# Helvetica: history, who uses it, and a free alternative

> Helvetica from the Haas foundry in 1957 to the New York subway and the iPhone, with Inter as a free Google Fonts alternative and body pairings.

Web page: https://davidewins.com/fonts/helvetica

The Swiss sans that ended up on subway signs and airline logos.

Preview uses Inter, the closest free match.

## History

- Max Miedinger designed it with Eduard Hoffmann at the Haas Type Foundry in Münchenstein, Switzerland, and it was released in 1957. [1]
- It was first called Neue Haas Grotesk. [1]
- Neue Helvetica followed in 1983, and Monotype released Helvetica Now in 2019. [1]

## Who uses it

- Lufthansa's corporate identity from 1962 [1]
- The American Airlines logotype set by Massimo Vignelli in 1967, used until 2013 [1]
- New York City Subway signage, the standard typeface from 1989 [1]
- Apple's iOS system font from 2007 [1]

## Sources

1. [Wikipedia: Helvetica](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helvetica)

## The free alternative

Inter has the same plain, closed neo-grotesque shapes, with a taller x-height drawn for screens.

Body fonts that go with Inter:

- [Source Serif 4](https://davidewins.com/fonts?heading=helvetica&body=source-serif-4): A serif body against a grotesque heading gives clear contrast in structure.
- [Inter](https://davidewins.com/fonts?heading=helvetica&body=inter): One family throughout, with weight and size doing the work.
- [Merriweather](https://davidewins.com/fonts?heading=helvetica&body=merriweather): Sturdy, large x-height serif that stays readable at small sizes.
- [IBM Plex Mono](https://davidewins.com/fonts?heading=helvetica&body=ibm-plex-mono): Monospaced text for a technical, spec-sheet feel.

[Open Helvetica in the pairing tool](https://davidewins.com/fonts?heading=helvetica)