Monotype Introduces Helvetica Now: Reinvented to Meet the Typographical Demands of Today’s Creative Professionals

Monotype (Nasdaq: TYPE) today introduced the Helvetica^®
Now typeface, a family of fonts that have been carefully and
respectfully re-drawn by the Monotype Studio for the modern era.
Consisting of 48 fonts and three optical sizes, the Helvetica Now
typeface has been produced from size-specific drawings and with
size-specific spacing. Every character has been redrawn and refit, and a
host of useful alternates have been added to help brands meet modern-day
branding challenges. Espousing the simplicity, clarity, timelessness and
global appeal of the typeface’s storied tradition, the Helvetica Now
design is more sophisticated and graceful than its predecessors.

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Monotype today introduced the Helvetica Now typeface, a family of fonts that have been carefully and respectfully re-drawn by the Monotype Studio for the modern era.

Perhaps the world’s most popular and well-known typeface, the Helvetica
family has been used by countless brands and creative professionals, in
millions of designs since its inception. The typeface embodies clean and
versatile design, and the Helvetica Now typeface continues the tradition
established by the Helvetica and Neue Helvetica families, while
introducing a number of improvements.

“Helvetica Now is the tummy-tuck, facelift and lip filler we’ve been
wanting, but were too afraid to ask for,” said Abbott Miller, partner at
Pentagram. “It offers beautifully drawn alternates to some of
Helvetica’s most awkward moments, giving it a surprisingly, thrillingly
contemporary character.”

Three Optical Sizes—Micro, Display and Text
The Helvetica
Now typeface is available in three optical sizes—Micro, Display and
Text. Helvetica Now Micro solves the decades-old spacing and legibility
shortcomings of single-master versions of the family at the smallest
sizes (4- to 7-points). Helvetica Now Micro offers more open apertures,
wider forms, a larger x-height, open spacing, larger accents, optical
adjustments to the shapes of complex forms, and a number of other
changes to produce a highly legible font at very small sizes.

Helvetica Now Display offers a range of weights from Hairline to Extra
Black, with appropriate spacing, for 14-point settings and up. Big,
bold, attention-grabbing Helvetica no longer requires the trimming of
characters, manual adjustment of spacing and kerning, or the resizing
and repositioning of punctuation necessary with the legacy versions.

Helvetica Now Text is a true workhorse, and comes in a range of weights
from Thin to Black with carefully combed spacing and kerning. Helvetica
Now Text is easy and pleasing to read, and an ample palette for
demanding, information-rich design environments.

Alternate Glyphs
Newly designed alternate glyphs have been
added across the entire range of the family, including a single-story
“a” and a straight-legged capital “R.” Every weight and optical size
offers a host of new and useful glyphs, including a suite of Helvetica
arrows.

Improved Legibility
Every letter, number, punctuation mark
and symbol in the family—nearly 40,000 in all—has been redrawn, analyzed
and tested for improved legibility and performance. The result is a
better reading experience, as the design’s improved forms and more even
spacing mean clearer communication.

“Today, we’re asking Helvetica to do more than it ever has before.
Previous versions of the typeface weren’t designed to be used in graphic
applications that have developed over the last 30 years. As a result,
older versions of the font were lacking in some important areas,” said
Charles Nix, type director at Monotype. “Helvetica Now solves the
legibility and style challenges that brands using Helvetica have
consciously and unconsciously faced for years. The design introduces a
new chapter in the Helvetica story—expanding its look and utility, while
reinvigorating its heritage.”

What creative professionals are saying about the Helvetica Now
typeface
“This is the typeface Max Miedinger and Eduard
Hoffmann would have designed back in 1957 if they had known about offset
printing, small screens, browsers, digital design tools and UI
designers.” – Erik Spiekermann, founder and partner, Edenspiekermann

“I’m having fun with Helvetica Now. Bringing in alternate characters
like the round ‘I’ dots and the straight-legged ‘R’ will likely annoy
Helvetica purists, but I can totally get behind the flexibility and
character this adds. I think the Micro cut goes a long way in making any
Helvetica usable for longer texts. I wish I had Helvetica Now sooner!” –
David Heasty, partner, Triboro

“I like that there are more weights and alternate characters like the
‘R’. The typeface feels very familiar but to the trained eye, you can
spot subtle differences—which I like!” – Chris Do, founder, The Futur

“I have been using Helvetica Now as much as I can. The updates to the
glyphs really adds a more modern sensibility to the forms without them
being knocked out of the Helvetica family camp—the ‘a,’ ‘i,’ ‘t,’ and
‘y’ are all smartly done. It's an incredible update.” – Andrew Szurley,
freelance creative director, Sole Kitchen

“Digital fonts are tools that inspire me again and again. Helvetica Now
opens up new perspectives for design because it offers significantly
expanded scope in terms of both functionality and form. I'm very excited
about the impact Helvetica Now will have on the industry's imagination.”
– Markus Hanzer, corporate designer and university lecturer

Pricing and Availability
Single weights of the Helvetica Now
typeface are available for $/€35 or £30 each. The complete typeface
family is available for $/€299 or £249.

The Helvetica Now typeface can be found in Mosaic®,
Monotype’s cloud-based font discovery, collaboration and management
solution.

The typeface can be licensed through MyFonts.com
at an introductory promotion of 50 percent off through May 24, 2019.
Helvetica Now Display Black will be available as a free download from
MyFonts.com through July 8, 2019.

To learn more about the Helvetica Now typeface, view this video,
narrated by Charles Nix.

To join the conversation about the Helvetica Now typeface on social
media, search #HelveticaNOW on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. To have
your favorite image of the Helvetica typeface in use featured on
Monotype’s social channels, join our #HelveticaInTheWild campaign on
Instagram. Visit here
for more details.

About Monotype
Monotype empowers creative minds to build and
express authentic brands through design, technology and expertise.
Further information is available at www.monotype.com.
Follow Monotype on Twitter,
Instagram
and LinkedIn.

Monotype, Helvetica and Mosaic are trademarks of Monotype Imaging Inc.
registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and may be registered
in certain other jurisdictions. Now is a trademark of Monotype Imaging
Inc. and may be registered in certain jurisdictions. All other
trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2019 Monotype
Imaging Holdings Inc. All rights reserved.

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