Rotis serif Rotis semi-serif Rotis semi-sans rotis sans
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Rotis semi-sans
Rotis is atypeface developed in 1988 byOtl Aicher, aGerman graphic designer and typographer. In Rotis, Aicher explores an attempt at maximum legibility through a highly unified yet varied typeface family that ranges from full serif, glyphic, and sans-serif. The four basicRotis variants are:
When the Rotis fonts were reissued under the Monotype Originals label, the fonts support include support of ISO Adobe 2 character set, OpenType features. The Rotis font names are capitalized.
It includes support of ISO Adobe 2, Adobe CE, Latin Extended characters. In addition, separate fonts for Greek and Cyrillic characters were also created. Greek and Cyrillic fonts support ISO Adobe 2 and Latin Extended characters, and support super/sub-script OpenType feature.
Rotis II Sans is a version of Rotis Sans designed by Monotype Imaging senior designer Robin Nicholas, and freelance designer Alice Savoie. It expands the original with three extra font weights (Light, Semi Bold, and Black) and italics, along with revised letter spacing and kerning, a new set of numerals with similar height to the capitals.[1][2]
The family includes 14 fonts in seven weights, with complementary italics. OpenType features include access all alternates, case-sensitive forms, numerators/denominators, fractions, standard ligatures, localized forms (OpenType Pro fonts only), proportional/tabular figures, scientific inferiors, superscript/subscript, stylistic alternates, stylistic sets 1, 2 and 3 (OpenType Std fonts only). It supports ISO Adobe 2, Adobe CE, Latin Extended characters (OpenType Pro fonts only).
The typeface is named after Rotis, a hamlet belonging to the German town ofLeutkirch im Allgäu, where Otl Aicher lived. However, Aicher named the font "rotis", inminuscules, since Aicher thought ofcapital letters as a sign of hierarchy and oppression.
When the fonts were reissued by Monotype Imaging in 2011, though, the font names were capitalized to "Rotis". This also affected fonts published by downstream foundries.
ABS-CBN Corporation uses Rotis Semi Serif as one of its corporate typefaces and the typeface for some of its subsidiaries beginning on January 1, 2000, including thetelevision network of the same name. Since September 9, 2013, ABS-CBN uses a modified and custom version of the font for its logo known as Kapamilya Semi Sans.
HungarianTV2 used Rotis in their identity until 2002.
The Finland-based firmNokia also used this font in their packaging, user manuals and advertising, although this has mostly been replaced with their own font,Nokia Sans, for their phones' user interface and promotional materials.
PNC Financial Services, the sixth-largest bank in the United States, uses Rotis Semi Serif for its corporate logo and Rotis Sans Serif for their PNC Grow Up Great initiative, complemented byFF DIN for headlines and body copy.
Singapore's street name signage uses Rotis Semi Sans.
Also based in Auckland, New Zealand's largest architecture firmJasmax uses Rotis in all of its documents.
The Rotis family is also used in book publishing, one example beingNaomi Klein'sNo Logo which uses the semi-serif face.Open Source Press uses Rotis Sans Serif for all their books' body text, and Semi Serif for the headers.
ERCO, the German based lighting fixture manufacturer, uses semi-sans for their logo and literature.
The company zebris Medical GmbH uses the font in their Logo and CI.[6]
The Rotis font family is used by the kitchen companybulthaup.[7]
The State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry uses the Rotis family of fonts as one set of their official typefaces.[8]
The inscriptions on the gravestone of Manchester impresarioAnthony H. Wilson, designed byPeter Saville and Ben Kelly, are in Rotis Serif.[9]
Scandinavian Airlines uses Rotis as their logotype written in silver letters along the sides of their aircraft.
The serif face is the primary brand font for Teavana (TEA), a North American loose leave tea retailer
The font is also used in the gameBubble Witch Saga.
Rock bandWeen used the font in their 2003 albumQuebec
Not all review of Rotis have been favourable. Prominent typeface designerErik Spiekermann commented that "Rotis is not a typeface. It has some great letters, but they never come together to make words that don't look contrived or uncomfortable. It looks best on gravestones and similar large architectural applications."[11] He has also joked that he wants the design on his gravestone.[12]
Blackwell, Lewis.20th Century Type. Yale University Press: 2004.ISBN0-300-10073-6.
Fiedl, Frederich, Nicholas Ott and Bernard Stein.Typography: An Encyclopedic Survey of Type Design and Techniques Through History. Black Dog & Leventhal: 1998.ISBN1-57912-023-7.
Macmillan, Neil.An A–Z of Type Designers. Yale University Press: 2006.ISBN0-300-11151-7.
