It depends which qualities of Helvetica you are considering as definitive.
For Preface, I kept the grotesque curve shape, angle of stress, and contrast, but changed many of the letterforms -- producing a different colour/rhythm.
So on the "curve" basis I would discount Proxima (too round) and Galaxie (too square), and their letterforms are also quite orthodox.
Knockout 31 makes an interesting comparison with Helvetica Regular, as does Maple -- they are both very "19th century grotesques". Going in the other direction, of minimizing the idiosyncracies of letterform, you end up with Frutiger.
Paralucent is a grotesque with a couple of novel letterforms, and some interesting details.
Chalet is interesting, but it would require taking the "a" from 1960 (IMO the a is the quintessential LC Helvetica character) and putting it in 1980.
1.Sep.2006 4.50pm
Akzidenz Grotesk
1.Sep.2006 5.10pm
Akkurat by Laurenz Brunner
http://www.lineto.com/
1.Sep.2006 7.57pm
fine and all, but these are _very_ similar. I'm looking for FRESH alternatives. I don't want people thinking "Is that Helvetica?"
1.Sep.2006 8.03pm
Mark Simonson's Proxima Nova?
1.Sep.2006 8.08pm
FF Bau. Galaxie Polaris
2.Sep.2006 6.51am
Neue Helvetica...
2.Sep.2006 2.11pm
You could always go with Univers.
- Lex
3.Sep.2006 11.30am
It depends which qualities of Helvetica you are considering as definitive.
For Preface, I kept the grotesque curve shape, angle of stress, and contrast, but changed many of the letterforms -- producing a different colour/rhythm.
So on the "curve" basis I would discount Proxima (too round) and Galaxie (too square), and their letterforms are also quite orthodox.
Knockout 31 makes an interesting comparison with Helvetica Regular, as does Maple -- they are both very "19th century grotesques". Going in the other direction, of minimizing the idiosyncracies of letterform, you end up with Frutiger.
Paralucent is a grotesque with a couple of novel letterforms, and some interesting details.
Chalet is interesting, but it would require taking the "a" from 1960 (IMO the a is the quintessential LC Helvetica character) and putting it in 1980.
9.Feb.2007 11.57am
Helvetica Alternatives and the accompanying newsletter offering a free weight of Preface.