This typeface by Eric Gill was designed close to 100 years ago and still feels fresh and crisp in 2019. Eric Gill worked as a student of Edward Johnston on Johnston Sans (or Underground Alphabet) the iconic font used for the London Underground.
Gill based Gill Sans on Johnston Sans and created one of the most iconic sans serifs of the 20th Century. The lower case g is enough reason to fall in love with Gill Sans. It is a crisp and minimal, geometric font that finds a way into the hearts of every new generation of designers and design lovers.
Gill Sans has been commercially very successful and was used since on the iconic Penguin Books jacket design (after German graphic designer Jan Tschichold became head of production in the late 40s – see image below). Gill Sans is also used in the logos of Italian clothing brand Benetton, BBC, Rolls Royce, TAG Heuer, Tommy Hilfiger and even eHarmony.
Gill Sans was also used in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Toy Story.
Interesting Reads About Gill Sans
idsgn – A Design Blog: Know your type: Gill Sans
Font Meme: Famous Logos Created with Gill Sans Font
Gill Sans Study on Behance by Lixin Feng
DF Daylight Fonts featuring Gill Sans various font styles
WIRED: London’s Underground Gets a New Typeface Because 2016
Documentaries and Films About Gill Sans
Exploring Gill Sans by YouTube channel D&AD – Creative Advertising, Design and Digital (about 6 min)
BBC Two Types The Faces of Britain Johnston and Gill Sans on dailymotion (about 1 hour)
Federico's Reader 