I'm in love with Neue Helvetica… please help.

[nixnerd]

So, I LOVE Neue Helvetica. Like a lot. For me, nothing else even comes close. It is one of the most aesthetically pleasing things I’ve ever seen. The problem is… I’m in love with the whole family! They are like 55 hot sisters and I want to marry them all. But, alas, the price is too steep.

Check out this link: http://www.linotype.com/1266/neuehelvetica-family.html

Is there any other way? A cheaper way perhaps? I want to be able to use Neue Helvetica whenever I want online… but how?

[chrisburton]

Is this real life?

[dgriesel]

omg, where is the like button?

[Paulie_D]

Simply…pay it or get over it!

LOL…sorry but either you like it THAT much or you don’t.

Whether there are reasonably priced typefaces that are close…I dunno.

[chrisburton]

Well, what are you going to be doing with Neue Helvetica? Strictly web use or print also?

[James]

Depends what you’re using it for. A web application to benefit from that will outweigh the costs?

If so, pay for it. Same if you’re doing print.

Or if you are wanting to use it strictly for personal use/blogs, simply fall out of love with Neue Helvetica and choose a free alternative.

omg, where is the like button?

+1, good Sir.

[chrisburton]

Choose Arial as a free alternative (sarcasm).

[chrisburton]

Just because it’s on your computer doesn’t mean you can use @font-face. Check the EULA, first.

[chrisburton]

Here are some good examples of Helvetica (and arial)

To whom? It’s already been proven that Helvetica is a poor font for the screen.

[James]

It’s all down to personal preference. If you care for the mass whom may be visually impaired, you’d understand why Helvetica is your last resort. If you don’t understand typography and only care for yourself because “It works for you” then use Helvetica. No one is stopping you. It looks fine to you, right?

[chrisburton]

Besides that, James, it just looks horrible on screen.

[Josh Johnson]

it just looks horrible on screen.

@chrisburton A font cannot “look horrible on screen”. A font can look horrible on some screens but not others. If Helvetica looked bad on all screens, it wouldn’t be one of the most popular fonts in the world.

[Ed]

I don’t think this is feisable without spending lots and lots of money.

As someone else already said it’s already on almost all Mac’s. For everyone else, you could try a font from here: https://typekit.com/lists/alternatives-to-helvetica

[chrisburton]

My apologies for the delayed reply here. Been incredibly, incredibly busy with college.

In reply to Josh Johnson and “R”:

You’re absolutely correct. Helvetica CAN look better on some screens. However, it has been proven to be horrible for readability and legibility at small sizes on the web (which I’ve pointed out previously and “R” reiterated ). Helvetica was initially made for print and even so, I think it has certainly lost its taste and character being ubiquitous as it is. Print and web fonts are quite different. You should take a look at how Font Bureau takes their print library and redesigns them for the web:

http://www.fontbureau.com/ReadingEdge

The point of having a website is to engage our audience. We want them to be at ease when reading and unfortunately Helvetica was not designed for this.

[__]

Wondering why this type of question deserves such a sarcastic remark …

@R we heard you the first time. If you’re really anxious for an answer, I will say that – while I can’t speak for the author – I don’t think the sarcasm in this remark was directed specifically at the font (heaven forbid), but rather at the conversation in general. Further, I did not interpret it as derogatory, but as good-natured teasing. It’s clear that Joe_Temp started this thread with a pretty lighthearted tone.

It’s the use of Helvetica at small sizes that hinder its legibility

Agreed. True of many fonts.

If Helvetica looked bad on all screens, it wouldn’t be one of the most popular fonts in the world.

@JoshJohnson so, you’re saying that, back in 1957 (or even the mid-60s, when it became popular internationally), they already knew how Helvetica would render on various computer screens?

Helvetica is popular in the web world because it was already popular in the design world. That, and Apple.

[Author]

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