Typeface · Other
Architype Schwitters
Architype Schwitters is a geometric sans-serif unicase typeface based upon a 1927 phonetic alphabet designed by Kurt Schwitters.
About Architype Schwitters
Architype Schwitters is a geometric sans-serif unicase typeface based upon a 1927 phonetic alphabet designed by Kurt Schwitters. The digital revival, shown at right, was produced by Freda Sack and David Quay of The Foundry. Like many new experimental types to arise from the early twentieth century avant garde in Europe, Schwitters' type is an attempt to remake the Western writing system through reduction, and the abandonment of idiosynchronies. Schwitters proposed a monocase system, adopting a rectilinear interpretation of roman capitals, and contrasting these with six vowel alternate characters, A, e, J, O, Ü, and y scaled to the same height but based upon Carolingian lowercase. The vowel alternates, though primarily used for the short sound, are used somewhat indiscriminately in his print work.
From the Wikipedia article “Architype Schwitters”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Using Architype Schwitters in a book
Test this typeface at both text and display sizes before committing; print a sample page at final size.
Commercial typefaces require a licence that covers embedding in PDFs and ebooks; check the foundry's licence before you publish.
Sources & data
- Structured data from Wikidata Q2052481 (CC0).
- Summary text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).