LIGHT UPON THE SHADE(D)

Earlier this year, we welcomed Tausend by Christoph Koeberlin and Gabriel Richter to the Fontwerk library. Today, we want to cast a spotlight on Tausend Shaded, one of the six subfamilies of the multi-talented font collection, especially since it is available free of charge when you ‘purchase’ the Base License.

Tausend Shaded is a new display typeface. Inspired by ‘Schattierte Grotesk’ from the 19th century, yet designed for the 21st century, it combines systematic font engineering with intuitive design depth. It reveals what sans serif fonts often conceal: character – just like the entire Tausend Collection. Tausend Shaded is a precise and considered reinterpretation of an almost forgotten style icon from the early days of sans serif typefaces. It is also a statement for craftsmanship and a rallying call against the algorithmic arbitrariness that has characterized many display fonts for decades.

The shadow shape is not the result of a geometric filter, but of individual design decisions – for each character in each stroke weight. All transitions are drawn, not generated. Every curve is conceived, not interpolated.

If you want to know more about those many little decisions and details that turn this rather simple idea into a design masterpiece, we recommend reading our in-depth article. If you’d rather play around with the results yourself, you can do so for free with the full version.

It all began in 1948 in a forge near Nuremberg. To protect his cow irons from corrosion, Hans Wiegel dipped them in molten zinc. Two years later, he founded his first hot-dip galvanizing plant. Today, the family business WIEGEL is one of the largest hot-dip galvanizing groups in Europe with 39 locations in four countries.

To mark the Wiegel Group’s 75th anniversary, the website was redesigned by the brand agency FYFF. Apart from the brand promise ‘Your steel in good hands’, no stone was left unturned. Instead of interchangeable stock images, authentic videos and factory photos now carry the brand.

Wiegel also focused on clarity and character in the typography: Neue DIN (Light and Medium) became the corporate typeface.

This brought together what belongs together: the art of medium-sized engineering and the number one industrial typeface. The result: an impressive digital presence.