Manual Grotesk A
Setup Type · Ondrej Jób · 2018
A digitisation of Richard Pípal's mid-20th century Slovak street signage model, preserved and re-introduced by Ondrej Jób in six styles.
About
Based almost without divergence on Richard Pípal's original model for a manually constructed typeface, this narrow geometric sans was practically omnipresent on Slovak street signage during the socialist era. Six styles with no stroke contrast and a large x-height make it suited to display and wayfinding contexts. Stylistic sets, small capitals and ordinals extend its utility beyond its utilitarian origins.
Classification
Described explicitly as a geometric sans-serif with no contrast, narrow width and a large x-height, based on a mid-20th century manually constructed model. Utilitarian geometry with socialist-era signage origins places it firmly in the geometric sans tradition.