Howard Kettler

Howard Kettler (born 1919, died 1999) designed Courier in 1955 for IBM.
Everyone recognizes it as the face originally designed for use on typewriters. A typical characteristic of older typewriters is that all characters are given the same amount of space regardless of their width. Hence, an i receives just as much room as an m, even though it is much thinner. This principle defined the look of Courier font. A line in this typeface has “holes” in what would otherwise be a homogenous look. Due to its origins, Courier is often associated with office and telegram-like text, as well as “top secret” or government-classified documents!

Typewriters have all but disappeared from the office and the practical need for such a typeface with them. Nevertheless, the attractive imperfections of Courier have long been appreciated for their usefulness in design applications. It is therefore often seen in advertisements, especially when the subject deals with messages, telegrams, etc.

Linotype offers Courier font in two different versions. First is Courier by Linotype, which is available in Regular and Bold weights, each with obliques. Courier by Linotype’s terminals are rounded. The second version, called simply Courier comes in the following weights: Regular, Medium, and Bold, with optional oblique, Central European, and Cyrillic companions. Courier’s terminals are flat.