Greatest fonts countdown: 91 - Triplex

FontShop AG, the renowned type foundry, conducted a survey based on historical relevance, sales at FontShop.com, and aesthetic quality. With a few additions from the experts at Creative Bloq and Computer Arts magazine, the best fonts ever were selected for the new book, 100 Best Typefaces Ever.

Here we are counting down the 100 greatest fonts, but you can read interviews with some of the typefaces' creators, a brief history of type, the anatomy of a font, and much, much more in the book – find out how to get your copy in print or digital formats at the foot of this post.

But without further ado, here is the 91st best typeface…

91. Triplex

A specimen of Triplex Sans Light OT. The OpenType version, released in 2006, features fractions, ligatures, oldstyle figures and much more

Triplex was Zuzana Licko's (co-founder of Emigre) first sans-serif typeface. It's based on geometric forms and bears some similarities to her slightly earlier design, Citizen. At the time of its release in 1989, Triplex was among the first nine typefaces of the digital era. This claim was highlighted by its stark geometry. After its release, the typeface was steadily expanded, with John Downer contributing a whimsical italic and Licko herself adding OpenType versions of the fonts in 2006.

Triplex was based on grid-based pixel shapes, as you can see from this development sketch

The 100 Best Typefaces Ever

This is an extract from The 100 Best Typefaces Ever, the definitive guide to the greatest fonts ever created, in association with FontShop AG. Over 180 premium pages, the book dissects the world's greatest typefaces, bringing you some insightful background on each and interviews with their creators.

You can pick up the book at all good newsagents today or order it online. Or you can download a digital edition directly to your iPad from the Computer Arts app on iTunes.