8055

An endeavor every type designer inevitably explores: converting rub-down lettering into a font through scanning. Now, two decades into my journey as a type designer, I find myself revisiting this very endeavor.

While many designers might consider the use of a worn-out Helvetica passé and unoriginal, with a plethora of similar free fonts readily available, I can't help but reminisce about the years spanning from 1998 to 2001. It was an era of rugged, textured websites and gritty typography that evokes a sense of nostalgia. Those were vibrant times. I recall creating both untamed websites and fonts, a sentiment shared by my peers Thomas Brodahl (Surfstation.lu), Eduardo Recife (Misprinted Type), Jay David (Final.nu), and Yohan Gingras (aka Evil Pupil), to name a few. This typeface serves as a tribute to that era, even though my personal distaste for Helvetica remains unchanged.

THS 8055 is based on Helvetica Medium, item number 8055. Three stylistics sets with alternate letters were added, and the typical Helvetica R was changed to a non-Helvetica style R – why? – because I like it so. Initially just created for in-house use, now free for all.

Free OpenType font for non-commercial & commercial use.
Enjoy and Download or vice versa.

Changelog:
v1.005 / 23.05.2017
Added a Bold style