Font superfamily
In typography, a font superfamily or typeface superfamily is a font family containing fonts that fall into multiple classifications.
The norm in a superfamily is to start from an identical character shape, class-specific features such as serifs are added. The result is a set of fonts that, while belonging to different classes such as sans and serif, have a similar appearance. Generally the sans-serif member of a superfamily will be a humanist design to complement the serif.
Other superfamiies may include fonts grouped together for a common purpose that are not exactly complementary in letterform structure.
Notable superfamilies
Same letterforms
- FF Meta
- by Erik Spiekermann, comprising FF Meta (sans), FF Meta Serif and FF Meta Headline
- FF Nexus
- by Martin Majoor, comprising FF Nexus Sans, FF Nexus Serif, FF Nexus Mix and FF Nexus Typewriter
- FF Quadraat
- by Fred Smeijers, comprising FF Quadraat (serif), FF Quadraat Sans, FF Quadraat Display and FF Quadraat Headliner
- FF Scala
- by Martin Majoor, comprising FF Scala (serif) and FF Scala Sans
- FF Seria
- by Martin Majoor, comprising FF Seria (serif) and FF Seria Sans
- Generis
- by Erik Faulhaber, comprising Generis Sans, Generis Serif, Generis Simple and Generis Slab
- ITC Humana
- by Timothy Donaldso, comprising ITC Humana Sans, ITC Humana Serif and ITC Humana Script
- ITC Officina
- by Erik Spiekermann and Just van Rossum, comprising ITC Officina Sans, ITC Officina Serif and ITC Officina Display
- Linotype Authentic
- by Karin Huschka, comprising Linotype Authentic Sans, Linotype Authentic Serif, Linotype Authentic Small Serif and Linotype Authentic Stencil
- Linotype Compatil
- by Olaf Leu, comprising Compatil Text, Compatil Fact, Compatil Letter and Compatil Exquisit
- Lucida
- by Charles Bigelow and Kris Holmes, comprising Lucida Sans, Lucida Serif, Lucida Typewriter Sans, Lucida Typewriter Serif and Lucida Math
- Penumbra
- by Lance Hidy, comprising Penumbra Sans, Penumbra Serif, Penumbra Half Serif and Penumbra Flare
- PT Fonts
- by Alexandra Korolkova et al, comprising PT Serif, PT Sans and PT Mono.
- Rotis
- by Otl Aicher, comprising rotis serif, rotis semi-serif, rotis semi-sans and rotis sans
- Sassoon
- by Rosemary Sassoon and Adrian William, comprising Sassoon Sans, Sassoon Book, Sassoon Primary, Sassoon Infant and Sassoon Sans Slope
- Stone
- by Sumner Stone, comprising Stone Serif, Stone Sans and Stone Informal
- Thesis
- by Lucas de Groot, comprising TheSans, TheSerif, TheMix and TheAntiqua
- Trajan
- both Trajan (serif, designed by Carol Twombly) and Trajan Sans. No lower-case.
Same purpose
- Computer Modern
- by Donald E. Knuth, comprising cmr (antiqua), cmss (grotesque) and cmtt (monospaced)
- Corporate ASE
- by Kurt Weidemann, comprising antiqua, sans and Egyptienne
- Liberation
- by Steve Matteson, comprising Liberation Sans, Liberation Serif and Liberation Mono