Netflix unveils Netflix Sans, a new custom typeface developed with Dalton Maag (itsnicethat.com)
5 years ago from Jordan Winick, Director of Product Design @ Recurly
5 years ago from Jordan Winick, Director of Product Design @ Recurly
You're not a real company until you have your own typeface.
Look into the cost of licensing an entire type family for everyone in a large corporation to use on the web, in apps, and on desktop computers. It is quite high and often one of the contributing factors to commissioning your own typeface.
Don't you just love that IKEA said, "screw it—let's use Verdana."
Do you have any information what kind of costs a company like Netflix would be dealing with? I'm really curious approximately how much "quite high" is.
Edit: Nevermind, on my first read-through I completely skipped him mentioning the numbers, despite actively looking for it:
“With the global nature of Netflix’s business, font licensing can get quite expensive,” Noah says. “Developing this typeface not only created an ownable and unique element for the brand’s aesthetic…but saves the company millions of dollars a year as foundries move towards impression-based licensing for their typefaces in many digital advertising spaces.”
For what its worth, I had to take care of font licensing for a large company and we spent about 45k ~ USD for 3 weights (unlimited desktop usage, web usage, and in app usage). Company has about 12,000 people. That was just licensing already existing font. Imagine if you had a sans + serif, condensed, extended, weights, etc. Adds up. At one point cost of type designer and ability to at least add your own unique flair makes financial sense.
Thanks for your insight. Definitely makes sense.
Really don't like it as a display face -- especially in the thinner weights.
Gotta love the "Enhanced geometry" for a dot above "i"
It's OK, ticks all the boxes for a nice typeface. But there is nothing distinctive in it for me. I'd be hard pressed to pick it out of a line-up.
I assume that's kind of what they're going for though. It's indistinct enough to work well with digital interfaces and to let the show's artwork stand out, but it also has some subtle details that make it fit in nicely with the Netflix brand.
Interesting to see it in comparison to San Francisco (seen on r/typography)
Not bad. Just boring and generic... like it belongs on an otc medication.
More info here, on one of the lead type designers page: http://www.noahnathan.com/#/netflix-sans/
Edit: Some more info here: http://www.moniqueadcock.com/netflix-sans/
Oh it's locked with password now :(
That subtle cinematic curve just finishes it off nicely
When you want everything to say 'branded by Netflix.'
Already in love with it <3
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