In 1952 a typeface with an interesting combination of the geometric and grotesque approach was introduced. That year Allesandro Butti and Aldo Novarese completed Microgramma for Nebiolo type foundry from Turin, Italy. The typeface was made in the uppercase version only and was meant to be used mainly on the display level.

Microgramma in different versions, combined from Nebiolo’s type specimen from 1959.

The lettershapes were built on the form of the rounded rectangle and looked fairly modular. The regular weight of the typeface was rather light, while the widths of the letters were quite uniform. In the Nebiolo type specimen from 1959, five versions are shown: intestazione normale (standard titling), intestazione stretta (condensed titling), intestazione nera (bold titling), intestazione larga (extended titling) and intestazione nera larga (bold extended titling).

“The square shape with narrow curved angles is a typical architectural expression of our times.” [1]

The typeface had a contemporary look and received a mixed response from the audience. Ken Dickinson wrote:“ It is an unvarying square sans, which many designers do not like on first sight, but which always work remarkably well in use. The addition of similar cuttings with a lower case will further increase the popularity of the Microgramma family.” [2]

Different versions of Eurostile combined from Nebiolo’s specimen issued in 1964.

Microgramma was not made in lowercase version – at least not under this name and not in metal version (the digital versions from URW and Elsner und Flake contain also the lowercase characters). However, exactly ten years after its release, Novarese created a refined version of Microgramma under the name of Eurostile (sometimes referred to as Eurostyle). This design, also issued by Nebiolo type foundry, included lowercase letterforms.

Novarese thought that the square shape with narrow, curved angles was a typical form of that time which could be seen, for instance, in architecture or in some products, such as vehicles or television sets. When Eurostile was released, Novarese was very confident about the design. He saw his typeface as a logical historical continuation in the development of type design: “This new type face should be considered a symbol of our present civilization exactly as other faces represented and were the expression of other civilizations in the past." [3]

“Eurostile’s outline is already familiar and unconsciously present whenever we look at a television set.” [4]

Compared to Microgramma, the introduction of lowercase letters was not the only new feature of Eurostile. Probably influenced by the success of the neo-grotesque typefaces, such as Univers and Helvetica, the curved strokes of the letterforms were slightly softened, which made Eurostile more suitable for setting the text (despite this, Eurostile was not suitable for setting longer texts). Its compact appearance and the tendency towards functionalism made Eurostile a popular choice among graphic designers. The typeface indeed looked very modern and from today’s point of view clearly reflects the spirit of the 1960s.

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[1] Dickinson, Ken. ‘A decade of type design’, in: The Penrose Annual, vol. 56, London: Lund Humphries, 1962 [p. 16–23].
[2], [3], [4] Novarese, Aldo. ‘Eurostile: An Expression of Our Times’, in: Print, America’s Graphic Design Magazine, September/October 1962, vol. XIV, no. V, New York: Kaye-Cadel Publishing Corp., 1962 [p. 24–26].