Following the success of Loew and Loew Next, Loew Variable is the latest addition to The Northern Block library. Designed by Jonathan Hill, Loew Variable blends fresh with familiar and draws on inspiration from mid-century industrial designers, in particular the father of industrial design — Raymond Loewy.

INSPIRATION

Raymond Loewy’s influence steered us towards creating a typeface that juxtaposed efficiency, unadornment and making things purposeful. We liked the industrialist’s passion for making the everyday object fit for purpose and that attraction is equally about usability as it is style.

Read the case study for more details.

EVOLUTION

It was pure maths and mechanics that started with Loew’s geometry, to form letter shapes that resulted in a simple, neutral typeface and balancing the right form with function and usability.

Loew’s design combines optical refinements and geometric construction, resulting in a near-perfect
circle for both uppercase and lowercase ‘o’.
Working closely with world-leading brands and creatives to understand Loew’s place in the market, we begun to realise a different understanding of how designers use Loew thatgave us the insight to evolve and push forward.
First came Vauxhall Neue, a custom typeface created for Vauxhall Motors, then came Hilton Worldwide. These relationships opened up a whole new level of inquiry that went beyond design and into the realms of science and engineering.
Customisation of Loew for Vauxhall Motors

We started questioning whether the shapes could be sturdier, less mechanical and match complex writing systems such as Arabic, Chinese, Japanese and Korean. Loew had the potential to offer all these things and more… hello Loew Next.

Loew Next and Loew Next Arabic
Loew Next is the result of years of combined experiences of a team of type design experts and collaborators that cross many boundaries, including countries and cultures from around the world.
Loew Next represents more than just a piece of type design; it’s a complex software program containing global written languages. Explore Loew Next and Loew Next Arabic type families.
LOEW VARIABLE

Referring back to the influence of Loew, industrial design is a creative discipline focused on solving real-world problems with a blend of art, design, technology, and science. Loew Variable helps us answer some of our clients’ most challenging questions. Loew is a brilliant typeface, but looking into the future and how we can give more to creative professionals, we knew that by offering options to make Loew a little narrower, wider and somewhere inbetween was in demand.

Dynamic
Responsive
Flexible
Adaptable
Efficient

Variable fonts help us do all these things by utilising current font technology and offering us a new way to create type in today’s digital world.
Loew Variable can quickly adapt to its environment; the design is optimised and targeted, the text is dynamic and adjusts to context.
And the best part — variable fonts capabilities are packed into a tiny sized font file. Why not try it for yourself? Explore Loew Variable below.

Overview

He was recognized for this by Time magazine and featured on its cover on October 31, 1949. He spent most of his professional career in the United States, becoming a naturalized citizen in 1938. Among his designs were the Shell, Exxon, TWA and the former BP logos, the Greyhound Scenicruiser bus, Coca-Cola vending machines and bottle redesign, the Lucky Strike package, Coldspot refrigerators, the Studebaker Avanti and Champion, and the Air Force One livery. He was engaged by equipment manufacturer International Harvester to overhaul its entire product line, and his team also assisted competitor Allis-Chalmers. He undertook numerous railroad designs, including the Pennsylvania Railroad GG1, S-1, and T1 locomotives, the color scheme and Eagle motif for the first streamliners of the Missouri Pacific Railroad, and a number of lesser known color scheme and car interior designs for other railroads. His career spanned seven decades. The press referred to Loewy as The Man Who Shaped America, The Father of Streamlining and The Father of Industrial Design. Raymond Loewy was a French-born American industrial designer who achieved fame for the magnitude of his design efforts across a variety of industries. He was recognized for this by Time magazine and featured on its cover on October 31, 1949. He spent most of his professional career in the United States, becoming a naturalized citizen in 1938.

