-typographic inspirations he might have had.

The whole point of a stylistic genre is that is permits of more than one product in that style: different designs with common elements that make them clearly related.

[Chris Dean]

I was always a fan of Russian Constructivism.

[xy]

" I’m sorry, I’m gonna have to call you out on @Typophile on this one —"
…

"Is your geometric typeface inspired by geometry and the history of geometric typefaces?"