Hermann Zapf - Typography Superstar

Hermann Zapf

Hermann Zapf was a German typeface designer who was born in 1918. He was married to Gudrun Zapf von Hesse, who was also a type designer and calligrapher. Zapf designed over 200 typefaces in his life time. Matthew Carter, another Typography super star, said in a New York Times article that "Mr. Zapf’s genius lay in his solutions to the central problem that type designers, like industrial designers, face: expressing creativity while being circumscribed by practicality." 

Zapf's "Saphir" type.

I chose Zapf's "Saphir" (Saphire in English speaking countries) because it caught my eye as the most decorative among his designs. It was released in 1953 and is a bold, all caps font with diamonds, and tear drop shapes adorning the center of each letter. According to Linotype.com, the decoration is based on leaf forms and is reminiscent of Fournier's type from the 18th century. 

"Fournier le Jeune" which translates to "Fournier the Young" 

type from the 18th Century for comparison.

I like Saphir because it looks old and whimsical. The "K" is absolutely beautiful! It seems to be very different than the bulk of Zapf's work which includes mostly clean, classic fonts with little decoration. 

Below are a few ways Saphir has been used in packaging and print materials. 

Ginger Baker's Air Force Vinyl Record Cover

Hawaiian Sweet Roll Packaging

Plantation Kitchen Menu

Source for Matthew Carter's quote:
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/10/arts/design/hermann-zapf-96-dies-designer-whose-letters-are-found-everywhere.html

Source for Linotype.com:
https://www.linotype.com/1441/saphir-family.html

Source for photos:
Ginger Baker's Air Force Record Cover- 
https://fontsinuse.com/uses/18455/ginger-baker-s-air-force-man-of-constant-so-3

Hawaiian Sweet Rolls Package-
https://fontsinuse.com/uses/10852/hawaiian-sweet-bread

Plantation Kitchen Menu:
https://fontsinuse.com/uses/11410/menu-for-plantation-kitchen-at-stardust-hotel