By Heidrun Osterer and Philipp Stamm

The Swiss type designer Adrian Frutiger decisively influenced the international creation of typefaces after 1950, creating typefaces that are among the most successful of contemporary classics. His Univers typeface and the machine-readable font OCR-B, which was adopted as an ISO standard, are milestones, as is his type for the Paris airports, which set new standards for signage types and eventually evolved into the Frutiger typeface. Together with the sans serif typefaces Avenir and Vectora, they were responsible for his reputation as "Mr. Sans Serif."

Altogether Adrian Frutiger designed over fifty typefaces in varying font styles, including Ondine, Méridien, Serifa, and Iridium. Also created in collaboration with colleagues were the corporate typefaces, including Shiseido, and more than 100 logos and wordmarks. An essential aspect of his activities was the development of typesetting techniques, which is examined in the book along with the history of type.

Based on conversations with Frutiger himself and on extensive research, this publication provides a highly detailed and accurate account of the type designer’s artistic development. Hitherto unpublished typefaces that were never realized and more than one hundred logos, along with accounts that contextualize his career, complete this detailed picture of Frutiger's contributions to the field of design.

First published in the year of Adrian Frutiger's 80th birthday, it represents, as his wish, his legacy to further generations of type designers and typographers.

Includes index

Designed by feinherb Visuelle Gestaltung

Edited by the Swiss Foundation Type and Typography

Published by Birkhäuser
Third edition, 2021

Hardcover, 468 pages, full color offset, 10.1 × 12.5 inches

ISBN: 978-3-03-562362-8