Typefaces

Gill Sans Hellenic, a sanserif letter, was selected to be the typeface of the 2004 Olympic Games. The linear forms of the monoline sanserif capitals that were used for the stone-cut inscriptions of Greece until the 4th century BC have a clean structural logic that evokes the geometrical theorems of Euclid and a simplicity that is elemental. Less formal versions of similar letters appear in the painted inscriptions of Greek vases. The sanserif letter has been rediscovered several times: by sculptors during the Italian Renaissance in the 15th century, by neo-classical architects and sculptors towards the end of the 18th century, and by modernist designers in the 20th century. The typeface Gill Sans was first made in 1928 from designs by Eric Gill. The severe geometry of its capitals is relieved by Renaissance features like the subtle curve to the tail of Rand small letters that derive from the calligraphic forms of humanistic script Gill Sans Hellenic adds Greek characters to the font.