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DIN 1451

German highway, railway and industrial typeface that is based on strict specifications. It was used on German cars for license plates, as well as on German trains. Linotype writes: The abbreviation "DIN" stands for Deutsches Institut für Normung (The German Institute for Industrial Standards). In 1936, this standards committee settled upon DIN 1451 as the primary lettering style for use in the areas of technology, traffic, administration, and business. The committee chose a sans serif design because of its legibility, and because its forms are also easy to reproduce. This typefaces design was not foreseen to be used in advertisements or other "artistically oriented purposes," and there were disagreements about its aesthetic qualities. Nevertheless, the DIN typeface has been set everywhere in Germany since its adoption, especially on signs for town names and traffic directions. Over the decades, it has managed to make its way into advertisements, too, perhaps because of its ease of recognition. The contemporary font version of DIN 1451 has been adopted and used by designers in other countries as well, solidifying its world-wide design reputation. Try it out today for signage, magazine layouts, book covers, or flyers. DIN 1451s industrial heritage makes it surprisingly functional in just about any conceivable application. Poster by Federico Arguissein (2013).

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