♘
Clear Sans
A Priceless Typeface Family
Permanently Discounted by 90%

{honest}
↓
Do not take type designers seriously…
just their work.
ORIGINS OF THE TYPEFACE
Clear Sans is a… wait for it… rational geometric sans serif. It is intended to fill a niche… to provide an alternative to the somewhat based-on-vernacular signage, somewhat geometric sans. I hear the word vernacular thrown around too much and too loosley. If a typeface is based in the vernacular, based on hand-painted or hand-crafted signage, then it should be based on the movements of the hand, retain that warmth and not on a pretty geometric model. For me, clean, geometric and precise doesn't have to be cold and expressionless.

The original skeleton was hand-painted in 2008 to help determine and inform my decisions going forward. The typeface was completed shortly afterwards at the behest of an old friend for their identity. As usual, I expanded it, but considered retiring it since there were so many things similar out there. Years later, I had a chance to rediscover it and came to the conclusion that it could be improved, expanded in a logical and useful way, and introduced.

For me, clean, geometric and precise doesn't have to be cold and expressionless.

I would be lying if I didn't admit that the rise of webfonts and embedded type in applications influenced many of the decisions I made about reworking Clear Sans. Completely new Text and Screen fonts were developed that utitlize larger x-heights, space-saving widths, logical (and simplified) weight offerings… to name a few alterations. Even the pricing of each variant was considered to produce a more reasonable and simple solution for the developer, designer, professional and novice.

What Clear Sans Is NOT
Geometric
Humanist
Purely Linear
Revival
Cold
90% OFF

Quick Specs
Sans: 10 weights + italics
Text: 5 weights + italics
Screen: 5 weights + italics

TYPEFACE COMPARISON
Clear Comparative
Ignoring geometry, characters are open & clean
unlike our politicians
THE CREATION OF THE .ASS FORMAT
Type designers, foundries and distributors are always faced with the daunting challenge of having to come up with a unique and awesome way to present a typeface… and convince people to spend money on it. I propose the acceptance of the newly created format: .ASS (Augmented Specimen System). The .ASS scours the web for attractive (ahem, somewhat attractive) specimen panels and generates a shotgun approach in an attempt to appeal to everyone. Right, we are supposed to appeal to everyone?!
OK OK… it's a parody, I know, don't hate me. But I even got to poke fun at myself… hugs.
OPENTYPE FEATURES
Stylistic Alts
Small Caps
Case Sensitive
Localized Characters
Oldstyle Numerals
Tabular Numerals
Superiors
Inferiors
Fractions
Ordinals
Stylistic Sets
Unicorns
THE FAMILY
CLEAR SANS
Extra Thin
Voix ambiguë d'un cœur qui au zéphyr préfère les jattes de kiwi
The wizard quickly jinxed the gnomes before they vaporized
Thin
Quirky spud boys can jam after zapping five worthy Polysixes
All questions asked by five watched experts amaze the judge
Extra Light
How razorback-jumping frogs can level six piqued gymnasts!
Back in June we delivered oxygen equipment of the same size
Light
The job of waxing linoleum frequently peeves chintzy kids
Bored? Craving a pub quiz fix? Why, just come to the Royal Oak!
Book
Victor jagt zwölf Boxkämpfer quer über den großen Sylter Deich
Jack quietly moved up front and seized the big ball of wax
Medium
Battle of Thermopylae: Quick javelin grazed wry Xerxes
A very big box sailed up then whizzed quickly from Japan
Semibold
Cute, kind, jovial, foxy physique, amazing beauty? Wowser!
Foxy parsons quiz and cajole the lovably dim wiki-girl
Bold
Big July earthquakes confound zany experimental vow
Coi! quinze jans golafres de Xàtiva, beuen whisky a pams
Black
My girl wove six dozen plaid jackets before she quit
Flygande bäckasiner söka hwila på mjuka tuvor
Ultra
Jovencillo emponzoñado de whisky: ¡qué figurota exhibe!
Cozy lummox gives smart squid who asks for job pen
CLEAR SANS TEXT
Light
Voix ambiguë d'un cœur qui au zéphyr préfère les jattes de kiwi
The wizard quickly jinxed the gnomes before they vaporized
Book
Quirky spud boys can jam after zapping five worthy Polysixes
All questions asked by five watched experts amaze the judge
Medium
How razorback-jumping frogs can level six piqued gymnasts!
Back in June we delivered oxygen equipment of the same size
Bold
The job of waxing linoleum frequently peeves chintzy kids
Bored? Craving a pub quiz fix? Why, just come to the Royal Oak!
Black
Victor jagt zwölf Boxkämpfer quer über den großen Sylter Deich
Jack quietly moved up front and seized the big ball of wax
CLEAR SANS SCREEN
Light
Battle of Thermopylae: Quick javelin grazed wry Xerxes
A very big box sailed up then whizzed quickly from Japan
Book
Quirky spud boys can jam after zapping five worthy Polysixes
All questions asked by five watched experts amaze the judge
Medium
How razorback-jumping frogs can level six piqued gymnasts!
Back in June we delivered oxygen equipment of the same size
Bold
The job of waxing linoleum frequently peeves chintzy kids
Bored? Craving a pub quiz fix? Why, just come to the Royal Oak!
Black
Cute, kind, jovial, foxy physique, amazing beauty? Wowser!
Jack quietly moved up front and seized the big ball of wax
you’ve seen enough
now buy it
 Seriously, all of your friends have it already and have better lives because of it.
Get it here.
Made with a little type, a little code, a little love and a big sense of humor by
Neil Summerour



This stuff is Copyright with all of the Rights Reserved. All Wrongs will be Avenged.
To give credit, where credit is due. Grant Hutchinson, in a witty email, coined the phrase ‘glyph long & prosper’… I ran with it, with his permission. You'll see more of it soon.
2013