In Loewy’s early years in the United States, he lived in New York and found work as a window designer for department stores, including Macy’s, Wanamaker’s and Saks in addition to working as a fashion illustrator for Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar. In 1929 he received his first industrial-design commission to contemporize the appearance of a duplicating machine by Gestetner. Further commissions followed, including work for Westinghouse, the Hupp Motor Company (the Hupmobile styling), and styling the Coldspot refrigerator for Sears-Roebuck. It was this product that established his reputation as an industrial designer. He opened a London office in the mid-1930s that continues to operate. In 1937, Loewy established a relationship with the Pennsylvania Railroad, and his most notable designs for the firm involved some of their passenger locomotives. He designed a streamlined shroud for K4s Pacific #3768 to haul the newly redesigned 1938 Broadway Limited. He followed by styling the experimental S1 locomotive, as well as the T1 class. In 1940, he designed a simplified version of the streamlined shroud for another four K4s. In 1942, he designed the streamlined shroud for the experimental duplex engine Q1 which was his last work of streamlining PRR’s steam engine. In 1946, at the Pennsylvania Railroad’s request, he restyled Baldwin’s diesels with a distinctive “sharknose” reminiscent of the T1. He also designed the experimental steam turbine engine V1 “Triplex” for PRR which was never built. While he did not design the famous GG1 electric locomotive, he improved its appearance with welded rather than riveted construction, and he added a pinstripe paint scheme to highlight its smooth contours. In addition to locomotive design, Loewy’s studios provided many designs for the Pennsylvania Railroad, including stations, passenger-car interiors, and advertising materials. By 1949, Loewy employed 143 designers, architects, and draftsmen. His business partners were A. Baker Barnhart, William Snaith, and John Breen. Raymond Loewy worked for NASA from 1967 to 1973 as a Habitability Consultant for design of the Skylab space station, launched in 1973. One of NASA’s goals in hiring him was to improve the psychology, safety, and comfort of manned spacecraft. Due to long duration confinement in limited interior space in micro-g with almost non-existing variability in environment, the comfort and well-being of the crew through the use of esthetics played high importance.

