Issued by Berthold in 1896, Berthold Akzidenz-Grotesk is the forerunner of Helvetica. The name is derived from the nineteenth-century word for sans serif, Grotesk, and from the German name for types used by trade printers, Akzidenz schrift. Akzidenz Grotesk is well-suited to technical literature, tables, and magazine and newspaper headlines. The light weight includes a set of old style (nonlining) numerals designed by Erik Spiekermann for Berthold’s business cards. The condensed versions of Akzidenz-Grotesk are useful for tables, spreadsheets, and other applications where space is at a premium.
