Akzidenz-Grotesk

The Akzidenz-Grotesk, formerly Accidenz -Grotesk, short AG, is a sans-serif font, which was published in 1896 by the H. Berthold AG. It is considered a milestone in the type design. Many typefaces such as Helvetica were influenced by it.

  • 2.1 Helvetica
  • 2.2 Folio
  • 2.3 Super Grotesk
  • 2.4 Theinhardt

History

Today's Akzidenz-Grotesk goes back to a series of unconnected originally typefaces. Around 1880, designed by the German typographer Ferdinand Theinhardt ( 1820-1909 ) for the publications of the Royal Prussian Academy of Sciences in Berlin four sections of a sans serif, the Royal Grotesk. 1908 by Hermann Berthold Thein Hard Czech foundry and integrated the now very popular in his Royal Akzidenz-Grotesk font family under the name AG skimmed. Günter Gerhard Lange, who later became foster father of Akzidenz-Grotesk, refers to sources, after their normal section 1899, Bauer & Co. in Stuttgart, a short time later also ripe for takeover of H. Berthold AG. This presented itself a short time before a Accidenz -Grotesk in a display before.

An enhanced version of the history is represented by the typographer Erik Spiekermann. It assumes that the Akzidenz Grotesk typefaces were also incorporated which originate from the Imperial and Royal Court foundry Poppelbaum Vienna, which was bought in 1926 or 1927, 50 % of the H. Berthold AG and D. Stempel AG.

Generally, it must be considered when Akzidenz Grotesk that the H. Berthold AG repeatedly bought shares in other font foundries, or has completely taken over. Consequently, there is the possibility that individual typefaces or even single type forms of sans serif fonts of the acquired holdings are taken and the Akzidenz Grotesk, therefore, rather than condensate from the works of many anonymous retarded (Central ) European typographers and font foundry is to be understood as the brilliant opus of an individual. To print this comes the fact that many stylistic inconsistencies are perceptible between all the styles of today's Akzidenz Grotesk.

The Akzidenz-Grotesk was designed as a display typeface, since this type of typeface for the then increasingly important print was increasingly in demand.

Marketing and sales - unresolved succession

The original Akzidenz-Grotesk in 1902 released by the H. Berthold AG, founded in 1858, which in 1900 was the leading type foundry in Germany. She was in development quite groundbreaking, but lost in the 1980s and reported their lead to bankruptcy in 1993. Since then, the writings of different providers are marketed.

The Chicago Berthold Types Ltd. , One of those companies that claimed the copy rights to the writings of H. Berthold AG, took over the distribution of the digital font library from Berthold and has released several new typefaces under the direction of Günter Gerhard Lange, although in 1990 pension is gone, but until his death in 2008 worked as an artistic consultant. This company expanded the Akzidenz-Grotesk to Greek and Cyrillic. Also a variant was released under the name of former Royal Grotesk, which includes four typefaces.

From 2008 Linotype began the Berthold fonts for sale in the webshop.

1) Klingspor Museum, H. Berthold AG 2) Berthold Types call 1961 Berthold pattern index according to DIN 16507 1963, however

Influence

Designers subsequent sans serif models often related to already known forms of writing.

Helvetica

So the Akzidenz-Grotesk is regarded as those writing, of the Max Miedinger let inspiration when designing the new Haas Grotesk, which was later renamed Helvetica. The Akzidenz-Grotesk and Helvetica are very similar. Differences are found for example in the characters a, c, C, G, J, R, Q, ?, 2 and 7 Furthermore, the x-height of Helvetica greater.

Folio

Coinciding with the Helvetica came the folio on the market. It shall also affected as of the Akzidenz-Grotesk, but was only slightly successful.

Super Grotesk

In the GDR was mainly a similar font, the Super Grotesk used. This was because only the briefs Schriftguß KG / VEB Typoart were on the territory of the GDR initially present, which led to only the Super Grotesk in its program.

Theinhardt

The Swiss company Optimo 2009 brought out a grotesque under the name Theinhardt, which was designed by François Rappo and Akzidenz-Grotesk is very similar. It is used by the New York Times Magazine as a display font.

Classification of Scripture

  • According to DIN 16518 to categorize the Akzidenz-Grotesk in the Group VI - Sans serif linear antiqua
  • Hans Peter Willenberg would classify them in his classification matrix as static Grotesque

Use the font (examples)

  • For the campaign of Nicolas Sarkozy in the French presidential election in 2012, the slogan LA FRANCE FORTE in Akzidenz-Grotesk was set.
  • Designed by Massimo Vignelli control system of the New York subway took the Akzidenz-Grotesk.
  • The journal Technology Review MIT used Akzidenz-Grotesk than sans serif for title page, captions, table of contents and info boxes.
  • Since 2013, Saab Automobile uses the font.
  • The retail chain Spar uses the font for the imaged side of the labels of its premium brand SPAR Premium.
  • The American Red Cross uses the Akzidenz-Grotesk in combination with the serif font Georgia.
  • The Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists & Democrats in the European Parliament using the Akzidenz-Grotesk for their logo.
  • Examples of the use of Akzidenz-Grotesk

The control system of the New York metro -based from 1967 to 1979 on the Akzidenz-Grotesk

For the cosmetics company L' Oréal logo, Akzidenz Grotesk was slightly modified.

Former logo of the Credit Suisse set in Akzidenz-Grotesk, 1997-2006

The Akzidenz-Grotesk was the basis for the logo of the French Areva Group

25 anniversary of the GDR. In the background the motto in Akzidenz-Grotesk is set

Sarkozy in the election campaign. The slogan " La France Forte " is set in Akzidenz-Grotesk

RECARO Logo

Logo of the American Red Cross

Lettering of the Austrian Football League set in Akzidenz Grotesk

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