Helvetica

Helvetica is probably one of the most well known fonts in the world. It’s used in tons of places and is well known for it’s readability and the way it can be used in almost any situation. Helvetica was created in 1957 by Max Miedinger with Eduard Hoffmann. Their goal? To create a font that had great clarity, no purpose in its own form and that could be used in a wide variety of signs (and the internet, as it happens).

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Helvetica is the original Helvetica font. Helvetica Neue is a slighlty altered version first created in the early 1980s to correct some height, width and weight issues, to make it easier to use. Helvetica World is a variant that has a bunch of characters from sources other than the Latin Alphabet, such as Cyrillic characters.

If you like it, you’ll like…

Helvetica is pretty pricey, and there’s nothing wrong with looking for a few free alternatives. Arial, Secca and Mentone all have similar elements to Helvetica, and you should check them out; some of their weights are free, and Arial comes with most computers.

Officina

Officina Serif is a beautiful font created in the 1990s, with thick serifs making it a great way to make a big impression. Officina Sans is the sans-serif version of Officina, and is elegant enough to be used in most situations.

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If you like it, you’ll like…

The Officina family is actually quite unique, and I had trouble coming up with free alternatives that incorporated similar elements seen in these fonts.

Bello

Bello is a big, beautiful font, crafted especially for big headlines and catching the attention of everyone around. It also has a small caps version which gives the impression of being a lot bolder, and larger, and less like flow that Bello Pro provides. Its curves and uniqueness makes it ideal and a must have for every designer.

If you like it, you’ll like…

Bello is again, pretty darn unique, so here’s some fonts that you’ll probably like (I’m not promising anything!).

Futura

Futura is a solid, beautiful font, with an almost retro feel around it. It was first created in the 1920s by Paul Renner. It is based on geometric shapes, providing a clean and well proportioned type. Futura has went on to inspire so many other fonts, all across the globe.

If you like it, you’ll like…

Skolar

Skolar is an absolutely gorgeous font in 6 different weights. It has strong serifs, and curved beautifully, to create something special. It’s a much newer font, only being created in 2008, but it still deserves to be in every designers collection of typography tidbits. There is also a cheaper version, namely Skolar Basic.

If you like it, you’ll like…

Museo

Museo is a beautiful family of fonts, ranging from the curvaceous Museo, to the hard serifs of Museo Slab, and the elegance of Museo Sans. It’s a family of fonts you definitely shouldn’t miss out on.

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If you like it, you’ll like…

Some variants and weights of Museo are free, so you might want to check those out. On top of that you’ll probably like these:

Myriad

Myriad is a lovely, readable and functional font useful in loads of different situations, with a bunch of different weights and variants. Myriad can be used in posters, titles, headlines and more, and generally looks better in larger sizes. As many of you will probably know, it comes with Photoshop.

If you like it, you’ll like…

Geogrotesque

Geogrotesque adds a spin on the regular sans-serif formula, with a much more rounded shape and slightly altered character shapes. It’s straight and to the point, and on top of all that, very legible.

If you like it, you’ll like….

Adelle

Adelle is a huge font, made for the use of headlines and big bold writing. It’s big serifs add to its personality, and is perfect for grabbing everyone’s attention. A much cheaper basic version is available.

If you like it, you’ll like…

Rockwell

Rockwell is similar to Museo in many ways, in particular, Museo Slab. However, Rockwell retains a much sharper effect than Museo Slab, and it’s really the serifs that help to define these two fonts as different. Rockwell has a much more classic feel around it, and it is certainly a good addition for any collector of fonts.

If you like it, you’ll like….

Souvenir

Souvenir was created in 1914 by Morris Fuller Benton. It has smooth curves while still retaining the sharpness that all serif fonts have. Curves are one of the key defining aspects of Souvenir, and it’s a beautiful font for use in loads of different situations.

If you like it, you’ll like…

Fertigo

Final Words

These fonts are all beautiful, but as you’ve probably noticed they do cost quite a bit. Professional typography always costs, but the pros of the fonts far outweigh the cons of the cost. You might want to take a look at these fonts for more options on the “free” side of the spectrum of typography.