All Hail Helvetica

It’s the font Helvetica’s 50 birthday. MOMA has mounted an exhibit featuring posters and graphics proving the font is, well, everywhere. Here is a very good web essay from Slate on the origins and lasting popularity of Helvetica. It even includes the subtle differences between Helvetica and the interloper Arial. What? You didn’t know there was a difference? Now you do. Designer Mark Simonson explains everything .

I love using Helvetica because it looks clean and modern and is legible at any size. It really reads well on a web page although writers seem to lean more toward a serif type.

Can’t get enough? There’s a new documentary entitled – what else – Helvetica.