Swiss-Modernist Variable Sans Serif
Rooted in the legacy of Olympic typography, Oly reimagines the universal sans for a new era—combining precision-crafted letterforms with dynamic, interactive icons.
Oly is a modern, forward-thinking interpretation of the neo-grotesque, versatile enough for both body text and headlines. Designed for optimal readability, it features a high x-height and open apertures, ensuring clarity across print and digital applications at all sizes.
Its clean lines and mechanical construction provide a rational structure with a strong emphasis on functionality. Subtle stroke contrast becomes more pronounced at heavier weights, where Oly takes on a wider footprint and greater presence.
The typeface draws inspiration from the typographic design of Olympic identities, notably Munich ’72, Montreal ’76, and Sarajevo ’84, which embraced minimalist, grid-based Swiss modernism, often defined by Univers and Helvetica.
Oly is primarily influenced by Univers 55 but integrates select characteristics from Helvetica Light—most notably the double-story ‘a’ with a distinctive tail, which is echoed in the lowercase ‘l,’ ‘f,’ and ‘t.’ Mechanical rounded corners carry through to the punctuation for visual consistency.
Additional defining features include uppercase and lowercase ‘k’ with a T-junction structure instead of merging at the stem, a ‘G’ with a pronounced spur for stability, and a ‘y’ with a curved tail rather than a straight terminal. A selection of stylistic sets further adds versatility, offering variations from classic and approachable to a more digital aesthetic.
A Typeface That Moves
Oly goes beyond traditional type design by introducing dynamic, animated icons—a first-of-its-kind feature in a font. Using variable font technology, icons don’t just change weight; they fluidly transition between states, making them ideal for interactive applications, UX design, and motion graphics.
These icons are seamlessly accessible through simple keyboard input, ensuring effortless integration without relying on external assets. This innovation redefines what a typeface can do—blurring the lines between typography and interaction.
Oly v2 features improved outlines, spacing, and hinting, making it even more robust and usable at all sizes, in print and on screen.
Mikola lives on inside Oly v2, offering the best of both worlds: the default character set is optimized for clarity and versatility; alternates bring back Mikola’s expressive cuts for wordmarks, headlines, and moments of impact.
If you’ve used Oly before
Oly v2 features refined outlines, improved spacing, and better hinting. The spacing changes may cause minor shifts in previously set copy. All existing alternates remain unchanged. The only addition is the inclusion of Mikola glyphs, available as stylistic alternates.
If you’ve used Mikola
Mikola has been retired and will no longer receive updates. But it lives on inside Oly v2, its distinctive characters are now available as alternates, within a more refined and flexible system.
If you’re new to both
Oly v2 is a versatile sans serif: crisp, legible, and ready for heavy lifting. But it also includes a wide range of alternates—perfect for display, wordmarks, or when you need a little more personality. One font, multiple voices.
One license. Every style. All media.
From $50.
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Toolbar Key
- Click
- Rollover
- Edit Text
- Adjust Axes
- Size/Columns
- Swipe
Overview
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7 Static Styles
Overview
7 Static Styles
Anatomy
Anatomy
Full Width Tester
Ligatures
Ligatures
Click Buy and choose Student License from the Company Size dropdown. For non-commercial student projects only.
Alternates
Alts index
ss01 a :single-story
ss02 y : curved
ss03 y : normal
ss04 y : straight tail
ss05 a g y : tech
ss06 G : tech
ss07 K k
ss08 Q
ss09 R®
ss10 ® big
ss11 ™ big
ss12 comma semi-colon quotes
ss13-20 Mikola
Alternates
Dynamic Icons
Icon Index
01 //bt 02 //cart 03 //cell 04 //charge 05 //date 06 //eye 07 //globe 08 //lock 09 //love 10 //matter 11 //pin 12 //print 13 //refresh 14 //save 15 //search 16 //signal 17 //sleep 18 //slider 19 //smile 20 //speed 21 //switch 22 //sync 23 //trash 24 //wifi 25 //down 26 //left 27 //leftright 28 //ne 29 //nw 30 //right 31 //se 32 //sw 33 //up 34 //updown
Sample Texts
Interactive Glyphs
Oly goes beyond traditional type design by introducing dynamic, animated icons—a first-of-its-kind feature in a font. Using variable font technology, icons don’t just change weight; they fluidly transition between states, making them ideal for interactive applications, UX design, and motion graphics.
These icons are seamlessly accessible through simple keyboard input, ensuring effortless integration without relying on external assets. This innovation redefines what a typeface can do—blurring the lines between typography and interaction.
Click Bounce
💤
🖨
Click On/Off
🔎
🔒
⏽
Click Bounce
💤
🖨
Click On/Off
🔎
🔒
⏽
Easy Access
Cursor Follow
Hover
😊
Easy Access
Sample Texts
Icon Index
Waterfall Tester
Paragraph Tester
Figures
Circled
Circled Solid
Fractions
Tabular Lining
Figures
Fractions
Circled
Solid
Arrows
Symbols
Static Styles [17]
Language Support
& Glyph Set
Je parle Français…
Afrikaans, Albanian, Asu, Basque, Bemba, Bena, Breton, Catalan, Chiga, Colognian, Cornish, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Faroese, Filipino, Finnish, French, Friulian, Galician, German, Gusii, Hungarian, Indonesian, Irish, Italian, Kabuverdianu, Kalenjin, Kinyarwanda, Latvian, Lithuanian, Lower Sorbian, Luo, Luxembourgish, Luyia, Machame, Makhuwa-Meetto, Makonde, Malagasy, Manx, Morisyen, North Ndebele, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian, Nynorsk Nyankole, Oromo, Polish, Portuguese, Quechua, Romansh, Rombo, Rundi, Rwa, Samburu, Sango, Sangu, Scottish Gaelic, Sena, Serbian, Shambala, Shona, Slovak, Soga, Somali, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish, Swiss German, Taita, Teso, Upper Sorbian, Uzbek (Latin), Volapük, Vunjo, Welsh, Western Frisian, Zulu
Language Support
Afrikaans, Albanian, Asu, Basque, Bemba, Bena, Breton, Catalan, Chiga, Colognian, Cornish, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Faroese, Filipino, Finnish, French, Friulian, Galician, German, Gusii, Hungarian, Indonesian, Irish, Italian, Kabuverdianu, Kalenjin, Kinyarwanda, Latvian, Lithuanian, Lower Sorbian, Luo, Luxembourgish, Luyia, Machame, Makhuwa-Meetto, Makonde, Malagasy, Manx, Morisyen, North Ndebele, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian, Nynorsk Nyankole, Oromo, Polish, Portuguese, Quechua, Romansh, Rombo, Rundi, Rwa, Samburu, Sango, Sangu, Scottish Gaelic, Sena, Serbian, Shambala, Shona, Slovak, Soga, Somali, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish, Swiss German, Taita, Teso, Upper Sorbian, Uzbek (Latin), Volapük, Vunjo, Welsh, Western Frisian, Zulu
Demo & Specimen
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Variable & static file formats for all media come as one package starting at just $50
Bespoke Services
If you love Oly and feel that some customization will make it even more perfect for you, your project or client's needs get in touch we'd love to discuss it with you. ♥
• Custom Icons
• Re-naming
• Alternates Configuration
• Glyph Set & Language Extension
• Font Customization
Reference
Oly draws inspiration from the typographic design of Olympic identities, notably Munich ’72, Montreal ’76, and Sarajevo ’84, which embraced minimalist, grid-based Swiss modernism. Oly is primarily influenced by Univers 55 but integrates select characteristics from Helvetica Light
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