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Typography in Severance
Typography plays an important role in establishing the visual look of a piece of art, and Severance is no exception. This page is an overview of significant instances of typographic design and font use throughout Severance, with additional information about the typefaces and where to obtain them.
Table of Contents
Manifold Extended CF
Manifold Extended is a type family designed by Connary Fagan (Website). It is an extended (wide) typeface heavily inspired by Aldo Novarese's Microgramma, a typeface designed in 1952 and commonly found in technical drawings, corporate styleguides, and science fiction throughout the mid-to-late 20th century.
Manifold Extended sees extensive use throughout Severance as the Lumon Industries corporate typeface, appearing not only in the company's logo (modified to use a droplet of water as the counter of the “O”), but also in numerous locations throughout the company's headquarters in Kier, PE.
Notable Examples
| Appearance | Images |
|---|---|
| The Lumon Industries logo |  |
| Room signage throughout Lumon HQ |  |
| Wax figure name plaques |  |
Source
Alternatives
Forma DJR
Forma DJR is a modern revival of Aldo Novarese's Forma, and is designed by David Jonathan Ross and Roger Black. It is a neo-grotesque (also known as “International” or “Swiss” style) typeface, characterized by their irregular proportions, regular cap and ascender heights, and their somewhat “default” appearance. It shares much in common with similar typefaces such as Helvetica and Univers, but gives the style a softer, friendlier feel.
Forma DJR appears extensively throughout Severance as part of Lumon Industries' house style, visible in the apology notes given to outies when they sustain an injury while on the SVR'D floor, and also in the operational handbooks found in the waking chamber and the security office.
Notable Examples
| Appearance | Images |
|---|---|
| Apology Note |  |
| Security Quick Start Guide |  |
| Senior Refiner Checklist |  |
Source
Alternatives
Optima
Optima is a sans-serif typeface designed by Hermann Zapf in 1958. It features a humanist style, meaning it has varying stroke widths and that it recreates aspects of traditional type forms made by human hands (handwriting, stone carving, etc).
In Severance, Optima appears on the spines of the Compliance Handbook volumes kept beneath the Kier Eagan portrait in the Macrodata Refinement department.
Notable Examples
| Appearance | Images |
|---|---|
| Compliance Handbook Spines |   |
Source
Alternatives
Input Sans
Input Sans is a technical typeface designed by David Jonathan Ross as part of a family of typefaces, most useful for displaying data and code on computer screens.
In Severance, Input Sans is used for the text of the Compunction Statement, seen during Helly R.'s visit to the Break Room.
Notable Examples
| Appearance | Images |
|---|---|
| Compunction Statement |  |
 |
Source
Alternatives
Scriptorama Tradeshow JF
Scriptorama Tradeshow JF is a font designed by Jason Walcott (Website). Scriptorama Tradeshow is a flowing brush script font that lends a warm and engaging look to any design. This Jukebox original celebrates the sign lettering of the 1950s and 1960s.
The font is used on one prop only: the “Lumon Recycles” recycling bin located in the orientation room antechamber, shown in Good News About Hell. Irving can be seen tossing a paper cup from the watercolor into the bin prior to assisting with Helly’s orientation.
Notable Examples
| Appearance | Images |
|---|---|
| “Lumon Recycles” bin |  |