Spectrum font is based on a design by Jan van Krimpen, who worked on his font from 1941 to 1943 for use in a Bible of the Spectrum publishing house in Utrecht. The bible project was later cancelled but the font was so beautifully formed and universal that the Monotype Corporation in London completed it. Distinctive are the reserved elegance and unmistakeable beauty of form. The italic was kept fine and is a wonderful complement to the other weights, making it perfect for emphasis in text. The form of the lower case italic g is reminiscent of van Krimpen's italic for Lutetia and Romanée. A similar font in form is the Perpetua from Eric Gill.
It displays not only similar forms to those of Spectrum, both fonts also have uniquely designed old style figures. The 7 is particularly unusual with its slanted horizontal stroke and marked bend to the left in the lower third of the form. Spectrum is an extremely legible font even in smaller point sizes and is just as suitable for headlines as for long texts.
