Panama is a dark sanserif typeface with a big x-height, compact letterforms, and no thick/thin contrast, except for a few thin strokes in characters such as H, e, f, t, 4 – one of Panama’s many idiosyncratic details. In fact, its geometric structure is enhanced by expressive features such as the exaggerated apertures of C, S, c and s, a diamond (the same as the dot of i) in place of the middle strokes of E, F and the terminal of r as well as the missing horizontal bar in A.

Classical modernist features include pointed apexes on A, M and N, spurless n, m, u, sharp joins of bowls and stems, and diagonal terminals at the horizontal strokes of the capitals, as in E, F and the like. Finally, the wide circular o and the wide e combined with the rest of the compact letters provide a distinctive rhythm to the lowercase. The overall appearance is of a loud and sharp product of the Art Deco genre.

Courtesy TIF Tipoteca Italiana Fondazione

Courtesy Luca Lattuga

In the wood type catalogue of the Xilografia Meneghello e Belluzzo (Legnago, near Verona), Panama was available in six body sizes, from 4 to 15 lines (48–180 points) along with Suez, which is the same type design in a semi-outlined version which was released as a separate type. The company operated during the 1930s and 40s and changed names twice, perhaps because the two owners (Meneghello and Belluzzo) split up. They released several unusual modernist wood type designs, and one of their recurring features was a thin central stroke (usually oblique) in letter e – such as in Tirana.’

True to the original, the AM Panama digital revival has been fine-tuned to perform best in the digital environment. ‘Compared to the original – says the designer Giulio Galli – the proportions have been made more consistent, because some characters in the original model were far too narrow. As the original model also has some letters with an almost inverted contrast, which makes them look unbalanced, this has been optically adjusted where necessary. The aim was to maintain the monolinear look while improving the overall visual balance.’ AM Panama includes two typefaces in one: the original Suez with its distinctive outlines is accessible as a stylistic set via Opentype.