Editing Sans-serif (section)

===Humanist===
[[Image:Syntax example.png|thumb|right|[[Syntax (typeface)|Syntax]], originally released by [[D. Stempel AG]] in 1969. A humanist sans-serif]]

Humanist sans-serif typefaces take inspiration from traditional letterforms, such as [[Roman square capitals]], traditional serif typefaces and calligraphy. Many have [[Italic type|true italics]] rather than an [[Oblique type|oblique]], [[typographic ligature|ligature]]s and even [[swash (typography)|swash]]es in italic. One of the earliest humanist designs was [[Edward Johnston]]'s [[Johnston (typeface)|Johnston]] typeface from 1916, and, a decade later, [[Gill Sans]] ([[Eric Gill]], 1928).{{sfn|Tracy|1986|pp=86-90}}  Edward Johnston, a [[Calligraphy|calligrapher]] by profession, was inspired by classic letter forms, especially the capital letters on the [[Column of Trajan]].<ref name="In Defence of the Roman Letter">{{Cite journal |last=Nash |first=John |title=In Defence of the Roman Letter |url=http://www.ejf.org.uk/Resources/JRNarticle.pdf |journal=Journal of the Edward Johnston Foundation |access-date=13 October 2016}}</ref>

Humanist designs vary more than gothic or geometric designs.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Blackwell |first=written by Lewis |title=20th-century type |date=2004 |publisher=Laurence King |isbn=9781856693516 |edition=Rev. |location=London |page=201}}</ref> Some humanist designs have stroke modulation (strokes that clearly vary in width along their line) or alternating thick and thin strokes. These include most popularly [[Hermann Zapf]]'s [[Optima]] (1958), a typeface expressly designed to be suitable for both display and body text.{{sfn|Lawson|1990|pp=326-330}} Some humanist designs may be more geometric, as in Gill Sans and Johnston (especially their capitals), which like Roman capitals are often based on perfect squares, half-squares and circles, with considerable variation in width. These somewhat architectural designs may feel too stiff for body text.{{sfn|Tracy|1986|pp=86-90}} Others such as [[Syntax (typeface)|Syntax]], [[Goudy Sans]] and [[Rosemary Sassoon|Sassoon Sans]] more resemble handwriting, serif typefaces or calligraphy.

[[Frutiger (typeface)|Frutiger]], from 1976, has been particularly influential in the development of the modern humanist sans genre, especially designs intended to be particularly legible above all other design considerations. The category expanded greatly during the 1980s and 1990s, partly as a reaction against the overwhelming popularity of [[Helvetica]] and [[Univers]] and also due to the need for legible [[computer font]]s on low-resolution computer displays.<ref name="Berry Not Your Father’s Sans Serif">{{Cite web |last=Berry |first=John D. |title=Not Your Father's Sans Serif |url=https://creativepro.com/dot-font-not-your-father-s-sans-serif/ |access-date=24 February 2019 |website=Creative Pro|date=22 July 2002 }}</ref><ref name="Berry Human Side of Sans Serif">{{Cite web |last=Berry |first=John D. |title=The Human Side of Sans Serif |url=https://creativepro.com/dot-font-the-human-side-of-sans-serif/ |access-date=24 February 2019 |website=Creative Pro|date=5 August 2002 }}</ref><ref name="Questioning Gill Sans">{{Cite web |last=Coles |first=Stephen |title=Questioning Gill Sans |url=http://typographica.org/2007/on-typography/questioning-gill-sans |access-date=18 December 2015 |website=Typographica}}</ref><ref name="Kupferschmid Gill Sans Alternatives">{{Cite web |last=Kupferschmid |first=Indra |title=Gill Sans Alternatives |url=http://kupferschrift.de/cms/2019/02/gill-sans-alternatives/ |access-date=23 February 2019 |website=Kupferschrift}}</ref> Designs from this period intended for print use include [[FF Meta]], [[Myriad (typeface)|Myriad]], [[Thesis (typeface)|Thesis]], [[Charlotte Sans]], [[Bliss (typeface)|Bliss]], [[Skia (typeface)|Skia]] and [[FF Scala Sans|Scala Sans]], while designs developed for computer use include Microsoft's [[Tahoma (typeface)|Tahoma]], [[Trebuchet MS|Trebuchet]], [[Verdana]], [[Calibri]] and [[Corbel (typeface)|Corbel]], as well as [[Lucida Grande]], [[Fira Sans]] and [[Droid fonts|Droid Sans]]. Humanist sans-serif designs can (if appropriately proportioned and spaced) be particularly suitable for use on screen or at distance, since their designs can be given wide [[Counter (typography)|apertures]] or separation between strokes, which is not a conventional feature on grotesque and neo-grotesque designs.
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