About more alphabets

Meer over het boek

In the Foreword, Robert Bringhurst emphasizes that letterforms are often taken for granted, likening them to everyday objects like door knobs. This book aims to shed light on a neglected topic by focusing on the letterforms designed by Hermann Zapf, a pivotal figure in typography and calligraphy for over seventy years. Renowned for his beautiful and recognizable typefaces, Zapf's contributions have significantly shaped the world of design. This volume serves as a companion to the earlier Typophile Chapbook, detailing Zapf's post-1970 type designs and offering fresh insights into his earlier works. Typographer and calligrapher Jerry Kelly explores the origins and histories of several Zapf typefaces, including Marconi, ITC Zapf International, Linotype Zapfino, and Zapf Civilité, while also providing new information on the Palatino nova and Optima nova families. The book is richly illustrated with type specimens and drawings, many previously unpublished, showcasing Zapf's sketches, comparisons of different types, and even typefaces that were never issued. Other notable types discussed include Hallmark Textura, AMS Euler fraktur bold, and Zapf Renaissance italic swash. Bringhurst praises Zapf as one of history's greatest two-dimensional architects, stating, "Hermann Zapf has made letters so subtle, so lovely they bring tears to knowledgeable eyes."