Hermann Zapf

Introduction| About Fonts|Fonts 1| Fonts 2| Fonts 3|Fonts 4|Fonts 5| Examples Used

Born on November 8th 1918 in Nuremberg Germany
Calligrapher, Professor, Book and type designer

1918 to 1919 the Spanish flew spread through out Europe and at the end Zapf lost two of his siblings to it.

Taught himself how to do calligraphy by using Rudolf Koch and Edward Johnson’s writing manuals.

1934- Joined Karl Ulrich a company-printing firm as an apprentice by retouching photographs and later type.

1938- Joined Paul Koch company “Werkstatt Hauszum” in Frankfurt: Learned how to do punch cutting and other printing techniques.  He also helps print Songbooks.
           
Allowed him to get contact with D. Stempel AG Type foundry and Linotype GmbH, which he created fonts for them.

Later became an artist director for Stempel Ag Type foundry.

April 1, 1939- WWII caused him to join the arm.

• Soldier in the Siegfried line against France
• Turned ill which caused him to work in the Armies Office (Camp records and certifications)
• Got sent to Juterbog to be trained as a Cartographer
• In Bordeaux he drew secrets maps of Spain and railway network
• At end of the war he became a prisoner of the war to France

1948-1950- Calligraphy Lessons

• Arts and crafts School in Offenbach now the School of design

1951 met and married his wife Gudron Van Hesse.

• Gudron Van Hesse also worked with type and bookbinding.

1960’s to 1970’s he was a freelance graphic designer.

• Book designer for several publishing houses.

1977 to 1986 he was a professor for the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York.

• Taught typographic Computer Programming