De Stijl Graphics vs The New Typography
The New Typography was influenced by De Stijl Graphics — absorbed the orthogonal grid and elemental geometry.
De Stijl Graphics
The radically reductive Dutch graphic language of De Stijl — strict horizontals and verticals, primary colors with black and white, and geometric letterforms built only from rectangles and the right angle.
- Strictly horizontal and vertical lines — no diagonals or curves
- Primary colors plus black, white, and grey only
- Letterforms constructed from rectangular elements
- Asymmetric balance within an orthogonal grid
- Flat rectangular fields of color as composition
The New Typography
The rigorous modernist program codified by Jan Tschichold — asymmetric layouts, sans-serif type, and the functional grid presented not as art but as a rational set of rules for clear, efficient communication.
- Asymmetric, left-aligned layout replacing centered composition
- Sans-serif (grotesque) type as the modern standard
- Functional grid where every element earns its place
- Active white space and rules directing the eye
- Standardized formats and integration of photography
At a glance
| De Stijl Graphics | The New Typography | |
|---|---|---|
| Era | 1917–1931 | 1925–1935 |
| Discipline | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Region | Netherlands | Germany, Switzerland |
| Family | Avant-Garde, Modernism | Modernism, Typography |
| Formal traits | orthogonal, geometric, primary-color, asymmetric | asymmetric, sans-serif, grid-based, functional |
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