My last couple trips to Europe, I’ve noticed this font (or similar ones) being used all the time on advertisements, signs, and the like. I’ve developed an irrational hatred of this font. It was nice to get back home today so I don’t have to see it nearly so often. Why is it so popular over there? And how can such a generic-looking font still manage to be so ugly?
This link says it was originally a corporate font that was later released commercially. Presumably it got wide viewership due to the corporation’s usage.
On the sample poster in that link Neustadt looks clean and simple, but still distinctive. I don’t buy your description of it as generic but ugly. If it’s generic looking you wouldn’t be noticing it continually.
I’d use it if it was in my computer. Most fonts based on rounded rectangles are clunky, but this one is fairly graceful.
Fonts go through fashions, same as anything. Remind me to tell you of the time our government decided printing map labels in Souvenir Gothic would be a good idea.
So maybe Neustadt is the European equivalent of Gotham.
I agree that it is clean, simple and uncomplicated.
I can also see where you could easily use this font when creating neon or letters out of metal bar or any other number of 3D products.
So yeah, I can see how this could become popular.
I don’t think I would have noticed it if this thread hadn’t make me look closely, but those not-quite-round-yet-not-quite-square shapes really piss me off. Take a stand, man! Pick one!!!
Are there really any good freeware fonts out there? I’ve had bad luck finding anything worth using that doesn’t come from a professional foundry. I admit, I am somewhat picky when it comes to fonts.
I’m from the Netherlands, and to me the font has a distinctly German air to it. Neat, orderly. I don’t find it all that attractive, but it doesn’t bother me much, either.
It is simple and clean, sans serif. The wide rounded look makes the letters easily distinguishable. That makes it highly legible in print and on screen. That makes it good to use in signs and things that you want people to be able to read easily from a distance, or in small print.
:dubious: