DynaGrotesk has altogether 60 designs, because it was originally produced as a Multiple Master type face. The entire big family is grouped into eighteen independent, smaller, four-design families, of which the user may choose, for example, only two or three which suit him as regards colour and width. The somewhat confusing use of abbreviations to designate the individual designs is, nevertheless, simpler than giving them numbers or full names. The abbreviations denoting weights are as follows: L – Light, R – Regular, D – Demi; and those denoting widths are: XC – Extra Condensed, C – Condensed, M – Semi Condensed, E – Extended, XE – Extra Extended. Sans-serif type faces, except for good old Gill, are not provided with genuine italics; instead of italics there are electronically slanted designs. In all italics of the DynaGrotesk family, however, the design of lower-case letters markedly differs from that of upright lower-case letters. The warm character of DynaGrotesk derives from early sans-serif type faces, those which appeared before Helvetica. The complete installation of all designs of DynaGrotesk is the professional choice of the designer of the most demanding magazine.
See also: new, large sans-serif family John Sans.