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Show HN: Typedetail.com – featuring Apple's new typeface San Francisco

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Re: Show HN: Typedetail.com – featuring Apple's new typeface San Francisco

#11

Post by jug »

I'm postively surprised. I didn't expect this from Apple, but it actually does look good with the Windows font renderer here (Firefox, so I assume DirectWrite), down to at least 9px. The hinting could perhaps be better on a few letters but I expected none care taken whatsoever. Of course, this could be a lucky accident, not sure if Apple did this intentionally. The thin weights seem OK as well, something else that can not always be expected. Looks decent for general use unless Apple prevents that by licensing.

I never liked Helvetica Neue in user interfaces so I'm happy to soon (hopefully) see it gone from iOS.

Edit: OK, so it's only to be used by either Apple or Apple apps.

Re: Show HN: Typedetail.com – featuring Apple's new typeface San Francisco

#12

Post by themartorana »

timothya wrote: post #2

On a related note, here's a comparison between Apple's San Francisco and Google's Roboto, along with FF DIN and Helvetica: http://www.fontshop.de/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/comparison...

Is it common for type faces to be so almost completely similar? SF looks nearly identical to FF DIN to my untrained eye, but even with tiny adjustments, it's bit more than inspired by.

In so many industries we talk about here there would already have been a stream of C&D letters and injunctions would be filed in court.

Re: Show HN: Typedetail.com – featuring Apple's new typeface San Francisco

#13

Post by madeofpalk »

themartorana wrote: post #12
timothya wrote: post #2

On a related note, here's a comparison between Apple's San Francisco and Google's Roboto, along with FF DIN and Helvetica: http://www.fontshop.de/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/comparison...

Is it common for type faces to be so almost completely similar? SF looks nearly identical to FF DIN to my untrained eye, but even with tiny adjustments, it's bit more than inspired by. In so many industries we talk about here there would already have been a stream of C&D letters and injunctions would be filed in court.

That is the one part about typography that has always confused me - San Francisco is clearly a variation of FF DIN. Can you buy a 'licenses' to use and make your own variation of a typeface?

Re: Show HN: Typedetail.com – featuring Apple's new typeface San Francisco

#16

Post by madeofpalk »

namuol wrote: post #10

> The typeface is licensed exclusively to registered third-party developers for the “design and development of applications for the Apple Watch”. [1] Cool. Another font for web designers to wrongfully assume I have installed on my system. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco_(2014_typeface)

A designer who makes this kind of assumption and sticks with it is pretty poor and I doubt they would be making much of substance anyway.

Re: Show HN: Typedetail.com – featuring Apple's new typeface San Francisco

#17

Post by joewalker »

madeofpalk wrote: post #13
themartorana wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is it common for type faces to be so almost completely similar? SF looks nearly identical to FF DIN to my untrained eye, but even with tiny adjustments, it's bit more than inspired by. In so many industries we talk about here there would already have been a stream of C&D letters and injunctions would be filed in court.

That is the one part about typography that has always confused me - San Francisco is clearly a variation of FF DIN. Can you buy a 'licenses' to use and make your own variation of a typeface?

Copyright law with fonts is strange. 'Looking like' isn't a copyright vilation, but if you take copy a font and tweak it slightly then it probably is.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adobe_Systems,_Inc._v._Souther....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellectual_property_protecti...

There's a similar situation with clothing, IIRC, which explains the prevalence of brand logos.

IANAL, obviously.

Re: Show HN: Typedetail.com – featuring Apple's new typeface San Francisco

#18

Post by currysausage »

timothya wrote: post #2

On a related note, here's a comparison between Apple's San Francisco and Google's Roboto, along with FF DIN and Helvetica: http://www.fontshop.de/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/comparison...

Another font with very similar character is Malmö Sans (only regular weight though, bold has high stroke contrast) [1]. Typographic details differ (Malmö looks more dynamic than San Francisco due to slanted terminal strokes), but basic forms make it look almost identical to San Francisco at smaller grades.

[1] http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/martin-lexelius-core/malmo-sans...

Re: Show HN: Typedetail.com – featuring Apple's new typeface San Francisco

#20

Post by rdancer »

This is a ridiculously incomplete sample sheet. Most of the iOS, OS X, and Watch OS users will need to display characters outside the non-accented English alphabet.

Nerding out about minute-to-nonexistent differences from Helvetica is cute, but how will it actually look in real-life application?! Way to miss the point.

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