Dan-Air Diaries: Visual Language Development

Having explored a range of materials published by Dan-Air, I have been able to identify elements consistently used by the airline in associative printed collateral and thus have been able to form an impression of its visual language.

Typography

The airline regularly made use of bold, slab-serif typographic style in Dan-Air’s bi-annual staff newsletter, ‘Flightline.’

Though not an exact match, I found typeface Clarendon to share a great likeness to that used by the airline. A bold slab-serif typeface, originally designed in 1845 by Robert Besley of London letter foundry Thorowgood and Co. (often known as the Fann Street Foundry), it was the first typeface to be copyrighted and became hugely popular after it’s release. 

This typeface is most notably appropriate for use in the ‘Dan-Air Diaries’ publication due 

to its acclaimed heritage as a distinctly British typeface. Its use would represent the airline as a British operation, and more specifically its status as a subsidiary of Davies and Newman, a ship broking company established in London, from whose initials the airline derived its name.

Consistent Visuals

The Dan-Air word mark in almost all settings features the small plane glyph hyphenating the two words of the airline’s name. Though subtle, this visual affirms the company’s service and operation as an airline.

A common appearance across both ‘Flightline’ and ‘In Flight’ magazine is the feature of a double line in varying combinations of blue, red and white, typically interrupted by typographic information.

Colour

While a consistent colour scheme of blue, red and white is clearly evident from Dan-Air’s visual identity and associative graphics, the tones/shades featured in print vary. It is for this reason I looked to the airline’s registered logo for affirmation of used colours. 

I matched these colours to Pantone references 2736 C (Blue) and 485 C (Red).

This patriotic colour scheme is undoubtedly a symbol and celebration of the airline as a British run and founded operation. As the largest independent British airline of its time, this colour scheme is both relevant and appropriate to the production of the Dan-Air Diaries.