Typeface Limelight

I was just reminiscing back to my first year as a design student and about all the things I learnt. The one thing that stood out most was everybody's love for Helvetica. The teachers loved Helvetica. The students loved Helvetica. Everybody in visual communication seemed to love Helvetica. It's a favourite among everybody and it's popularity is definitely well earned. Helvetica is very neutral and has great clarity, thus giving it great usability. While I only have great things to say about Helvetica, today's posting actually isn't about Helvetica. Today's posting is actually about giving other typefaces a chance to shine, so without further ado, let's meet Arial and ITC Eras.

Everyone would have at least used the typeface Arial one time or another in their life or at least heard about it. I remember using it all through high school and I loved it! It was pretty much standard for teachers to give us assignment criteria with the option of using either Arial or Times New Roman, and while I have nothing against Times New Roman, I always favoured Arial. I think it has something to do with the fact that I'm a sans-serif type of person. I honestly don't know why I'm so drawn to sans-serif typefaces. Perhaps it's because they're so neat looking? What makes Arial so appealing is the many weights it comes in. It's also has a neat presentation and has great readability. Unfortunately for Arial, not everyone shares the same appreciation for it like I do. Professional typographers and type enthusiast disregard it due to its similarity to other typefaces to the degree that it has been nickname the 'Helvetica stand-in'. My opinion of Arial won't change. I grew up with it. It has served me well over the years so my love for it won't die.

Speaking of my love for Arial, my love for ITC Eras won't die either. I fell in love with it in my first year. It's such a lovely typeface. I love it for its form and the fact that it comes in different weights is an added bonus. ITC Eras is distinctive as it has open bowls on the characters a, P, R, 6 an 9. It's organic, clean and sleek. What more is there to say expect that I absolutely adore it!

So there you have it, the awesomeness of Arial and ITC Eras. Two typefaces that most definitely deserve the typeface limelight!