Herculanum is a part of the 1990 program “Type before Gutenberg”, which included the work of twelve contemporary font designers and represented styles from across the ages.

Herculanum is a work of Swiss typeface designer Adrian Frutiger. It takes its name from the city of Pompei, and ancient Roman writings of the 1st century influenced its design. Herculanum is distinguished by its broad characters with narrow strokes and its willful character.