Discovering Yourself
AVENIR :The optimized all rounder
The versatile and elegant representation of the sans serif typeface.
Avenir is a geometric sans-serif typeface designed by Adrian Frutiger in 1987 and released in 1988 by Linotype.
The word avenir is French for "future" and is inspired from the pre-existing geometric style of sans-serif typeface, such as Erbar and Futura that was originally developed in the 1920's where the circle was taken as a basis.
To make Avenir a more organic interpretation of the geometric style in colour and applicable for extended text, with details resembling traditional typefaces (such as the two-storey 'a' and 't' with a curl at the bottom, and letters such as the 'o' that are not exact, perfect circles)but optically corrected.
The original release of Avenir had weights grouped very close together, with the difference barely distinguishable.
Frutiger's two-digit weight and width convention for names:
● 45 (book),
● 46 (book oblique),
● 55 (text weight),
● 56 (text weight oblique),
● (75)85 (heavy), and
● (76)86 (heavy oblique);
having three weights, each with a roman and an oblique version. The typeface family later expanded to six weights, each with a roman and an oblique version.
● Avenir Next
(Between 2004–2007)
The initial release of the typeface family was increased to 24 fonts: six weights, each with a roman and italic version, in two widths (normal and condensed). Conventional weight names used. The glyph set was expanded to include small caps, text figures, subscript and superscripts, and ligatures. Two extra font weights (light and thin) were added to the font for the release of
● Avenir Next W1G, for a total of 32 fonts.
This release also added Greek and Cyrillic glyphs in the regular width only. The current set of weights is therefore ultra light, thin, light, regular, medium, demi bold, bold and heavy. in four styles each (two widths and italics for each width).
● Janna
(means Heaven in Arabic)
The Arabic variant was based on the original Avenir and designed by Nadine Chahine, in 2004 as a signage face for the American University of Beirut. The Arabic glyphs are based on the previously released Frutiger Arabic, but were made more angular.
● Avenir Next Rounded
(2012)
A version of Avenir Next with rounded terminals, designed by Akira Kobayashi and Sandra Winter. The family includes
○ 8 fonts(listed above)
○ in 4 weights (regular, medium, demi, and bold) and
○ 1 width (based on normal width), with complementary italics.
OpenType features include
○ numerator and denominator,
○ fractions,
○ standard ligatures,
○ lining and old-style figures,
○ localized forms,
○ scientific inferiors,
○ subscript and superscript, and
○ small caps.
From 2012 onwards, Avenir achieved increased visibility through becoming bundled with iOS and macOS (from the Mountain Lion release onwards) as a system font in several weights of both Avenir and Avenir Next.