Microgramma (typeface)

Microgramma is a sans-serif typeface designed by Aldo Novarese and Alessandro Butti for the Nebiolo Type Foundry in 1952. It became popular for use with technical illustrations in the 1960s, and was a favourite of graphic designers by the early 1970s. Its uses range from publicity and publication design to packaging, largely because of its availability as a Letraset typeface. Early typesetters (like the AM Varityper) also incorporated it. Novarese later developed Eurostile in 1962, a successor to Microgramma that added lowercase letters, a bold condensed variant, and an ultra narrow design he called Eurostile Compact.

Category	Sans-serif
Designer(s)	Aldo Novarese Alessandro Butti
Foundry	Nebiolo
Date released	1952
Re-issuing foundries	Linotype URW
Variations	Eurostile (Normal & Condensed variant) Independently Gothic

A comparison between Microgramma (black) and Eurostile (red outline)

Microgramma is almost always used in its extended and bold extended forms (pictured). Initially, it was a titling font with only uppercase letters. Later versions, by Linotype and URW, contain a lowercase as well, making it functionally identical to Eurostile. These digital versions also include accented Latin characters, mathematical symbols, and Latin ligatures. In the URW version, there are also extended Latin, subscripts and superscripts, and extended Latin ligatures.

Microgramma OnlyShadow

Microgramma OnlyShadow is a variant of Microgramma Bold that contains only the shadows of Microgramma Extended Bold, designed by URW Studio in 1994. Although Alessandro Butti died in 1959, URW credited him as the designer of the new font.

The Euro sign in the font has a different weight, styled from a different font family, and is not shadowed.