How to spot the Rotis font in the wild
A field guide
Start with the lowercase 'e'
This is the font's most recognisable letter.
I always think that the letter 'e' looks really happy because of how small the 'eye' is compared to most fonts.
Check out how it compares to a popular font like Helvetica.
Helvetica
Rotis Sans
The letter 'e' also has a huge 'aperture'; the negative space it's open section.
Helvetica
Rotis Sans
Check the stroke thickness
The difference in stroke widths is more pronounced in Rotis compared to other common sans serif fonts.
This is especially visible in the Rotis Semi Sans sub-family.
Helvetica
Rotis Semi Sans
Note that there are 4 sub-families
Rotis doesn't have just one look. It has 4 variations all on a common theme.
Rotis Sans
This is the most common form. Note the smaller variations in stroke thickness within each letterform.
Rotis Semi Sans
Note the very thin cross bar on the 'e' and the more pronounced differences in stroke thickness.
Rotis Semi Serif
Note the addition of 'head serifs' and thinner 'finials'.
Rotis Serif
Note the addition of 'foot serifs' and the more rounded 'teardrop terminals'.