Frutiger vs Myriad

Myriad was influenced by Frutiger.

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 →
Type specimen — Myriad (Humanist sans); shown in Source Sans 3, a sibling design (OFL)

Myriad

Robert Slimbach and Carol Twombly's 1992 humanist sans for Adobe — a clean, warm, highly adaptable face best known as Apple's corporate typeface from 2002 to 2015.

  • Humanist proportions with varied letter widths
  • Open apertures and a distinctive slanted-tail y
  • Generous x-height with gentle stroke modulation
  • Clean, neutral-leaning contemporary forms
  • Splayed-leg R and pointed A apex
Full Myriad guide →

At a glance

FrutigerMyriad
Era19761992
DisciplineTypographyTypography
RegionFrance, SwitzerlandUnited States
FamilySans-serifSans-serif
Formal traitshumanist, open-aperture, high-x-height, legibility-optimizedhumanist, open-aperture, high-x-height, modest-contrast

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