The first drawings of FF Eureka date from 1995 when it was designed for the bilingual text “Transparency”. The typeface works particularly well with languages that commonly use accented characters. Because most contemporary Latin typefaces have large x-heights, little room is left to accommodate the accents which end up being small and tightly wedged in place. In many languages however, the accents are an integral part of the alphabet and shouldn’t be reduced in size or prominence. In order to maintain a proper rhythm in the text, Biľak was required to adjust the typeface’s proportions. The the ascenders and descenders extend generously to accommodate accents and punctuation, also giving the typeface its distinctive feel. Its large serifs take the pressure off and visually balance the larger accents. FF Eureka’s overall compactness results in an economical typeface and allow the letters to be spaced more loosely. This is key, as Biľak notes: “it is the white space that we unconsciously read, not the actual letterforms. Looser spacing helps to avoid the typographic noise inside a text, and retains the individuality of the letters.” In 1997, FF Eureka was recognized at the National Design Award competition organized by the Slovak Design Center. At the 19th International Biennale of Graphic Design during the year 2000 in Brno, Czech Republic, FF Eureka received the judges’ award Best Design in the Category of Type. The typeface was later expanded to into a large type system, including FF Eureka Sans, and a monospaced variant designed for correspondence and on-screen reading and editing.
