Franklin Gothic

Franklin Gothic is a font family. The linear sans serif typefaces in 1904, designed by the American engineer and type designer Morris Fuller Benton for ATF, the American Type Founders and expanded in subsequent years by additional typefaces from the Font Family.

Again and again it is said Benton had been inspired by German sans serif as Berthold Akzidenz -Grotesk and the Reform -Grotesk D. Stempel AG. This is however not substantiated and appears, at least in the case of the documents mentioned rather unlikely, as for example reform -Grotesk, 1904, came on the market only in the same year.

Franklin Gothic is a member of the " American Grotesque ", which, like the Akzidenz-Grotesk in Western Europe, is an evolution of the original Grotesque 19th century. In the U.S., the font enjoys a similar status, such as Helvetica or Univers in Germany.

The origin of the name is unclear. According to rumors Franklin goes back to the American statesman and inventor Benjamin Franklin, who produced the age of 22 as the first in its industry for its printing lead type. As is known in the USA Gothic sans serif fonts in general.

Franklin Gothic is often used up to the present time in advertising. So for decades include, for example, the condensed designs for corporate design of the ADAC, where it is used among other things for the club logo and club name ( see picture).