Typeface Series: Frutiger
History
The typeface Frutiger was designed by Swiss type designer Adrian Frutiger, completed in 1975. Due to the success of Frutiger’s recently designed Univers variant for use by the Paris Metro a few years earlier, he was commissioned by the French airport authority to design a new alphabet to be used in signage for the new Charles de Gaulle International Airport in Paris.
Originally called Roissy (after the Paris suburb where the airport was located), it was designed as a modern, humanist sans-serif typeface that would be easily legible at various sizes, when seen from a distance or at an angle. The typeface is simple like its predecessor Univers, but with more character and organic aspects. It was later renamed Frutiger when released for public use by Linotype in 1976.
Usage
Frutiger is still in use today in Charles de Gaulle’s signage system. Its good visibility and legibility have made it a popular choice for transit systems around the world. Frutiger can be seen in use at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, along the road in Switzerland’s roadway signage network, on maps of the Chicago Transit Authority as well as in Oslo, Norway’s public transport network.
Many corporations and organizations also use Frutiger in their identities or branded materials. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, O2, and England’s National Health Service, among others, all use the typeface as part of their corporate identities.
Frutiger character set
Further Developments
Adrian Frutiger went back and revised the Frutiger typeface in 1999, in conjunction with Linotype, and released the update as Frutiger Next. In 2003 it was revised again, this time for Swiss authorities for their new traffic and roadway signs, to add more weight to the characters. This new typeface was named ASTRA-Frutiger.
Designer
Adrian Frutiger was born in 1928 in Switzerland. From an early age he was interested in handwriting and lettering. He later went on to apprenticeship with a printer and studied type and calligraphy at the Kunstgewerbeschule school of applied arts in Zurich. He was then recruited by the Deberny Et Peignot type foundry in Paris, and created his first commercial typefaces — President, Ondine and Meridien.
Frutiger has designed some of the most well known typefaces in the world, including Egyptienne, Univers, Frutiger and Avenir. Today he continues to influence and embrace new trends in type design and digital typography & typesetting. He currently lives near Bern, Switzerland.
Where To Buy
Frutiger is readily available as individual fonts or a complete family. The typeface can be purchased from any of the links below:
