CMM Radio — Comma Type

CMM Radio is a geometric sans serif font reimagining the classic Futura typeface with legibility and inclusivity in mind.

While it is one of many modern typefaces that takes its inspiration from the iconic first Futura sketches by Paul Renner from around 1924 – radical for its time – the goal was not to make a revival. It was to be even more consistent in the geometry of its letterforms while improving Futura’s readability shortfalls. Letter constructions were reimagined, x-height raised, sharp corners slightly cut, lines made as monolinear as possible.

The result is a workhorse typeface in its own right that can carry the clean look of modernism while being a versatile tool customizable to varying design needs and adaptable to different accessibility requirements.

For example, you can choose between the standard right-angled n’s and m’s – a telltale feature of the historic sketch – or the arched stylistic set, which gives the typeface a completely new flavour without breaking the design.

You can also choose inclusive alternates, which avoid any mirrored shapes and help make a clear distinction between every single letter. This is a feature that in some ways contradicts the strictly geometric underpinnings of the typeface, and for this reason is usually not really seen in this category of fonts, expanding the geometric sans design space meaningfully.

Pipeline Stage	B
Character Set	Comma Set B
Designed	2020–2026
Released	2026
Design & Mastering	Anna Cairns
Art Direction	Anna Cairns, Flo Gaertner

Get trials

Features

Stylistic Set: Arched letterforms

Alternate a’s: Schoolbook, Double storey, Geometrical

Stylistic Set: Inclusive letterforms

Alternate j/l/t

Stylistic Set: Stylized letterforms

Alternate M

Alternate comma + quotation marks

Contextual Alternate & Stylistic Set: Alternate Asterisk (gender symbol)

Alternate g

Alternate h

Alternate y

In Use

Website for mpeg video art space in Leipzig, DE
🔗 mpeg-art.space
Design by magma design studio

Now We Stand in a Crowded Gap, wall installation, at HALLE 14 in Leipzig, DE
by Spiral Threads (Hanako Emden, Sophie Florian, Anja Kaiser) in collaboration with Lea Dippold and Nygel Panasco

Visual identity for Sonic Acts 2024 music festival
🔗 2024.sonicacts.com
Design by Anja Kaiser, Knoth & Renner

Visual identity for Kunsthalle Lübeck, DE
Design by magma design studio

Exhibition design for But live here? No thanks. Surrealism + Anti-fascism, Lenbachhaus Munich
Design by magma design studio

Website for c0da publication platform by Katrin Mayer
🔗c0da.org
Design by Anna Cairns

Website of design practice Zweifel
🔗 zweifel.jetzt

Visual identity for LWD Würzburg
🔗 @lwd_wuerzburg
Design by buero bungalow

Character set

CMM Radio is a geometric sans serif font reimagining the classic Futura typeface with legibility and inclusivity in mind.

CMM Coda is based on Dual Basic, a typeface designed in the 1960s for the IBM Selectric typewriter. It was one of the first machines where fonts could be switched via “type balls” and characters could be stored on magnetic band – thus an early analogue word-processor and important bridge technology between typewriter and computer.

Interestingly, both “typewriter” and “computer” were once terms to describe the female workforce operating the machines. Starting the late 19th century, typewriters enabled women to pursue careers such as typists, punchcard operators and telegraphists. Because women’s work used to be strongly associated with meticulousness, computing was considered well suited to women. In fact, the first people to write a computer program were women (ENIAC Five), the first software engineers in history. Thus, women have always occupied important roles in the transitioning of these technologies.

Pipeline Stage	B
Character Set	Comma Set B
Designed	2020–2026
Released	2026
Design & Mastering	Anna Cairns
Art Direction	Anna Cairns, Flo Gaertner

Get trials

Features

Stylistic Set: Arched letterforms

Alternate a’s: Schoolbook, Double storey, Geometrical

Stylistic Set: Inclusive letterforms

Alternate j/l/t

Stylistic Set: Stylized letterforms

Alternate M

Alternate comma + quotation marks

Contextual Alternate & Stylistic Set: Alternate Asterisk (gender symbol)

Alternate g

Alternate h

Alternate y

CMM Coda Mono Sans

Hamburgefonstiv

Regular Regular Italic

CMM Coda Mono Serif

Hamburgefonstiv

Regular Regular Italic

CMM Coda Proportional

Hamburgefonstiv

Regular Regular Italic

The Standard version has all Standard letter forms set as default. (Normalized letterforms included as stylistic set.)

Computational Work

The Normalized version has all Normalized letter forms set as default. (Standard letterforms included as stylistic set.)

Computational Work

In Use

Website for mpeg video art space in Leipzig, DE
🔗 mpeg-art.space
Design by magma design studio

Visual identity for Kunsthalle Lübeck, DE
Design by magma design studio

Now We Stand in a Crowded Gap, wall installation, at HALLE 14 in Leipzig, DE
by Spiral Threads (Hanako Emden, Sophie Florian, Anja Kaiser) in collaboration with Lea Dippold and Nygel Panasco

Exhibition design for But live here? No thanks. Surrealism + Anti-fascism, Lenbachhaus Munich
Design by magma design studio

Visual identity for Sonic Acts 2024 music festival
🔗 2024.sonicacts.com
Design by Anja Kaiser, Knoth & Renner

Visual identity for LWD Würzburg
🔗 @lwd_wuerzburg
Design by buero bungalow

Character set

Comma Set C

453 characters
Basic Latin + Latin-1 Supplement + Latin Extended-A + Mac Roman + Comma Type Standards

Uppercase

A Á Ă Â Ä À Ā Ą Å Ã Æ B C Ć Č Ç Ĉ Ċ D Ď Đ Ð E É Ĕ Ě Ê Ë Ė È Ē Ę F G Ğ Ĝ Ģ Ġ H Ħ Ĥ I Í Ĭ Î Ï İ Ì Ī Į Ĩ J J́ Ĵ K Ķ L Ĺ Ľ Ļ Ŀ Ł M N Ń Ň Ņ Ñ Ŋ O Ó Ŏ Ô Ö Ò Ő Ō Ø Õ Œ P Þ Q R Ŕ Ř Ŗ S Ś Š Ş Ŝ Ș ẞ T Ŧ Ť Ţ Ț U Ú Ŭ Û Ü Ù Ű Ū Ų Ů Ũ V W Ẃ Ŵ Ẅ Ẁ X Y Ý Ŷ Ÿ Ỳ Z Ź Ž Ż

Lowercase

a á ă â ä à ā ą å ã æ b c ć č ç ĉ ċ d ď đ ð e é ĕ ě ê ë ė è ē ę f ﬁ ﬂ g ğ ĝ ģ ġ h ħ ĥ i ı í ĭ î ï ì ī į ĩ j ȷ j́ ĵ k ķ ĸ l ĺ ľ ļ ŀ ł m n ń ň ņ ñ ŋ o ó ŏ ô ö ò ő ō ø õ œ p þ q r ŕ ř ŗ s ś š ş ŝ ș ß t ŧ ť ţ ț u ú ŭ û ü ù ű ū ų ů ũ v w ẃ ŵ ẅ ẁ x y ý ŷ ÿ ỳ z ź ž ż

Numbers

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 ⁄ ½ ¼ ¾ ⅛ ⅜ ⅝ ⅞ ₀ ₁ ₂ ₃ ₄ ₅ ₆ ₇ ₈ ₉ ⁰ ¹ ² ³ ⁴ ⁵ ⁶ ⁷ ⁸ ⁹

Punctuation

. , : ; … ! ¡ ? ¿ · / \ - – — _ ( ) { } [ ] ‚ „ “ ” ‘ ’ « » ‹ › " '

Symbols

@ & ¶ § © ® ™ ° | ¦ † ‡ ^ % ‰ • * # ◊ Ω π

Currency Symbols

฿ ƒ $ ¢ € ₴ ₺ ₽ ₹ ₪ £ ₩ ¥ ¤

Mathematical operators

+ − × ÷ = ≠ > < ≥ ≤ ± ≈ ~ ¬ ∞ ∫ Ω ∆ ∏ ∑ √ µ ∂

Arrows

↑ ↗ → ↘ ↓ ↙ ← ↖ ↔ ↕

Comma Set C

453 characters
Basic Latin + Latin-1 Supplement + Latin Extended-A + Mac Roman + Comma Type Standards

