2600:1700:E5D0:A9A0:FD92:282C:A9A2:3439 at 02:30, 12 March 2025

2025-03-12T02:30:55Z

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{{Short description|Humanist sans-serif typeface}}
{{Infobox font
| name = FF Scala Sans
| image = FFScalaSansAIB.svg
| imagesize = 235px
| style = Sans-serif
| classifications = Humanist
| creationdate = 1992
| creator = [[Martin Majoor]]
| foundry = [[FontFont]]
|}}

'''FF Scala Sans''' is a [[humanist sans-serif]] [[typeface]] designed by Dutch designer [[Martin Majoor]] in 1993 for the Vredenburg Music Center in [[Utrecht (city)|Utrecht]], the Netherlands. It was designed as a companion to Majoor's earlier serif old style typeface [[FF Scala]], designed in 1990. It is similar in appearance to [[Joanna (typeface)#Related typefaces | Joanna Sans]].

Like [[Eric Gill|Eric Gill's]] 1927–30 design [[Gill Sans]] and Hans Eduard Meier's typeface [[Syntax (typeface)|Syntax]], both upper and lower case are structurally modeled on serif old style faces. The lowercase roman '''a''' and '''g''' are two-story. FF Scala Sans' italics are true italics, not sloped roman. The lowercase '''a''', '''e''', '''v''' and '''y''' are particularly calligraphic. FF Scala Sans is a very complete sans-serif in its inclusion of true small capitals, lining and non-lining (old style figures) and many ligatures. In 1993, an additional condensed width of the typeface was released. The typefaces are available through Font Shop International. In 2023, the font, alongside its companion [[FF Scala]], were reissued as "Scala Sans" and "Scala", respectively on Majoor's own independent type foundry, which was founded in 2021.

==Usage==
The [[Los Angeles Metro]] and the [[Hungary|Hungarian]] weekly magazine [[Magyar Narancs]] prominently use the typeface.
FF Scala Sans is less commonly used by [[Kwik Trip]], most notably some of its signage. It is also used by the [[Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago]], as well as the fifteenth edition of [[The Chicago Manual of Style]], [[JBL | JBL Sound Systems]], [[The Elements of Typographic Style]] by [[Robert Bringhurst]]; [[Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art]] in [[Kansas City, Missouri]], the [[Saint Louis Art Museum]], Shakespeare's Words: A Glossary and Language Companion by [[David Crystal]], and [[Martin Majoor | Martin Majoor's]] official website. It is also used by [[Wizards of the Coast]] for Sidebar/Table Body in Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition Modules as well as Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition Character Sheets. For a number of years between the mid-2000s and until the mid-2010s, the typeface had been used by [[Whole Foods Market]] as a secondary typeface.<ref>{{cite web|title=Whole Foods Market identity - Fonts In Use|url=https://fontsinuse.com/uses/5684/whole-foods-market-identity|access-date=July 5, 2024|website=Fonts In Use}}</ref>

==Similar fonts==

The fonts Freight Sans, [https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Ysabeau/about?safe=active&query=Ysabeau Ysabeau], and [https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Alegreya+Sans/about?safe=active&query=Alegreya+Sans Alegreya Sans] are all humanist sans serif fonts similar in appearance to FF Scala Sans.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
* [[Ellen Lupton|Lupton, Ellen]]. ''Graphic Design and Typography in the Netherlands: A View of Recent Work.'' Princeton Architectural Press: 1992. {{ISBN|1-878271-62-8}}.
* Friedl, Frederich, Nicholas Ott and Bernard Stein. ''Typography: An Encyclopedic Survey of Type Design and Techniques Through History.'' Black Dog & Leventhal: 1998. {{ISBN|1-57912-023-7}}.
* [[Robert Bringhurst|Bringhurst, Robert]]. ''[[The Elements of Typographic Style]]''. Hartley & Marks: 1992. {{ISBN|0-88179-033-8}}.
* Middendorp, Jan: ''Dutch Type'', 010 Publishers: 2004, {{ISBN|978-90-6450-460-0}}
* Lupton, Ellen. ''Thinking with Type: A critical guide for designers, writers, editors, & students.'' Princeton Architectural Press: 2004. {{ISBN|1-56898-448-0}}.
* Spiekermann, Erik; Middendorp, Jan: ''Made with FontFont'', Book Industry Services (BIS): 2006, {{ISBN|978-90-6369-129-5}}
* Thi Truong, Mai-Linh; Siebert, Jürgen; Spiekermann, Erik: ''[[FontBook]] – Digital Typeface Compendium'', FSI FontShop International: 2006, {{ISBN|978-3-930023-04-2}}

==External links==
[[File:Scala & Scala Sans sample.png|thumb|Sample image of FF Scala & Scala Sans.]]
* [http://scalafont.com/ FF Scala microsite] A website fully dedicated to FF Scala
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100715005826/http://www.papress.com/thinkingwithtype/letter/documents/Type_Spec_Demo.pdf ''Writing With Scala''] Typespecimen by Ellen Lupton (2005)
* [http://www.martinmajoor.com www.martinmajoor.com] Martin Majoor's official website
* [http://www.typotheque.com/articles/my_type_design_philosophy ''My Type Design Philosophy''] by Martin Majoor (2002)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20041210230208/http://www.typotheque.com/articles/interview_martin_majoor.html ''Martin Majoor, type designer''] Interview by [[Peter Biľak]] (2003)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110716012337/http://www.scalafont.com/downloads/files/types_and_characters_martin_majoor.pdf ''Types and Characters: Martin Majoor''] Brochure by Nina Völlink (2007)
* [http://www.fontshop.com/fonts/designer/martin_majoor/ Martin Majoor] on fontshop.com
* [https://www.fontfont.com/fonts/scala-sans Uses of FF Scala]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ff Scala Sans}}

[[Category:Humanist sans-serif typefaces|Scala Sans]]
[[Category:Typefaces with text figures|Scala Sans]]
[[Category:FontShop typefaces|Scala Sans]]
[[Category:Unified serif and sans-serif typeface families]]
[[Category:Typefaces and fonts introduced in 1993]]

[[de:FF Scala Sans]]

FF Scala Sans - Revision history

2600:1700:E5D0:A9A0:FD92:282C:A9A2:3439 at 02:30, 12 March 2025