FF Meta Serif

After fielding over a decade of requests clamouring for a serif to complement to his seminal sans FF Meta, Erik Spiekermann’s studio finally released the long-awaited FF Meta Serif in November 2007. Throughout the ’90s, Spiekermann attempted to create serif counterpart but was repeatedly unsatisfied. The new serif seams were difficult to conceal, making it awkwardly derivative. It lacked the polished gestalt of an autonomous typeface. Spiekermann eventually brought two more designers onto the project: Christian Schwartz and Kris Sowersby. Three years later, the precision and perfectionism is evident and appreciated. The font stands on its own, while still being full compatibility with its predecessor, both technically and aesthetically. Meta Serif and Meta can be alternated in the same line or paragraph without making leading or size adjustments. And, of course, they simply look right together. Schwartz articulates the dual achievements: “In the end, I think FF Meta Serif has only a passing resemblance to FF Meta, but when you set a headline or a block of text, it somehow looks just like it.” ANNA MALSBERGER