Type Tester

Glyphs

BASIC LATIN
  1. A
  2. B
  3. C
  4. D
  5. E
  6. F
  7. G
  8. H
  9. I
  10. J
  11. K
  12. L
  13. M
  14. N
  15. O
  16. P
  17. Q
  18. R
  19. S
  20. T
  21. U
  22. V
  23. W
  24. X
  25. Y
  26. Z
  27. a
  28. b
  29. c
  30. d
  31. e
  32. f
  33. g
  34. h
  35. i
  36. j
  37. k
  38. l
  39. m
  40. n
  41. o
  42. p
  43. q
  44. r
  45. s
  46. t
  47. u
  48. v
  49. w
  50. x
  51. y
  52. z
EXTENDED LATIN
  1. Á
  2. Ă
  3. Ǎ
  4. Â
  5. Ä
  6. Ǟ
  7. À
  8. Ā
  9. Ą
  10. Å
  11. Ǻ
  12. Ã
  13. Æ
  14. Ǽ
  15. Ć
  16. Č
  17. Ç
  18. Ĉ
  19. Ċ
  20. Ð
  21. Ď
  22. Đ
  23. É
  24. Ĕ
  25. Ě
  26. Ȩ
  27. Ê
  28. Ë
  29. Ė
  30. Ƹ
  31. È
  32. Ē
  33. Ę
  34. Ğ
  35. Ǧ
  36. Ĝ
  37. Ģ
  38. Ġ
  39. H
  40. Ħ
  41. Ĥ
  42. IJ
  43. Í
  44. Ǐ
  45. Î
  46. Ï
  47. İ
  48. Ì
  49. Ī
  50. Į
  51. Ĩ
  52. J
  53. Ĵ
  54. Ķ
  55. Ĺ
  56. Ľ
  57. Ļ
  58. Ŀ
  59. Ł
  60. Ń
  61. Ň
  62. Ņ
  63. Ŋ
  64. Ñ
  65. Ó
  66. Ŏ
  67. Ǒ
  68. Ô
  69. Ö
  70. Ȫ
  71. Ò
  72. Ơ
  73. Ő
  74. Ō
  75. Ø
  76. Ǿ
  77. Õ
  78. Œ
  79. Þ
  80. Ŕ
  81. Ř
  82. Ŗ
  83. Ś
  84. Š
  85. Ş
  86. Ŝ
  87. Ș
  88. Ŧ
  89. Ť
  90. Ţ
  91. Ț
  92. Ú
  93. Ŭ
  94. Ǔ
  95. Û
  96. Ü
  97. Ǘ
  98. Ǚ
  99. Ǜ
  100. Ǖ
  101. Ù
  102. Ư
  103. Ű
  104. Ū
  105. Ų
  106. Ů
  107. Ũ
  108. Ŵ
  109. Ý
  110. Ŷ
  111. Ÿ
  112. Ź
  113. Ž
  114. Ż
  115. á
  116. ă
  117. ǎ
  118. â
  119. ä
  120. ǟ
  121. à
  122. ā
  123. ą
  124. å
  125. ǻ
  126. ã
  127. æ
  128. ǽ
  129. ć
  130. č
  131. ç
  132. ĉ
  133. ċ
  134. ð
  135. ď
  136. đ
  137. é
  138. ĕ
  139. ě
  140. ȩ
  141. ê
  142. ế
  143. ë
  144. ė
  145. è
  146. ē
  147. ę
  148. ğ
  149. ǧ
  150. ĝ
  151. ģ
  152. ġ
  153. ħ
  154. ĥ
  155. ı
  156. í
  157. ǐ
  158. î
  159. ï
  160. i
  161. ì
  162. ij
  163. ī
  164. į
  165. ĩ
  166. ȷ
  167. j
  168. ĵ
  169. ķ
  170. ĺ
  171. ľ
  172. ļ
  173. ŀ
  174. ł
  175. ḿ
  176. n
  177. ň
  178. ņ
  179. ŋ
  180. ñ
  181. ó
  182. ŏ
  183. ǒ
  184. ô
  185. ö
  186. ȫ
  187. ò
  188. ơ
  189. ő
  190. ō
  191. ø
  192. ǿ
  193. õ
  194. œ
  195. þ
  196. ŕ
  197. ř
  198. ŗ
  199. ś
  200. š
  201. ş
  202. ŝ
  203. ș
  204. ß
  205. ŧ
  206. ť
  207. ţ
  208. ț
  209. ú
  210. ŭ
  211. ǔ
  212. û
  213. ü
  214. ǘ
  215. ǚ
  216. ǜ
  217. ǖ
  218. ù
  219. ư
  220. ű
  221. ū
  222. ų
  223. ů
  224. ũ
  225. ŵ
  226. ý
  227. ŷ
  228. ÿ
  229. ź
  230. ž
  231. ż
SMALL CAPITALS
  1. A
  2. B
  3. C
  4. D
  5. E
  6. F
  7. G
  8. H
  9. I
  10. J
  11. K
  12. L
  13. M
  14. N
  15. O
  16. P
  17. Q
  18. R
  19. S
  20. T
  21. U
  22. V
  23. W
  24. X
  25. Y
  26. Z
  27. Á
  28. Ă
  29. Ǎ
  30. Â
  31. Ä
  32. Ǟ
  33. À
  34. Ā
  35. Ą
  36. Å
  37. Ǻ
  38. Ã
  39. Æ
  40. Ǽ
  41. Ć
  42. Č
  43. Ç
  44. Ĉ
  45. Ċ
  46. Ð
  47. Ď
  48. Đ
  49. É
  50. Ĕ
  51. Ě
  52. Ȩ
  53. Ê
  54. Ë
  55. Ė
  56. È
  57. Ē
  58. Ę
  59. Ğ
  60. Ǧ
  61. Ĝ
  62. Ģ
  63. Ġ
  64. Ħ
  65. Ĥ
  66. IJ
  67. Í
  68. Ǐ
  69. Î
  70. Ï
  71. İ
  72. Ì
  73. Ī
  74. Į
  75. Ĩ
  76. Ĵ
  77. Ķ
  78. Ĺ
  79. Ľ
  80. Ļ
  81. Ŀ
  82. Ł
  83. Ń
  84. Ň
  85. Ņ
  86. Ŋ
  87. Ñ
  88. Ó
  89. Ŏ
  90. Ǒ
  91. Ô
  92. Ö
  93. Ȫ
  94. Ò
  95. Ơ
  96. Ő
  97. Ō
  98. Ø
  99. Ǿ
  100. Õ
  101. Œ
  102. Þ
  103. Ŕ
  104. Ř
  105. Ŗ
  106. Ś
  107. Š
  108. Ş
  109. Ŝ
  110. Ș
  111. Ŧ
  112. Ť
  113. Ţ
  114. Ț
  115. Ú
  116. Ŭ
  117. Ǔ
  118. Û
  119. Ü
  120. Ǘ
  121. Ǚ
  122. Ǜ
  123. Ǖ
  124. Ù
  125. Ư
  126. Ű
  127. Ū
  128. Ų
  129. Ů
  130. Ũ
  131. Ŵ
  132. Ý
  133. Ŷ
  134. Ÿ
  135. Ź
  136. Ž
  137. Ż
PUNCTUATION
  1. ,
  2. :
  3. ;
  4. !
  5. ¡
  6. ?
  7. ¿
  8. ·
  9. /
  10. \
  11. |
  12. ¦
  13. (
  14. )
  15. {
  16. }
  17. [
  18. -
  19. ­
  20. «
  21. »
  22. "
  23. '
  24. @
  25. &
  26. §
  27. *
CURRENCY, MATH & SYMBOLS
  1. ƒ
  2. £
  3. ¥
  4. ֏
  5. $
  6. ¢
  7. +
  8. ×
  9. ÿ
  10. =
  11. >
  12. <
  13. ±
  14. ~
  15. #
  16. %
  17. ©
  18. ®
  19. °
  20. ª
  21. º
NUMERALS
  1. 0
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. 4
  6. 5
  7. 6
  8. 7
  9. 8
  10. 9
  11. 0
  12. 1
  13. 2
  14. 3
  15. 4
  16. 5
  17. 6
  18. 7
  19. 8
  20. 9
  21. 0
  22. 1
  23. 2
  24. 3
  25. 4
  26. 5
  27. 6
  28. 7
  29. 8
  30. 9
  31. 0
  32. 1
  33. 2
  34. 3
  35. 4
  36. 5
  37. 6
  38. 7
  39. 8
  40. 9
  41. 0
  42. 1
  43. 2
  44. 3
  45. 4
  46. 5
  47. 6
  48. 7
  49. 8
  50. 9
  51. 0
  52. 1
  53. 2
  54. 3
  55. 4
  56. 5
  57. 6
  58. 7
  59. 8
  60. 9
  61. ¹
  62. ²
  63. ³
  64. ¹
  65. ²
  66. ³
  67. ½
  68. ¼
  69. ¾
  70. 0
  71. 1
  72. 2
  73. 3
  74. 4
  75. 5
  76. 6
  77. 7
  78. 8
  79. 9
STYLISTIC ALTERNATES
  1. a
  2. á
  3. ă
  4. ǎ
  5. â
  6. ä
  7. ǟ
  8. à
  9. ā
  10. ą
  11. å
  12. ǻ
  13. ã
  14. æ
  15. ǽ
  16. œ
  17. e
  18. é
  19. ě
  20. ȩ
  21. ê
  22. ë
  23. ė
  24. è
  25. ē
  26. ę
  27. g
  28. ğ
  29. ǧ
  30. ģ
  31. ġ
LIGATURES
  1. ff
  2. ffi
  3. ffl
  4. fi
  5. fl
  6. Th
  7. ch
  8. fb
  9. ffj
  10. fh
  11. fj
  12. fk
  13. sp
  14. st

