Elevator
XYZ Type · Jesse Ragan
A geometric sans by Jesse Ragan rooted in the prefabricated Block and Futura signage letterforms of 1950s American architecture, with a variable optical size axis spanning text to Huge.
About
Originating from a commission to replicate existing signage for a New York City skyscraper renovation, Elevator and its companion Escalator draw from mid-century prefabricated letterforms while pushing the distinction between their two source styles further apart. Both families are delivered as variable fonts with a weight axis and an optical size axis that adjusts structure, tapering and spacing from small text sizes up through the aptly named Huge. The typefaces are currently in active development under an early access licence, with design refinement and expanded symbols still to come.
Classification
Elevator draws from prefabricated geometric letterforms of the 1950s, specifically the Block and Futura styles common in architectural signage, placing it firmly within the geometric sans tradition.