DIN was designed as a standardized lettering that is easy to reproduce, for signage, technical drawings and German road signs. Its design relies on a simple construction based on lines and arcs.
At a glance
Origin: Deutsches Institut für Normung, the German Institute for Standardization, Germany.
Designer: A committee of the institute, led by the engineer Ludwig Goller.
Date: DIN 1451 standard, published in the early 1930s.
Evolution
Long confined to technical use, it was redesigned by Albert-Jan Pool in 1995 as FF DIN, which brought it into the world of graphic design. Linotype then released DIN Next in 2009.
Famous examples
It has been visible on German motorway signs for decades and in countless identities and signage systems.
Current use
It is widely used in brand identities, interfaces, signage and data visualization, for its technical and rational look.
Alternatives
Barlow, Bahnschrift, D-DIN.
Great typefaces glossary
Akzidenz-Grotesk, Arial, Avenir, Baskerville, Bodoni, Caslon, Circular, Cooper Black, Didot, DIN, FF Meta, Franklin Gothic, Frutiger, Futura, Garamond, Georgia, Gill Sans, Gotham, Graphik, Helvetica, IBM Plex, Inter, Minion, Montserrat, Myriad, Neue Haas Grotesk, Optima, Poppins, Roboto, Sabon, SF Pro, Source Sans, Source Serif, Times New Roman, Univers, Verdana