Uppercase

Lowercase

Numbers

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 ⁄ ½ ¼ ¾ ⅛ ⅜ ⅝ ⅞ ₀ ₁ ₂ ₃ ₄ ₅ ₆ ₇ ₈ ₉ ⁰ ¹ ² ³ ⁴ ⁵ ⁶ ⁷ ⁸ ⁹

Punctuation

. , : ; … ! ¡ ? ¿ · / \ - – — _ ( ) { } [ ] ‚ „ “ ” ‘ ’ « » ‹ › " '

Symbols

@ & ¶ § © ® ™ ° | ¦ † ‡ ^ % ‰ • * # ◊ Ω π

Currency Symbols

฿ ƒ $ ¢ € ₴ ₺ ₽ ₹ ₪ £ ₩ ¥ ¤

Mathematical operators

+ − × ÷ = ≠ > < ≥ ≤ ± ≈ ~ ¬ ∞ ∫ Ω ∆ ∏ ∑ √ µ ∂

Arrows

↑ ↗ → ↘ ↓ ↙ ← ↖ ↔ ↕

Comma Set B

216 characters
Basic Latin + Latin-1 Supplement + Mac Roman

Uppercase

A Á Â Ä À Å Ã Æ B C Ç D Ð E É Ê Ë È F G H I Í Î Ï Ì J K L M N Ñ O Ó Ô Ö Ò Ø Õ Œ P Þ Q R S ẞ T U Ú Û Ü Ù V W X Y Ý Ÿ Z

Lowercase

a á â ä à å ã æ b c ç d ð e é ê ë è f ﬁ ﬂ g h i ı í î ï ì j k l m n ñ o ó ô ö ò ø õ œ p þ q r s ß t u ú û ü ù v w x y ý ÿ z

Numbers

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 ½ ¼ ¾ ¹ ² ³

Punctuation

. , : ; … ! ¡ ? ¿ · / \ - – — _ ( ) { } [ ] ‚ „ “ ” ‘ ’ « » ‹ › " '

Symbols

Currency Symbols

$ ¢ € £ ¥ ¤

Mathematical operators

+ − × ÷ = ≠ > < ≥ ≤ ≈ ¬ µ

Comma Set B

216 characters
Basic Latin + Latin-1 Supplement + Mac Roman

Uppercase

A Á Â Ä À Å Ã Æ B C Ç D Ð E É Ê Ë È F G H I Í Î Ï Ì J K L M N Ñ O Ó Ô Ö Ò Ø Õ Œ P Þ Q R S ẞ T U Ú Û Ü Ù V W X Y Ý Ÿ Z

Lowercase

a á â ä à å ã æ b c ç d ð e é ê ë è f ﬁ ﬂ g h i ı í î ï ì j k l m n ñ o ó ô ö ò ø õ œ p þ q r s ß t u ú û ü ù v w x y ý ÿ z

Numbers

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 ½ ¼ ¾ ¹ ² ³

Punctuation

. , : ; … ! ¡ ? ¿ · / \ - – — _ ( ) { } [ ] ‚ „ “ ” ‘ ’ « » ‹ › " '

Symbols

Currency Symbols

$ ¢ € £ ¥ ¤

Mathematical operators

+ − × ÷ = ≠ > < ≥ ≤ ≈ ¬ µ

Comma Set A

116 characters
Basic Latin + Comma Standards

Uppercase

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Lowercase

a b c d e f g h i ı j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Numbers

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Punctuation

. , : ; … ! ¡ ? ¿ / \ - – — _ ( ) { } [ ] ‚ „ “ ” ‘ ’ " '

Symbols

@ & ° • * # %

Currency Symbols

$ € £

Mathematical operators

+ − =

Comma Set A

116 characters
Basic Latin + Comma Standards

Uppercase

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Lowercase

a b c d e f g h i ı j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Numbers

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Punctuation

. , : ; … ! ¡ ? ¿ / \ - – — _ ( ) { } [ ] ‚ „ “ ” ‘ ’ " '

Symbols

@ & ° • * # %

Currency Symbols

$ € £

Mathematical operators

+ − =