--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Lower case Ss are notoriously difficult…" description: "\"Lower case Ss are notoriously difficult to get right. But in Helvetica it's not straight - you want to go in there and tighten it up. And the 'a' looks..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f46/bruno-maag-75545_cases_lower-case-ss-are-notoriously-difficult_919099.jpg" --- # Lower case Ss are notoriously difficult to get right. But… ![“Lower case Ss are notoriously difficult to get right. But in Helvetica it's not straight - you want to go in there and tighten it up. And the 'a' looks so woolly and ill-conceived, it really winds me up.” quote by Bruno Maag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f46/bruno-maag-75545_cases_lower-case-ss-are-notoriously-difficult_919099.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f46/bruno-maag-75545_cases_lower-case-ss-are-notoriously-difficult_919099.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f46/bruno-maag-75545_cases_lower-case-ss-are-notoriously-difficult_919099.jpg) > “Lower case Ss are notoriously difficult to get right. But in Helvetica it's not straight - you want to go in there and tighten it up. And the 'a' looks so woolly and ill-conceived, it really winds me up.” [Bruno Maag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-maag/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Helvetica’s lowercase letters are hard to design; the s needs tightening and the a feels overly soft, causing frustration for designers. **In simple terms:** Helvetica’s small letters are tricky to get right. Key Takeaway Adjust letterforms for clarity and consistency. Themes design typography detail visualcommunication Mood critical analytical Type technical instructional When to use this quote - branding identity design - UI design - print layout - branding guidelines Key Concepts letterform kerning typefaces Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance typographic precision with brand personality? - When is it okay to deviate from standard letterforms? A Different Perspective Helvetica’s constraints may limit creative expression for some projects. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Case Ss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/case-ss-1407798/) [Cases](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cases/) [Difficult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult/) [Helvetica](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/helvetica/) [Helvetica Straight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/helvetica-straight-1407797/) [Ill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ill/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [Lower Case](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lower-case-1306860/) [Right Helvetica](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-helvetica-1407796/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Wind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wind/) ## Related quotes > [If you think of ice cream, it (Helvetica) is a cheap, nasty, supermarket brand made of water, substitutes and vegetable fats. 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