I need a nice sans serif or semi-serif with a large family and small caps - any suggestions?
I recently started some projects for a company that until recently have been using a very cheap font (dont’ remember the name, but I believe it was free) for most of their body copy. They use a lot of caps & numbers that look really bad because of the lack of small caps and proportional numbering in the cheap font.
They are technology/web based, so I’m looking for something modern looking, yet professional. I would prefer a sans serif, but I might be able to convince them into a semi-sans as long as it has that “modern” touch. Of course it would be nice to have small caps, and a large family to choose from.
Let me know if you have any suggestions, I’m pretty much open to anything.
7.Aug.2007 8.14pm
Klavika
7.Aug.2007 11.26pm
Priva Pro or Plexes Pro by DSTYPE
8.Aug.2007 3.32am
Etelka by Storm Type
8.Aug.2007 6.49am
Thanks for the suggestions Tell and Manlio - any other thoughts out there?
8.Aug.2007 10.39am
http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/emigre/vista-sans/
http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/suitcase/dederon-sans/
Tim
8.Aug.2007 11.38am
Nearly every sans FontFont in OpenType format includes small caps and a full complement of features. Here are some recommendations:
FF Clan
FF Unit
FF Scala Sans
FF Nexus Sans
FF Sanuk
8.Aug.2007 2.01pm
Relato Sans has small caps and a nice range of weights.
9.Aug.2007 5.33am
Thanks again for the suggestions, very good stuff.
I’ll probably end up using a lot of these other fonts in other projects, as I’m very fond of a few of them.
One last question, is there anything specific to the Adobe Fontfolio, Monotype, or Emigre collections? I ask this because these are currently the only foundries/collections the owner knows of and already has a decent collection going.
13.Aug.2007 11.20pm
The two best sans serifs on the market are Linotype Syntax, whose basal weight is just perfect (many of its wannabes, like Myriad, start with too heavy a base weight, although if that’s what you need for web use, then look at Myriad, used on Apple screens nowadays), and Joshua Darden’s Freight Sans, a very subtle Gill-inflected design. Both offer oldstyle figures and different weights. Both look very stylish without hitting you over the head that way Klavika and Etelka do.
14.Aug.2007 11.48am
ClearviewText
48 fonts: Three widths, 8 weights, all w/small caps and other OT features.
14.Aug.2007 12.29pm
“The two best sans serifs on the market are...”
In Your Humble Opinion.
Note that Klavika and Etelka are really in a different category from Syntax and Freight Sans (and all the equally excellent members of that category), and that Myriad isn’t known as a “wannabe” of Syntax. Klavika and Etelka do offer some of what Mike seems to be asking for: Modern.
For web use, Storm’s Vida might be useful; it’s made for low-res situations and has the square shapes that may telegraph “modern” to your client. Very large family with 3 widths and Mono versions.
For something more typographic (less screen-tuned) try the new Mundo Pro family. Good for all purposes, at all sizes.