Typeface Design for Hermes

From typewriter specimen to variable collection

Hermes was originally designed by Gavillet & Rust in 2001, derived from a typeface sample called Epoca produced by the Hermes 3000 typewriter. Its simple shapes and low-contrast strokes carry a mid-century modernist character, while rounded terminals soften its mechanical origins. In 2024 Amélie Gallay redrew and extended the family, adding variable fonts, additional styles, and a new intermediate width to bridge the existing Narrow and Wide subfamilies.

Set in Hermes

Insights

The design source was specifically the 'Epoca' typeface sample produced by the Hermes 3000 typewriter, manufactured in Western Switzerland from 1958 to the 1980s.
Although the original typewriter used monospacing, Hermes was proportionally adapted for improved texture and legibility while retaining a reminiscent fixed-width, geometrical aspect.
The 2024 revision by Amélie Gallay introduced a new intermediate width to close the gap between the pre-existing Narrow and Wide families, plus variable font formats.
The family includes eight stylistic sets covering alternate glyphs for a, g, l, I, J, W, M, and ®, alongside a full suite of OpenType features including small caps, tabular figures, fractions, and ordinals.