Dattilo
Reber R41 · Aldo Novarese · 1972
Aldo Novarese's 1972 typewriter-inflected geometric slab, originally issued by Nebiolo in three weights, now digitised by Reber R41 across a full seven-weight family with italics.
About
Designed in 1972 and publicised through an Armando Testa advertising campaign, Dattilo reinterprets the classic typewriter aesthetic as a contemporary geometric slab: hairline strokes with no contrast, a raised x-height, and a distinctly sober character. Nebiolo originally released it in three weights before Reber acquired exclusive production rights in 1973. Fifty years on, Reber R41 has digitised the family in all originally intended weights, from Extra Light to Heavy, each with a matching italic.
Classification
Novarese described Dattilo as a contemporary reinterpretation of the typewriter aesthetic within the Egyptian/slab serif tradition, characterised by hairline-thin strokes with no contrast and a raised x-height for compactness. The geometric, monolinear slab construction places it firmly in the geometric slab category.