Atlas Grotesk & Typewriter

A family of grotesk and typewriter typefaces for editorial, corporate and information design.

Atlas Grotesk takes roots in the optimistic tone of Dutch Modernist grotesque types of the 1950s (especially Dick Dooijes’ Mercator for the Lettergieterij Amsterdam) and reinterprets them in a contemporary light. We like to think of it as a European Grotesk with American Gothic proportions and contrast: one that is clear and fresh while simultaneously authoritative. Its slightly narrow proportions, open spacing and short descenders make it economical without looking claustrophobic.

Atlas Grotesk is a evolution of the Munich Re Sans we developed in 2008/2009. We have since modified and extended the weight range and made some additional adjustments. But the main difference is this:

Atlas Typewriter is a monospace companion to Atlas Grotesk that has an even and readable texture, yet uses simple means and brutal gestures to arrive at them. In a way, Atlas Typewriter was also designed to show a fundamental “monospacedness”: Wide characters like W or m need to be condensed. Serifs and crossbars of i j f l t stretch out to fill their space. The r simply reaches over instead of growing serifs or terminals. Fractions, of course, are three characters wide.


Self-initiated, 2008 – 2012. 24 styles total, from Thin through Black. All styles feature fraction figures and small caps. Yes, even the Typewriter. Because apparently, we are crazy. 

Atlas Grotesk designed by Kai Bernau, Susana Carvalho, Christian Schwartz, 2008 – 2012. Atlas Typewriter designed by Susana and Kai, 2011/2012.

Available from Commercial Type


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