Albertina
Albertina was a typeface ahead of its time. It was in the early 1960s when designer Chris Brand, an accomplished calligrapher, aspired to draw a typeface based on the principles of calligraphy. Unfortunately, typesetting machines of that era put many restrictions on designers. Characters had to be drawn within a very coarse grid, which also defined their spacing.
The process of designing Albertina took a very long time. In fact, when it was finally completed, it was, technologically, behind the times. Instead of being released as metal type for the Monotype composing machines it had been tailored for, Albertina debuted as phototype fonts for the Monophoto typesetter.
With the advent of digital type technology, Albertina’s story took a far happier turn. Frank E. Blokland, of the Dutch Type Library, used Brand’s original, uncompromised drawings as the foundation of the current digital revival.
News Gothic
Since their beginnings, sans serif typefaces have been typographic underdogs – and are still criticized by many experts. The criticisms fall into two general areas. First, and most obvious, sans serif typestyles have no serifs. It’s generally believed that these horizontal appendages help to guide the reader’s eye across the page. Second, typographic experts generally agree that the apparent monotone weight in many sans serif typefaces tends to tire the eye in lengthy text composition.
Despite these criticisms, sans serif types are still good communicators. The reason is clarity of form. Sans serif typefaces tend to have simpler and more recognizable letter-shapes than their serifed brethren. A typeface like News Gothic can, therefore, be an ideal choice for copy that must be legible under adverse conditions, where space is at a premium, or at very small sizes. Also, because the figures in sans serif typefaces are usually very legible, serifless designs are often the best choices for typography that is number-intensive. In addition, News Gothic has a distinctive character shapes and an angular quality that allow it to wear better than most.