Information

PURCHASE & LICENSING

Loew Variable is available to purchase directly from The Northern Block. For more information about licensing, customisation, and language extensions, please click here or email us.

CREDITS

Loew Variable was designed by Jonathan Hill with assistance from Mariya V. Pigoulevskaya. Released in 2022 by The Northern Block. Website designed and developed in collaboration with on-IDLE. Copywriting by Twist Marketing.

SUPPORTED LANGUAGES
Afrikaans
Albanian
Asturian
Asu
Basque
Bemba
Bena
Bosnian
Breton
Catalan
Chiga
Colognian
Cornish
Croatian
Czech
Danish
Dutch
Embu
English
Esperanto
Estonian
Faroese
Filipino
Finnish
French
Friulian
Galician
Ganda
German
German (Switzerland)
Gusii
Hungarian
Icelandic
Igbo
Inari Sami
Indonesian
Irish
Italian
Jola-Fonyi
Kabuverdianu
Kalenjin
Kamba
Kikuyu
Kinyarwanda
Latvian
Lithuanian
Low German
Lower Sorbian
Luo
Luxembourgish
Luyia 
Machame
Makhuwa-Meetto
Makonde
Malagasy
Malay
Maltese
Manx
Maori
Meru
Morisyen
North Ndebele
Northern Sami
Norwegian Bokmål
Norwegian Nynorsk
Nyankole
Oromo
Polish
Portuguese
Quechua
Romanian
Romansh
Rombo
Rundi
Rwa
Samburu 
Sango 
Sangu
Scottish Gaelic
Sena
Serbian (Latin)
Shambala
Shona
Slovak
Slovenian
Soga
Somali
Spanish
Swahili
Swahili
(Congo–Kinshasa)
Swedish
Swiss German
Taita
Teso
Turkish
Upper Sorbian
Vietnamese
Vunjo
Walser
Welsh
Western Frisian
Yoruba
Zulu

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