Font superfamily

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The PT family, showing the related structures of letters
Thesis by Lucas DeGroot

In typography, a font superfamily or typeface superfamily is a font family containing fonts that fall into multiple classifications.

The norm in a superfamily is to start from an identical character shape, class-specific features such as serifs are added. The result is a set of fonts that, while belonging to different classes such as sans and serif, have a similar appearance. Generally the sans-serif member of a superfamily will be a humanist design to complement the serif.

Other superfamiies may include fonts grouped together for a common purpose that are not exactly complementary in letterform structure.

Notable superfamilies

Same letterforms

FF Meta
by Erik Spiekermann, comprising FF Meta (sans), FF Meta Serif and FF Meta Headline
FF Nexus
by Martin Majoor, comprising FF Nexus Sans, FF Nexus Serif, FF Nexus Mix and FF Nexus Typewriter
FF Quadraat
by Fred Smeijers, comprising FF Quadraat (serif), FF Quadraat Sans, FF Quadraat Display and FF Quadraat Headliner
FF Scala
by Martin Majoor, comprising FF Scala (serif) and FF Scala Sans
FF Seria
by Martin Majoor, comprising FF Seria (serif) and FF Seria Sans
Generis
by Erik Faulhaber, comprising Generis Sans, Generis Serif, Generis Simple and Generis Slab
ITC Humana
by Timothy Donaldso, comprising ITC Humana Sans, ITC Humana Serif and ITC Humana Script
ITC Officina
by Erik Spiekermann and Just van Rossum, comprising ITC Officina Sans, ITC Officina Serif and ITC Officina Display
Linotype Authentic
by Karin Huschka, comprising Linotype Authentic Sans, Linotype Authentic Serif, Linotype Authentic Small Serif and Linotype Authentic Stencil
Linotype Compatil
by Olaf Leu, comprising Compatil Text, Compatil Fact, Compatil Letter and Compatil Exquisit
Lucida
by Charles Bigelow and Kris Holmes, comprising Lucida Sans, Lucida Serif, Lucida Typewriter Sans, Lucida Typewriter Serif and Lucida Math
Penumbra
by Lance Hidy, comprising Penumbra Sans, Penumbra Serif, Penumbra Half Serif and Penumbra Flare
PT Fonts
by Alexandra Korolkova et al, comprising PT Serif, PT Sans and PT Mono.
Rotis
by Otl Aicher, comprising rotis serif, rotis semi-serif, rotis semi-sans and rotis sans
Sassoon
by Rosemary Sassoon and Adrian William, comprising Sassoon Sans, Sassoon Book, Sassoon Primary, Sassoon Infant and Sassoon Sans Slope
Stone
by Sumner Stone, comprising Stone Serif, Stone Sans and Stone Informal
Thesis
by Lucas de Groot, comprising TheSans, TheSerif, TheMix and TheAntiqua

Same purpose

Computer Modern
by Donald E. Knuth, comprising cmr (antiqua), cmss (grotesque) and cmtt (monospaced)
Corporate ASE
by Kurt Weidemann, comprising antiqua, sans and Egyptienne
Liberation
by Steve Matteson, comprising Liberation Sans, Liberation Serif and Liberation Mono