Frutiger vs Frutiger Aero

Frutiger Aero is the cross-discipline counterpart of Frutiger — named for the humanist Frutiger type that defined its clean interfaces.

Type specimen — Frutiger (Humanist sans); shown in Open Sans, a descendant (OFL)

Frutiger

Adrian Frutiger's 1976 humanist sans, drawn for the signage of Charles de Gaulle Airport — engineered for instant legibility at speed and distance, and the model for a generation of wayfinding type.

  • Exceptionally open apertures on c, e, a, s
  • Clearly varied letter widths for character distinction
  • Generous x-height with subtly flared terminals
  • Slight stroke modulation, humanist not monoline
  • Curved, splayed R leg and pointed A apex
Full Frutiger guide →
Original specimen in the Frutiger Aero style

Frutiger Aero

The glossy, optimistic techno-naturalism of the mid-2000s—water droplets, bubbles, lush green grass, blue skies, and clean Frutiger type over a backdrop of Windows Vista-era sheen.

  • Glossy skeuomorphic glass and gel surfaces
  • Nature motifs: water droplets, bubbles, grass, skies
  • Clean humanist Frutiger/Myriad typography
  • Auras, lens flares, and shiny highlights
  • Optimistic tech-meets-nature imagery
Full Frutiger Aero guide →

At a glance

FrutigerFrutiger Aero
Era19762004–2013
DisciplineTypographyGraphic Design
RegionFrance, SwitzerlandGlobal
FamilySans-serifUI/Interface, Vernacular/Pop
Formal traitshumanist, open-aperture, high-x-height, legibility-optimizedglossy, skeuomorphic, nature-motif, clean-type

More comparisons

Advertisement