MX: A few years back, we wanted to use it again, but we were not happy with the available versions, there were missing glyphs and it didn’t look sharp on screens. PT: And from there, why did you decide to create OCR-X? Graphic designers appreciate its versatility and immediate recognisability, which are positive attributes for a typeface. Even today, supermarkets and department stores use it in their signage for promotions. It conveyed a sense of technology, fun, and old-fashioned charm simultaneously. At that time, it really felt like school was taking the fun away.ĮUSTD: I also remember microcomputer shops in the ’90s and ’00s using it for their storefronts. When I began studying graphic design, using it in school became normal, but my modernist teachers pushed me to transition to more reputable Swiss sans-serifs. I can even say it was my first *favourite font*, and I later started using it for flyers and bootleg CD covers. MX: As teenagers in the late ’90s and early ’00s, while scrolling through the Font Book on our first PC, we were struck by the powerful letters of OCR-A. PT: How did you first come across OCR-A? What about it stood out to you? Along with detailed insights into the design process, they discuss the development of the typeface’s new selection of weights and the versatility they provide.
Here, we chat to Europe-based design studios Eurostandard and Maximage who share their initial encounter with the typeface, and what motivated them to create their own interpretation under the collaborative type foundry Maxitype.
Over time, it became synonymous with the aesthetics of coding and gained a dedicated following among designers. Originally designed by American Type Founders Co., OCR-A was developed during the early era of computer optical character readers with the goal of ensuring legibility for both humans and computers. In this interview, we delve into the origin and creation of OCR-X, a monospaced typeface that pays homage to the iconic OCR-A.
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