What is "univers"

Univers is the name of a sans-serif typeface designed by Adrian Frutiger in 1954. Classified as a neo-grotesque typeface, one based on the model of the 1898 typeface Akzidenz-Grotesk, it was notable on its launch for its availability in a comprehensive but consistent range of weights and styles.

Frutiger would go on to become one of the most notable typeface designers of the 20th century, and Univers proved enormously influential: it was one of the first typefaces to fulfill the idea that a typeface should form a family of consistent, similar designs. Past sans-serif designs such as Gill Sans had much greater differences between weights, while Akzidenz-Grotesk and the Franklin Gothic family often were advertised under different names for each style, to emphasise that they were separate and different. By creating a matched range of styles and weights, Univers allowed documents to be created in one consistent typeface for all text, increasing the range of documents that could be artistically set in sans-serif type.

Originally conceived and released by Deberny & Peignot in 1957, it was rapidly licensed and re-released by Monotype, American Type Founders and others. The original marketing for the design deliberately referenced the periodic table to emphasise its scope. Historian James Mosley has described it as "probably the last major" release of a large family as metal type.