Handel Gothic

Handel Gothic

Category	Sans-serif
Classification	Geometric
Designer(s)	Donald J. Handel Robert Trogman
Foundry	FotoStar
Date released	1965
Re-issuing foundries	Bitstream Elsner+Flake Linotype Tilde SIA URW++ ITC

Handel Gothic is a geometric sans-serif typeface designed in 1965 by Donald J. Handel (1936–2002), who worked for the graphic designer Saul Bass.^[1]

Handel Gothic was an instant success when first released. The typeface was originally distributed in film format by FotoStar and was reissued in the 1980s by Robert Trogman.^{[citation needed]}

The typeface was popular in the 1980s, due to its futuristic design, and even today is used to signify the future; it has been used in the credits of both Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as well as the logo for Close Encounters of the Third Kind and the menu text for the 2000 Nintendo 64 game Perfect Dark.

Handel Gothic was also used for the end credits on CBS's The Price Is Right from 1972 to 1981.^{[citation needed]} Handel Gothic was also used for the end credits of Sesame Street (1983-1992).

The Elsner+Flake, Linotype and URW++ versions use a curved leg on uppercase R (like that of Helvetica), a horizontal tail on the uppercase Q (like that of Univers), a curved lower leg on the lowercase k, and a trident-like lowercase w.^[2]

The Bitstream and Tilde SIA versions, however, use a thicker 1, a straight leg on the uppercase R (like that of Akzidenz-Grotesk), a straight lower leg on the lowercase k, and a double-v w.

Christian Schwartz designed the Simian Display typeface, inspired from the Handel Gothic typeface, used by American science fiction media franchise Planet of the Apes and available in 3 weights named after primates ("Orangutan" for Regular, "Chimpanzee" for Bold, "Gorilla" for Black)^[3]

Thai type designer Anupap Jaichumnan designed the Flatory typeface, which also inspired from the Handel Gothic typeface, available in 4 versions (sans-serif, serif, slab serif, high-contrast sans-serif).^[4]