TYPE DESIGN INFORMATION PAGE last updated on Wed Jan 29 16:43:16 EST 2025

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ABOUT

Hoftype [Dieter Hofrichter]

Dieter Hofrichter (b. Mannheim, Germany), established Hoftype in 2010 in München. He attended the Rödel Art School where studied typography and calligraphy under Herbert Post, and applied and decorative arts under Charles Crodel. Later he studied graphic design at the Academy of Fine Arts in Nürnberg under Professor Karl Hans Walter. After his studies, Hofrichter worked for several years as a graphic designer. In 1980, he started designing typefaces for himself in his own studio. He approached G.G. Lange of the Berthold foundry in 1988, and started work in 1989 as a type developer and assistant to Lange at Berthold without realizing that Berthold's owner, Hunt, had studied under Idi Amin Dada. Hofrichter has worked closely with Lange to develop new typeface designs and improve classic designs. In 2010, he set up his own foundry, Hoftype.

There are certain designers whose style attracts me---almost any type designed by them agrees with my taste. I just know that they are perfectly seasoned and delightfully oiled. Dieter Hofrichter's work falls in that category. I also like classical music, but not all classical music. Beethoven is just about right. Hofrichter's type work is classical, trustworthy and very balanced.

Klingspor link. Fontsquirrel link. Dieter Hofrichter's typefaces:

• In 1990, Berthold published Hofrichter's Vergil as a Berthold Exklusiv.
• In 2000, Berthold released a joint effort of Lange and Hofrichter, a Scotch type named Whittingham.
• In 2001, he released the newly enhanced Akzidenz-Grotesk (Berthold).
• Futura Serie BQ (2000, Berthold). This is a new version of the well-known geometric sans serif typeface design by Paul Renner and the Bauer type foundry.
• Bodoni New Face (Berthold).
• Gerstner Next (2007, Berthold). This typeface is based on Karl Gerstner's Gerstner Original BQ of 1987.
• His first commercial typeface at Hoftype is the Impara Sans family in ten styles (2010). Images:i, ii, iii, iv.
• The medium-contrast slightly flared sans family Epoca (2010, Hoftype), and the 12-style sister family Epoca Classic (2012).
• The text family Argos (2011, Hoftype).
• Erato (2011, Hoftype) is a beautiful garalde family.
• Cala (2011, Hoftype) is a modernized renaissance/garalde family.
• Corda (2011, Hoftype) is a scriptish serif family.
• Cassia (2011, Hoftype) is a subdued Egyptian family.
• Sonus (2011, Hoftype) is a humanist sans family.
• Sina (2012), which is sure to win awards, is an elegant, pleasant and readable type family characterized by relatively tall ascenders and imperceptible flaring. Sina Nova (2012) is a slimmer version.
• Foro (2012) is a 16-style slab serif family. A softer rounder version is called Foro Rounded (2013). In 2014, Foro Sans was added---it too comes in 16 monoline styles.
• Ashbury (2012) is a text family that has elements of Caslon and Baskerville.
• Sixta (2012) is an eight-style sans family.
• Hofrichter writes about the roundish serif text family Civita (2012): Civita is a new "Modern Type" with a high stroke contrast, distinct formal features, and a strong personality. It has a fluid ductus but nonetheless a solid structure.
• Carat (2012). In 2015, the nearly identical typeface Mangan was published---I am befuddled.... Mangan Nova (2015) is the semi-condensed version of Mangan.
• Capita (2013). A rounded slab serif designed for warmness and easy reading.
• Quant (2013) is a very elegant contrasted text family, possibly more appropriate for display than for long texts. Quant Text (2013) is the optimized 8-style text version of the Quant family. It comes with a slightly greater width, stronger hairlines and stronger serifs which stabilizes it for small text.
• Qubo (2013) is a 14-style sans family with contrast in the joins.
• Equip (2013) is a versatle geometric sans that comes with 16 styles. See also Equip Slab (2013), Equip Condensed (2013) and Equip Extended (2013).
• Pesaro (2014) was inspired by early prints from Venice like Jensen and Manutius. It is a warm legible text family with Hofrichter-style flaring in strategic places. This beautiful typeface is not be confused with a 2001 typeface by Joachim Müller-Lancé that is also called Pesaro.
• Campan (2014). A semilinear typeface with hook-serifs and tall x-height.
• Orgon (2014) jumps right to the head of the pack In the rounded organic sans world. This neutral, uncomplicated and unpretentious sans wows, especially in the heavier weights. It is accompanied by Orgon Slab (2014). In 2020, he added the elliptical square-cut Orgon Plan.
• Cargan (2014). Advertized as a gentle versatile slab serif typeface family.
• Carnas (2015) is a rounded elliptical sans family with simple forms and huge counters.
• Danton (2015). A sturdy typeface family for maazines in Hofrichter's patented Gehry style---no ninety degree angles, avoid monoline, ban symmetry.
• Halifax. A new interpretation of classic English Sans types such as Gill and Johnston in 16 styles.
• Calanda (2015). A sturdy slab serif family in 16 styles.
• Carnac (2015). A sharp version of the minimalist monoline sans typeface family Carnas that features crisper edges.
• Marbach (2016). An angular serifed text typeface that combines classical and modern elements.
• Taxon (2016). A 12-style contemporary sans related to Optima and Imago.
• Carrara (2016). A humanist text typeface family chjaracterized with blunted but poiunty serifs.
• The Economist (2016). A custom type.
• Croma Sans (2017). A 16-style workhorse / advertising sans.
• Urania (2017). In the style of the early sans serif typefaces, in particular Ferdinand Theinhardt's types.
• Cardillac (2018). A didone.
• Shandon Slab (2018).
• Candide (2018). A neoclassical typeface for use in magazines and newspapers, characterized by pointy terminals. Followed in 2019 by Candide Condensed.
• Tangent (2019).
• Askan (2019). An 18-style text typeface. Followed by Askan Slim (2019).
• Trada Sans (2020). A sans family in the neighborhood of Univers and Helvetica. Followed by Trada Serif (2020).
• Empira (2020). a 20-style transitional typeface family with sharp, almost pointy, edges.
• Capricho (2021). A transitional text family with slight flaring and tall ascenders and descenders.
• Galvani (2021). An 18-style geometric sans.
• Contane (2021) and Contane Text (2021: 20 styles). A sharp-edged headline or display serif. Followed in 2022 by Contane Condensed and Contane Text Cnd.
• Madigan (2022). An 18-style text typeface with some didone features.

Interview by Dan Reynolds for MyFonts.

View Dieter Hofrichter's typefaces.

EXTERNAL LINKS
Hoftype
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INTERNAL LINKS
Type designers ⦿ Type designers ⦿ German type scene ⦿ Commercial fonts (small outfits) ⦿ Modern style [Bodoni, Didot, Walbaum, Thorowgood, Computer Modern, etc.] ⦿ Garalde or Garamond typefaces ⦿ Caslon ⦿ Venetian or antiqua typefaces ⦿ Baskerville ⦿ Corporate typefaces ⦿ Romain du roi ⦿