Custom Typeface for Sciences & Avenir Magazine
A sans-serif rooted in Renaissance and Baroque printing history
Columbia Sans was commissioned in 2013 by French monthly Sciences & Avenir, with art direction by Thierry Verret. Designer Jean-Baptiste Levée built an unorthodox typeface from multiple historical models, starting from an idea resembling a sans-serif adaptation of Times New Roman before broadening into 16th- and 17th-century printing traditions associated with Guillaume Le Bé and Christophe Plantin. The design also draws on the Elzevir style, blending French and Dutch historical influences into a confident and trustworthy voice.
Set in Columbia Sans
Insights
- Early sketches were described as a 'sans serif version of Times New Roman' before exploration widened to 16th- and 17th-century models.
- Guillaume Le Bé and Christophe Plantin serve as named historical reference points for the design.
- The Elzevir style introduces a Franco-Dutch cross-pollination into the typeface's character.
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