Now is a great time to get reacquianted with the best Linotype faces from the last 10 years; reaquaint is certainly the best word, as you’ve already gotten to know these designs in your visual enviroment for some time.
Since the late 1990s, Linotype has brought new typefaces onto the market that have changed the way the world communicates. Many of our fonts are found on computers in all parts of the globe, and a few have even become household names – at least among graphic
[...]Linotype’s Platinum Collection typefaces – Value Packs for the fonts now available
The Platinum Collection is an exclusive series of optimized classic typefaces in the Linotype Library. In close collaboration with world-famous type designers, Linotype has produced reworked, expanded typeface families that are both technologically and aesthetically up to date. These new typeface families have fine, harmonious weights; some have new italic weights and often come complete with Small Caps
[...]Biography of Akira Kobayashi:
Studied at the Musashino Art University in Tokyo, and later followed this up with a calligraphy course at the London College of Printing. Freelance type designer since 1997.
Professional experience
April 1983–March 1989
Sha-ken Co. Ltd, Japan Typeface design department
December 1990–June 1993
Jiyu-kobo Ltd, Japan
September 1993–March 1997
TypeBank Co. Ltd, Japan
March 1997–April 2001
Freelance type designer
April 1998–April
[...]German designer Hermann Zapf created the following fonts:
Aldus® (1954), Aldus Nova (2005), Aurelia™ (1983), Comenius® Antiqua BQ (1976), Edison™ (1978), Kompakt™ (1954), Marconi® (1976), Medici® Script (1971), Melior® (1952), Noris Script® (1976), Optima® (1958), Optima nova (2002), Orion™ (1974), Palatino™® (1950), Palatino nova (2005), Palatino™ Sans (2006), Saphir™ (1953), Sistina® (1950), Vario™ (1982), Venture™ (1969), Virtuosa® Classic (2009),
[...]Sketches for Optima® were first done on a 1000 Lire banknote in 1950. Not having any paper to make sketches of inscriptions in Santa Croce in florence, Hermann Zapf used a banknote. In 1952 the first drawings were finished after careful legibility tests for a typeface. The type was cut by the famous punchcutter August Rosenberger at the D. Stempel AG typefoundry in Frankfurt and produced also in matrices for the Linotype typesetting machines. Unfortunately no real Italic was manufactured,
[...]The Palatino alphabet was designed after many careful studies together with the punchcutter August Rosenberger. Even such small details as the serifs were carefully scrutinized. In 1948 tests in offset printing were made, especially in connection with the weight of the serifs. You see how important such serifs are.
The type Palatino is named after the Italian writing master of the 16th century Giambattista Palatino. I hope he will forgive me once a day in heaven and give me his blessing in
[...]Japanese designer Akira Kobayashi is Type Director at Linotype. Since joining Linotype, he has been responsible for the futher development of classic typefaces like Avenir, Optima, and Zapfino. He has created numerous typefaces of his own, many of which have received prizes from all across the typographic spectrum.
ITC Luna
Akira Kobayashi turned to the designs of the 1930s for his inspiration for both ITC Luna and ITC Silvermoon. "Luna is designed to fill the gap between a pure Art Deco
[...]Orion™
Hermann Zapf made his first scetches for Orion in 1963. Zapf's aim was to create a neutral textface which can be ideally used as a newspaper face. Its strokethickness and open letterforms also fits well for book and magazine production. The final two weights of Orion were released in 1974 for the Linofilm photocomposing machine.
Optima™
Optima was designed by Hermann Zapf and is his most successful typeface. In 1950, Zapf made his first sketches while visiting the Santa Croce
[...]Find further Font Features in our Font Feature Archive.
Typographic Tip of the Month from Linotype’s Type Director Akira Kobayashi!
December 2006: Use your font’s correct small caps, or do not use small caps at all!
Used in typography for centuries, small caps are shorter capital letters that may either be mixed with upper and lowercase text, or used alone. A great tool for emphasizing bits of text, they can help create a sophisticated hierarchy of information.
[...]Optima®, designed by Hermann Zapf, combines the clarity of Modern Face with the objectivity of sans-serif typefaces. He was influenced by the stone inlay alphabets of Roman Antiquity as well as typefaces of the early Renaissance. The clear, elegant characters of Optima can often be seen in advertisements, especially for cosmetics.
Font Designer: Hermann Zapf, 1958
Optima®, designed by Hermann Zapf, combines the clarity of Modern Face with the objectivity of sans-serif typefaces. He was influenced by the stone inlay alphabets of Roman Antiquity as well as typefaces of the early Renaissance. The clear, elegant characters of Optima can often be seen in advertisements, especially for cosmetics.
Platinum Collection Fonts
Optima™ was designed by Hermann Zapf and is his most successful typeface. In 1950, Zapf made his first scetches while visiting the Santa Croce church in Florence. He sketched letters from grave plates that had been cut about 1530, and as he had no other paper with him at the time, the sketches were done on two 1000 lire bank notes. These letters from the floor of the church inspired Optima, a typeface that is classically roman in proportion and character, but without serifs. The letterforms were designed in the proportions of the Golden Ratio. In 1952, after careful legibility testing, the first drawings were finished.
The type was cut by the famous punchcutter August Rosenberger at the D. Stempel AG typefoundry in Frankfurt. Optima was produced in matrices for the Linotype typesetting machines and released in 1958. With the clear, simple elegance of its sans serif forms and the warmly human touches of its tapering stems, this family has proved popular around the world. In 2002, when it was finally possible to produce digital alphabets without technical limitations and compromises, and more than 50 years after the first sketches, an expansion and redesign of the Optima family was completed and released as Optima nova.
Hermann Zapf and Japanese type designer Akira Kobayashi collaborated on the project, which included re-working of the existing weights and the addition of several new weights for a total of 40 fonts. Small caps, Old style Figures, light, heavy, and condensed fonts have been added.
The original Optima was never manufactured with a real italic, only an oblique version of the roman. Optima™ nova has a complete range of beautifully designed real italics; the
new italic forms , of the e, f and g are especially notable.
The titling face includes capital letters with special and unusual letter combinations and ligatures, making it an excellent choice for headlines, logos and advertising purposes. Optima continues to be an all-purpose typeface; and Optima nova works for just about anything from
book text to signage.
