Not Myriad pro. It's the default CS typeface so it just looks as if you forgot to change it!

Agreed, not Myriad Pro. Other suggestions?

Not Myriad pro. It's the default CS typeface so it just looks as if you forgot to change it!

That’s an incredibly insipid reason for not using a wonderful type family.

Is it getting warm in here or is it just me?

Eurostile anyone?

Some info about the intended use (other than "in an architect's studio")?

riccard0: Thanks for asking!

We intend to use a geometric sans typeface (Neuropol X?) for logotype and document rubrics. We hope to use a compatible sans text typeface for document body text and for drawing notes and specifications. Thus all marketing material, drawings, specifications and contract documents (including Change Orders, Requests for Information, Application for Payment, etc.) will utilize the same few typefaces.

ps: we're a small, young studio with locations in California and Pennsylvania

Your work looks solid, Robert. Why not give your company profile the same attention? A free font like Neuropol is bound to cause trouble somewhere down the line. It neither has the necessary character set or features you need to produce professional material, but the biggest problem is that it just looks bad and amateurish.

I’m getting some ideas from looking at your picture, but I’m not going to waste my time offering advice if you expect to get a decent visual identity for pocket change.

frode frank: appreciate your candor!

Please note I'm a sole proprietor start-up not opposed to investing in the necessary. I expect to purchase all required fonts, hardware, software and licensing. I did however hope to get some solid advice for free...

In any case, if Neuropol looks amateurish, how would you explain it's success in the Torino 2006 Olympics campaign? http://www.iconologic.com/Default.aspx?page=6
Your thoughts?

I think you're confusing Neuropol and Neuropol X. The regular Neuropol was discontinued about 6 years ago. There are several versions of the original Neuropol of varying quality still hanging around of free font sites. In 2004, the old Neuropol family was scrapped. I redrew Neuropol X from scratch. In 2008, version 2 was released which had better vertical metrics. In 2009, more accented characters were added to support a few more languages.

http://www.typodermic.com/19.html

For a display font, the character set is probably sufficient for a logo and headings.

typodermic: honored by your response.

Yes, Neuropol X Light + Regular would be more than sufficient for our logo and heading purposes. http://new.myfonts.com/fonts/typodermic/neuropol-x/

Your thoughts on a compatible text font?

Cheers! Funny you should mention Myriad because I have often seen Neuropol X mixed with Myriad and it looks petty sharp. Avoid other squarish fonts or closed shapes like Avant Garde. I've seen it mixed with Microgramma and it's not so hot. I'm not a typographer tho, so perhaps someone else will have some advice for a compatible text font.

@Ray: I hope you can accept my humble apologies for badmouthing your design. I think it’s mostly a gut response to dafont.com. To me, Neuropol X looks like a retro futuristic techno font, not something I would ever consider for architecture. Myfonts show a better specimen (especially the important superior 2 & 3) and from the looks of it seems sufficent for display. It wouldn’t be much of a text font though – it is way to expressive.

@Robert: Why not try a different direction?

Both styles reflect your work, without drawing attention away from it.

typodermic: we did attempt the Neuropol X/Microgramma combination without much aesthetic success as you've suggested. May I ask what Neuropol X was combined with for Torino 2006?

frode frank: we appreciate your willingness to engage!

Please note our initial approach utilized Lubalin's AvantGarde LT Book + AvantGarde ExtraLight. It appeared rather dated; test subjects indicated their preference for a more architectural typeface like Eurostile Extended. Thus we arrived at the futuristic/geometric superelliptical fonts. We do very much like your lowercase example: clean, modern, legible, nearly techtonic. We prefer the name in a lighter weight and 'architect' in a heavier weight, though...

Any response to Eurostile Candy, FP Head Pro or Yumi vs Neuropol X for logo & headings?

Don't know. They all, more or less, say "the future as imagined in the seventies" to me...

The lowercase is something I’ve just started working on. If you’re interested, it can definitely be tailored to fit your needs.

I feel the same way as Riccardo about the others: retro futuristic is a nice style for sci fi, but not much more.

riccard0: may I inquire what typeface might say "the future as imagined in the first decade of the twenty first century"?

frode frank: may I pose the same question to you?

thanks for your consideration gentlemen!

what typeface might say "the future as imagined in the first decade of the twenty first century"?

I’m afraid we should wait another decade in order to answer this question… ;-)

I’m afraid I haven’t better suggestions. But maybe the question should be “what typeface says ‘architecture now’?”

