| Copyright notice: |
Copyright © 2003 - 2006 Linotype GmbH, www.linotype.com. All rights reserved. This font software may not be reproduced, modified, disclosed or transferred without the express written approval of Linotype GmbH. Optima is a trademark of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG, exclusively licensed through Linotype GmbH, and may be registered in certain jurisdictions. This typeface is original artwork of Hermann Zapf and Akira Kobayashi. The design may be protected in certain jurisdictions. |
| Description: |
Optima was designed by Hermann Zapf and is his most successful typeface. Hermann Zapf began the first sketches for the type while visiting the church of Santa Croce Florence. He was inspired by letters from grave plates that had been carved around the year 1530. Since he had no other paper with him at the time, the sketches were done on two 1000 lire bank notes! These drawings, taken from the floor of a church, later developed into Optima, a typeface that is classically roman in proportion and character, but without serifs. The letterforms were designed according to the proportions of the Golden Ratio. In 1952, after careful legibility testing, the first draft drawings were completed The type was cut by the famous punchcutter August Rosenberger at the D. Stempel AG typefoundry in Frankfurt. Optima was then produced as matrices for the Linotype typesetting machines, and released in 1958. With the clear, simple elegance of its sans serif forms and the warmly human touches of its tapering stems, this family has proved popular around the world. In 2002, when it was finally possible to produce digital alphabets without technical limitations and compromises, and more than 50 years after the first sketches, an expansion and redesign of the Optima family was completed and released as Optima nova. Hermann Zapf and Japanese type designer Akira Kobayashi collaborated on the project, which included a re-working of the existing weights, and the addition of several new weights, making a total of 40 fonts. Small caps and oldstyle figures, light, heavy, and condensed weight fonts have been added. The original Optima was never manufactured with a true italic, only an oblique version of the roman; Optima nova has changed this. Optima nova has a complete range of beautifully designed real italics; the new italic forms of the e, f and g are especially notable. The titling face includes capital letters with special and unusual letter combinations and ligatures, making it an excellent choice for headlines, logos and advertising purposes. Optima continues to be an all-purpose typeface; and Optima nova works for just about anything from book text to signage. Optima nova is part of the Linotype Platinum Collection. |