| Name | Optima Font |
| Style | Neo-grotesque,Humanist sans-serif |
| Author | Hermann Zapf |
| Font Licence | Free for personal use |
| Rating | Click to rate this post! [Total: 1 Average: 5] |
Optima Font is a humanistic sans-serif typeface designed by Hermann Zapf and originally published through Stempel in 1958. Linotype released an updated version in 2002 under the name Optima Nova. Although classified as a humanistic sans, Optima feels more like a serif typeface without the serifs. The design features high contrast of lines and flared terminals inspired by Roman inscription letters. Optima exudes a sense of elegance, making it a popular typeface choice for beauty products.
Although classified as sans-serif, Optima has a subtle swelling at the ends that suggests a glyphic serif. Optima was inspired by classical Roman capitals and stone carvings on tombstones from the Renaissance period that Zapf saw in Florence while on vacation in Italy in 1950.
Zapf intended Optima to be a typeface that could be used for both body text and headings. To demonstrate his versatility, Zapf placed his entire About Alphabets book at a normal weight. Zapf kept his interest in design, collaborating on variants and expansions in his eighties.
Optima Font Uses
Optima Font can be configured within a wide variety of line spacing values, from very narrow to very open. For example, Zapf once created an exceptionally beautiful and highly readable book using Optima set nine in 24 points.
Optima also benefits from a wide range of letter spacing capabilities. The layout can be adjusted quite tight, with the spacing set by Linotype, or even between letters. If there is any guide, the Optima should be set more open than tight. Not that readability suffers much when Optima is set on the comfortable side; it’s just that the leisurely elegance and light gray color created by the face are interrupted by too-tight lettering.
Optima is not the first Roman typeface without serif. The Stellar typeface, designed by R. Hunter Middleton for the Ludlow Typograph Company in 1929, predates it by several decades. This face, however, makes a stronger calligraphic statement and was limited to display use.
In 1960, José Mendoza drew the Pascal ™ typeface for the Amsterdam type foundry, a design that was clearly influenced by Zapf’s earlier work. Other newer designs that pay homage to Optima include the Mentor ™ Sans face by Michael Harvey and the Augusta ™ Cursiva design by Jean-Renaud Cuaz.
Perhaps one of the most notable uses of the Optima typeface is at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. for engraving the names of veterans on the wall, intended to last and read.
Optima is used to convey classic ideals as well as current trends. For example, skincare giant Estée Lauder uses it as her official typeface design. Optima is also used by the sci-fi RPG Traveler ™.
Optima is the company logo of British retailer Marks & Spencer, which also uses the typeface on its store’s administrative computers. Notable media coverage includes the use of Optima in John McCain’s campaign for the 2008 US presidential election.
Optima Font Preview
Optima Font Family
- Optima Roman
- Optima Italic
- Optima Medium
- Optima Medium Italic
- Optima Demi Bold
- Optima Demi Bold Italic
- Optima Demi Bold Italic
- Optima Bold Italic
- Optima Black
- Optima Black Italic
- Optima Extra Black
- Optima Extra Black Italic
Similar Fonts To Optima Font
- Contax Sans
- Vanitas
- Graphik Font
Language Support
Afrikaans, Albanian, Basque, Bosnian, Breton, Catalan, Cornish, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Faroese, Finnish, French, Frisian, Friulian, Gaelic (Irish, Scots), Gagauz (Latin), Galician, German, Hungarian, Icelandic, Indonesian, Irish, Italian, Karelian, Ladin, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Moldavian (Latin), Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Rhaeto-Romanic, Romanian, Saami (Southern), Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian, Sorbian, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish, Turkish, Turkmen (Latin).
Download Optima Font Family
How to install Optima Font on Windows
- Download the font file.
- Right-click the font, and click Install.
- Your new fonts will appear in the fonts list in Word.
How to install Optima Font on Mac
After downloading a font, let’s say Freight Sans font. It came in a zip format. Just double-click on the file and it will unzip immediately. The fonts come with .ttf (TrueType Font) or. OTF (OpenType Font) format.
- Click on the font files. It will open like the picture below.
- Click the Install button down on the right corner. It is marked in the picture below.
Your font is now installed.
How to install Optima Font on Linux?
Copy the font files (.ttf or .otf) to fonts:// in the File Manager.
Or: Go into the /home folder, in the menu select View > Show Hidden Files, you will see the hidden folder .fonts (if not, create it) then copy the font files there.
Or: (under some Linux versions – Ubuntu for example) Double-click the font file > “Install font” button in the preview window.
