Typography

Our corporate typeface is timeless classic Neue Helvetica. Distinctive and modern yet clear and highly legible, it gives our communications a fresh, consistent look.

• We use a range of Neue Helvetica weights for print and digital applications developed by design professionals.

• Our aim is to create designs that are dynamic and full of contrast. Therefore we usually pair light with bold weights. Roman can also be used in situations where the light weight creates accessibility problems i.e. online.

• Neue Helvetica light or thin italic can be applied at larger sizes to capture the idea of progress and forward movement.

• Neue Helvetica is not mandatory for communications created by Bayer employees, e.g. emails. Exceptions: when to use Arial

• Neue Helvetica is available in a large range of weights and styles. Only use the weights listed below.

The corporate typeface Neue Helvetica

How to use the Neue Helvetica family

• No specific text sizing rules apply. Use text sizes appropriate for the application and format that suits your design requirements.

• Body text is usually colored in dark blue. However, for text-heavy documents such as contracts, legal documents, terms & conditions, etc. text can also be black.

• Alignment: preferably flush left, semi-ragged setting for body copy (use a more flexible approach for hero headlines).

• Use any of our 12 palette colors for headlines, ensuring good contrast for legibility. There’s no need to use all the colors. Try to establish some consistency – e.g. use the same color for headlines that are the same size.

• Headlines can also use the body text color, if desired.

• Use any of the 12 colors for short introductory paragraphs, ensuring they are legible.

Hero headlines

• Professionally designed items can use hero headlines at larger sizes.

• Hero headlines usually combine italic and non-italic words or short sentences.

• The non italic words are always set using Neue Helvetica 75 Bold. The italic words are usually set in Neue Helvetica 36 Thin Italic depending on standout and legibility.

• The sentence elements can be split over several lines or be on one line.

• Hero headlines usually use sentence case without full stops (Examples 1, 2, 3). The exception is when combining two statements together, then they end with a full stop (4).

• First (2, 3) or second sentence part (1, 4) can be heroed (as long as the emotive/dominant element is emphasized).

• Alignment options: staggered design (1, 3, 4) or alternatively on one baseline (2).

• Color: usually two different colors are combined (white can also be used).

• Sizing: two text sizes should be used (no more, no less).

• Length: avoid more than 3 lines/steps (1).

Exceptions: when to use Arial

• For Microsoft® Office® applications, such as PowerPoint® or Word® and other on-screen applications the system font Arial is used in place of Neue Helvetica.

• This also applies to e-learning programs and e-books that run on PCs.

• System fonts are installed on most PCs and Macs, which ensures all users can view these fonts (this rule especially applies to emails.)

• Arial can be used in Regular, Italic, Bold and Bold Italic. Arial Bold is used for headings and subheadings and Arial Regular for body text.

• These typefaces should never be used on materials designed exclusively for print and are used only in Microsoft Office and email applications.

The system font Arial

Color dos and don’ts

• On dark backgrounds apply the bright colors to achieve the necessary contrast.

• Feature headings or large titles can use both the dark and bright parts of the color palette.

Always pick color combinations that create enough contrast and ensure that text is clearly legible. The following examples show combinations you can use and ones to avoid.

How it looks in practice