Teylers Museum in Haarlem is the oldest museum in the Netherlands, founded in 1784 based on the legacy of Pieter Teyler van der Hulst, a banker and philanthropist with Enlightenment ideals. In his will, Teyler left provisions for the establishment of an institution to house scientific instruments, natural history collections, and art, with the goal of promoting knowledge and learning for the public good.

The museum's Oval Room, originally the primary exhibition space, was designed to reflect the intellectual values of the time. With its elliptical shape and high dome, it provided a setting for the display of objects and scholarly study. Today, it continues to house scientific instruments and geological specimens. As the museum expanded, additional galleries were built to accommodate its growing collection, but the Oval Room remains a central and historically significant feature.

For several decades, Teylers Museum has used DTL Documenta and DTL Haarlemmer for its signage and publications, including captions in the glass cases and information typeset on the walls during exhibitions. However, it is unfortunately unclear who first introduced these typefaces or how their use at the museum began.

Over the years, several studios including Bregt Balk, Gracia Lebbink and Studio Wesseling have worked on (parts of) the museum’s identity. It’s not clear which of the shown items was created by whom, except the image showing the ‘chiseled’ T, which is part of Studio Wesseling’s previous visual identity for the museum (they are also responsible for the current branding).

The NIPKE logotype, set in Nip Sans—a redrawn and revised version of Arial Narrow Bold.

NIPKE is a beer and liquor brand initiated and designed by Studio de Ronners. The name is based on the Dutch word ‘nippen’, meaning ‘sipping’. Studio de Ronners writes:

NIPKE bundles our most outrageous ideas and experiments in taste, aroma and design. We founded the brand as an outlet for anything that doesn’t fit our regular work. In close collaboration with professional partners, we develop beers and spirits of gastronomic quality. NIPKE is also an exercise in uncompromising marketing: we go against all standards in alcohol branding and packaging to create a product line with a distinctive look and feel.

NIPKE products are enjoyable and drinkable, but they are also exclusive, coming in limited and hand-numbered bottles. This exclusivity is represented by the design, which makes it clear that this is not your average drink. With its bold lettering on back-to-basic monochromes, NIPKE can be seen as a kind of anti-branding, not obviously aimed at ‘selling’ the product. The raw style shows that this product is the result of lab experiments. It’s a collector’s item. The labels as well as the packaging are sophisticated, but they also exude a DIY punk attitude that goes against the predictable norm.

As part of NIPKE’s uncompromising branding, the idea emerged to use one of the most overused typefaces, which comes free with Windows: Arial (1982) by Robin Nicholas (1947—) and Patricia Saunders (1933–2019). You might be surprised, thinking the NIPKE typeface doesn’t quite look like Arial, and you would be right!

Together with Studio de Ronners, I revised—and redrew some letters of—Arial Narrow Bold, to change it from a typeface many people are tired of seeing, to something with a bit more intrigue. I removed the calligraphic influences (the curved leg in R has been straightened), I fixed some letters (I felt the weight distribution and curves of S around its spine were awkward), and I exaggerated some features. One of the most obvious changes is the enlargement of bowls—such as in P—and the widening of circular glyphs.

As a result, Nip Sans (English: “Sip Sans”) has a much more open and polished appearance compared to Arial, as well as a slightly erratic rhythm due to the large counter spaces in circular glyphs. To better understand what I’m talking about, have a look at MD Nichrome by Rutherford Craze, which features this effect in a more exaggerated way.

Also, Nip Sans features 4 stylistic sets with which you can activate characters of different extents of exaggeration or deemphasis. With its design and optional features, Nip Sans is decidedly more playful than Arial, with a bit of a DIY punk attitude.

☞ The NIPKE brand won bronze at the European Design Awards 2020.

A comparison between Nip Sans (black) and Arial Narrow Bold (yellow).

NIPKE No. 1 (Herr Heino) features Nip Sans, Neue Helvetica Medium (Weizen + Juniper + Lagering), Gloucester Extra Condensed (Herr Heino), and Haarlemmer Medium (OLD GENEVER, 42% VOL., 500 ML).

NIPKE No. 3 (Dibbes) features Nip Sans, a horizontally compressed/distorted Times Regular (DIBBES), and a horizontally compressed/distorted Times Bold (TRIPEL BEER + JUNIPER + LEMON + CORIANDER + GENTIAN ROOT, MOUTWIJN, 39% VOL., 500 ML.). The trolley is a custom design by Remmelt Deriksen.

NIPKE No. 2 (O’ Manta) features Nip Sans, and Heroic Condensed Black Oblique (O’ MANTA & the rest of the typography). Mommeriete + NIPKE (Swampy Wood) features Nip Sans, and a horizontally compressed/distorted Times Bold (MOMMERIETE, Swampy Wood, Porter, 5.7% VOL., 33 CL), and an undistorted Times Bold (SMOKED PORTER).

The Chinese Art Book (London: Phaidon, 2013) was designed by Hans Stofregen, with cover calligraphy by Mike Mei. The entire book is typeset in DTL Haarlemmer, with Chinese text in an unidentified typeface.

From Behance:

The “Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal” (Dutch Language Institute) researches and describes the Dutch language in all its aspects, such as vocabulary and grammar. Studio de Ronners created an identity in which full name of the institute was incorporated into the logo while keeping it applicable for diverse uses. Two slashes, or virgules where used in the logo, which has both classical and contemporary associations.

From Studio de Ronners’ website:

We chose FF Schulbuch Nord for the logo. This typeface, created by a Dutch type designer has a modern look and is easily readable. DTL Haarlemmer – another Dutch design – functions as the basis for the tags.

The graphic line (marker) can be deployed horizontically as well as vertically, which is a nod to the graphic language in a dictionary. The function of the marker is to explain words, but also to indicate a hierarchy. Studio De Ronners asked for the favourite words of all of the institute’s employees and applied them to personal business cards, t-shirts and other means of communication. This way, the identity also serves as a way to express the involvement of the employees.

Apart from being designed by dutch type designers, the typefaces share an institutional / educational background, that matches well with the Dutch Language Institute. Just van Rossum's FF Schulbuch (‘school book’) is based on mid-20th-century German text books. DTL Haarlemmer is a digital revival by Frank E. Blokland of the hot metal typeface Haarlemmer, originally designed by Jan van Krimpen in 1938 as a typeface in roman and italic, for setting the texts of the “Statenbijbel” – the ‘official’ Dutch protestant bible translation.

In 2016, Penguin launched the Pocket Penguin series, featuring a selection of litterature described by publishing director Simon Winder as "a mix of the famous and the unjustly overlooked". The stripped down, three band design is classic penguin, featuring mainstay Futura and a ligature-happy Mrs Eaves (same as the earlier Penguin Little Black Classics). Colors are based on language of the original. Deep red is Russian, purple Latin and so on.

The website of the series is equally stylish, using DTL Haarlemmer for the free excerpts.

Design Notes is a booklet from Michael Russem, printed for the friends of Kat Ran Press, documenting his collection of coins and banknotes designed by type designers and notable graphic designers.

The Teylers Museum in Haarlem is first and oldest museum in the Netherlands. Teylers was founded in the eighteenth century. Since a couple of years DTL Haarlemmer is the corporate identity typeface of the museum.

Since 2010 new street signs are placed in the city of Haarlem for which DTL Haarlemmer is used. The design agency Bureau Arjan Karssen selected the seriffed version for the street signs in the historic city centre, and the accompanying sans serif is used on two different signs for the pre- and post World War ii parts of the city.

The new designs are an attempt to halt the proliferation of street sign variants in Haarlem.