Fairfield® 46 Light Italic

Pierre Simon Fournier – born 15. 9. 1712 in Paris, France, died 8. 10. 1768 in Paris, France – type founder, punch cutter, type designer – known as Fournier le Jeune. Trains at the company of his father, Jean Claude Fournier. 1737: develops a typographical system of measures which F. A. Didot reworks. 1739: opens his own type foundry. 1742: publishes a book of type specimens which is printed by J. J. Barbou. In total, Fournier cuts 60,000 punches for c. 150 of his own alphabets. 1760: [...]

"Type is made to be read", he reminded, "and that implies a reader. It may usefully be asked what does that all-important but often disregarded person expect? He expects nothing but to be left in optical ease while he pursues his reading." Rudolf Ruzicka (1883–1978) was a consultant to Mergenthaler Linotype Company for 50 years. Considered a distinguished engraver in wood and metal and an accomplished and versatile artist and designer of his time, he was recommended to C. H. Griffith, [...]

Linotype previously had three design studios located around the globe: Mergenthaler Linotype, in the United States, was founded in Brooklyn, but later moved to Melville, NY, and then to Hauppauge, NY. Mergenthaler Linotype's design studio employed at varying times up to 80 designers under the direction of Chauncey H. Griffith, Jackson Burke, Mike Parker, and Matthew Carter. In continental Europe, Linotype typefaces were produced by the D. Stempel AG typefoundry in Frankfurt, Germany. [...]

Find further Font Features in our Font Feature Archive. Typographic Tip of the Month from Linotype’s Type Director Akira Kobayashi! August 2006: Use a typeface’s swash characters for design variation Many typefaces are equipped with alternate swash characters that are intended to act as a further element in a designer’s tool kit. Yet swashes – elaborate and flourished letters for decorative initials – are best situated at the beginning or end of words or [...]

Font Designer: Rudolf Ruzicka, 1939 "Writing is there to be read… The reader expects visual assistance when reading. He doesn't want to be distracted while trying to understand the thought processes within a text…", says type designer Rudolf Ruzicka. Ruzicka's Fairfield®, from 1939, was based closely on historical predecessors, but also expresses the spirit of the 30s and 40s. A departure from ornament and imitation of style and a lean towards clear simplicity was to give rise to [...]

Designer: Linotype Design Studio, 1992

Fairfield® 46 Light Italic belongs to the Fairfield® Font Family which is part of the Linotype Originals.

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