Max Caflisch

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Max Caflisch (born October 25, 1916 in Winterthur ; † March 3, 2004 in Meilen on Lake Zurich ) was a Swiss typographer , book designer and recognized font connoisseur.

Max Caflisch was considered one of the world's leading typographers and experts in the Latin script used in Western cultures . With his uncompromising preference for high-quality and functional fonts (primarily book and newspaper fonts), a keen sense for good character form, great expertise and over 50 years of experience, he earned recognition as a connoisseur and consultant among professional colleagues.

His series of articles on font analysis in the Typografische monthly sheets , which is also available in two volumes, is particularly appreciated . In addition to discussing excellent typefaces, it also represents a foray into the entire history of typefaces since the Renaissance .

Max Caflisch worked as a teacher, corporate consultant, author, book designer and type designer.

Teaching activities

  • Teacher of typography at the trade school in Basel 1941 - 42
  • Head of the graphics course at the School of Applied Arts and typography teacher in Zurich 1962–81
  • Lecturer at the technical school for the graphic industry in Zurich 1973–78

Advisory activity

  • IBM 1962-66
  • Bauer foundry in Frankfurt am Main 1965–66
  • Hell in Kiel 1972–89
  • Adobe Inc. since 1990

Publications

  • William Morris, the innovator of book art. Bern, 1959
  • Typomundus 20. A project of the International Center for the Typographic Arts . A collection of the most significant typography of the 20th century. Text by Max Caflisch and Hans Neuburg. New York, Reinhold Pub., London, Studio Vista Ltd., Ravensburg, Otto Maier Verlag 1964, 1966 (2).
  • Script history facts. Zurich, 1973
  • Writing and paper. Grellingen, 1973
  • Typography needs writing. Kiel, 1978
  • Max Caflisch. Typographia practica. Hamburg, 1988
  • Font analysis. St. Gallen, 2003 (Ed. Jost Hochuli, 2 volumes) ISBN 3-908151-33-3

Fonts

  • Max Caflisch only own signature design is the Columna (1958), inspired by the Roman antiquity Versalschrift .
  • The Caflisch Script was designed or digitized by the American type designer Robert Slimbach based on Caflisch's handwriting and supplemented by Caflisch with ligatures etc.

Web links