Anyway, from your selection, I like the personality of FP Head Pro.

Neutra comes to mind, as it's based on the work of an architect, though that might also make it too specific. I see you style is clean, modernist, but warm (natural materials), so I would look for typefaces that have a simular feel. The fonts you suggested are all too techy in my opinion. Perhaps a humanist sans, or a geometric face with humanist qualities (not neccesarily Gill Sans though). Museo comes to mind (also the sans version)

and I also like Fontin Sans a lot (both (partly) free, but in this case it doesn't mean it's poor quality)

If you want to go for a more squarish look Breuer might be nice.

.

@Robert: If you want more superelliptical options, perhaps you’ll like Apex New. I second Riccardo’s answer to your question.

@Andreas: This looks great! (Have you considered a version with shorter a/descenders?)

… a version with shorter a/descenders?

Not in the first run. But for money I do EVERYthing :D
Seriously: it would be possible. Perhaps additional adjusting to the capitals would be needed … But my preference for a typeface with a kind of classical appeal is deliberately *not* to go for those large x-height found literally everywhere.

a geometric face with humanist qualities
@quenau: may I take this phrase for my new face?!
Perfect match …!

Just something as simple as shorter descenders would be very useful in display settings, making it easier to avoid crashes when lines are set solid. But this is off topic.

Robert

If the font in your corp design is important to you why not have something custom made? That way you can go through a trial of various styles with the design foundry you choose until you get the style you like. The style will then be unique to you and you will also end up having complete control over it's use.

Malcolm

Typophile community: mad respect for the aesthetic and intellectual response thus far!

riccard0: may I re-phrase my question, what typeface might suggest the future as imagined at the beginning of the twenty first century?

Queneau: We have used Neutra font from House Industries for cast dimensional numerals as indicated below.

Love Neutra's work and the numerals can be gorgeous but the typeface strikes us as dated. Agreed some humanist aspect helps keep the sans from frigidity and thus your other selections for consideration.

Andreas Stötzner: yes, yes and yes! Can it somehow be more superelliptical?

frode frank: Apex New and Apex Sans very nice also!

malcolm: we agree! To that end we've decided to budget for font design services; unfortunately the dollar value will not be very great, but perhaps the 'customization' will be minimal. Any clue regarding the least we can spend? Looking forward to working with someone from this community!

Question for your consideration: does Univers appear dated? Can it be used for text? We have used it successfully for etched lettering.

As an aside, the marketing team and their consultants (at the global firm where I served as architect) spent many months re-selecting their new text typeface, Verdana.

does Univers appear dated?

I would say: yes. Respect for that great typeface and for its creator, though.

yes, yes and yes!

Very well! The sample I’ve shown is from a new typeface just in the making (Frodefrank already knows ;-). Should get launched within a few weeks time.
A customized version neately adressing your bureau’s needs might be an option. Since lot of work has been done already, this possible version may get less expensive than a font design conducted from the very beginning. Frodefrank’s ideas about ascenders/descenders may be a point to reconsider … for instance.
If you’re interested please contact me off-list via this contact form.

regards, A. St.

sorry: “superelliptical” … ??
cheers

Superellipse

My campaign is to spread the word squircular. :-)

Based on that one photo, the architecture looks very Miesian, in which case I think Univers as a stylistic choice has merit. But I agree that something fresher would be much more exciting.

For the Torino 2006 Olympic games, Neuropol was paired with a wide sans but I can't remember the name of it.

http://en.paralympic.beijing2008.cn/spirit/emblem/n214340270.shtml

The slogan was a hand written brush script.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/-robi/2039954595/

I've never seen printed material from Torino 2006 so I don't know what they used for body text. From a Google images search, it seems that they used various sans serif fonts along the lines of Univers but it's hard to tell at low res.

@frode. No problem. That's one of the reasons I don't recommend making free fonts. Many designers just assume free fonts must be terrible no matter how many improvements are made. Sites like Dafont stock older versions so that's all most people see.

I’ve seen a lot of very good stuff from you, Ray! Even used some.

What about effra by Dolton Maag.

http://www.daltonmaag.com/browse/fonts/dama/effra

Good Luck!

I second Effra and Apex New! great typefaces, very "fresh"! You also might want to take a look at Breuer text, Geogrotesque, Pf Square Sans Pro, Pill Gothic, Prelo or anything else by Dino dos Santos!