Univers + Helvetica Unica

By Tan Walchli

A rigorously researched narrative of a typeface's development that interrogates design authorship, technological development and economic conditions at the dawn of the digital era

Published with Lineto.

This historical account of the Unica typeface, legendary pinnacle of "Swiss Style" design, traces its complex history from the mid-1950s to the present day. Commissioned by the Haas foundry, Unica fused key elements of Helvetica and Univers, the most successful sans serifs of the postwar era. While recognized by industry experts as a milestone, it was a commercial failure upon release. It was only two decades after its disappearance that the rediscovery of Unica by a new generation of designers paved the way for Lineto's digital reissue in 2015.
Tracing this untold story back to Helvetica's origins, Univers + Helvetica ? Unica offers a detailed reconstruction of Unica's rise, fall and resurrection, based on extensive research in public and private archives worldwide. Compiling a wealth of unpublished sources, the volume documents the typeface with illustrated design reports of recent multi-script developments, elaborate specimen pages and insightful diagrams mapping its history and evolution.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 3037788151
• ISBN13: 9783037788158
• Release Date: October 2026
• Publisher: Lars Muller Publishers
• Length: 336 Pages