Helvetica turns 50

An interesting piece in today's Toronto Star about the Helvetica typeface, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Freelance writer Ryan Bigge looks at the plain and elegant swiss typeface that has spawned numerous imitators (including the pretender Arial) and now a film that is an advance sell-out for two showings in Toronto's Hot Docs festival.

Typography is not simply a frou-frou debate over aesthetics orchestrated by a hidden coterie of graphic-design nerds. You need only imagine a STOP sign that utilizes the heavy-metal typefaces favoured by bands Dokken or Krokus to realize that clear, clean and direct typography can save lives, or at the very least prevent drivers from prolonged bouts of confused squinting.