Client: S.A:M®

Custom Typeface for S.A:M®

Type before brand: designing a custom family with no corporate design to reference

TypeMates designed a bespoke two-style typeface for S.A:M®, the B2B brand of catering system engineer Thomas Mertens, active in the point-of-sale snack sector. The project began before any corporate design existed, requiring TypeMates to derive type attributes directly from brand values: smart, modular, high-quality, and future-oriented. The family pairs a Bold spacious display style with a Light narrow text style, designed to work together across all sizes. Both styles were screen-optimised and include icons, fractions, superscript figures, tabular figures, and broad European language support.

Set in SAM Head, SAM Text

Insights

The typeface was commissioned before a corporate identity existed, so brand attributes served as the sole brief for early test fonts.
Partial stencils on certain letterforms only become visible at display sizes, functioning as a scalable detail that adds recognition value.
Hairline punctuation in the Bold weight deliberately breaks typographic convention to reflect S.A:M®'s innovative thinking.
The font includes icons, superscript figures, fractions, and tabular figures consistent across all weights, plus European-market language support.