Metric
Klim Type Foundry · Kris Sowersby · 2011
A geometric humanist sans serif drawn from West Berlin street sign lettering, pairing monoline rationality with careful optical correction across seven weights and matching italics.
About
Metric was released in 2011 by Kris Sowersby, its design rooted in the elegant lettering he encountered on West Berlin street signs – a tradition traced to Jakob Erbar's early geometric sans. The typeface shares a structural geometry with its sibling Calibre but diverges in key letterform decisions, applying optical corrections to produce something rational without the coldness of strict geometric construction. Seven weights from Thin to Black, each with a matching italic, give it genuine range across text and display work.
Classification
Geometric humanist sans serif with monoline construction and optically corrected letterforms. Inspired by West Berlin street sign lettering, which Sowersby traces to a template derived from Jakob Erbar's Erbar typeface. Shares core geometry with Calibre but takes distinct decisions on key letterforms: Metric uses an oval 'a' bowl and severe vertical terminal cuts where Calibre applies neo-grotesque alternates drawn from Novarese's Recta. The result sits between pure geometric sans and humanist warmth.