Monotype Imaging Adds the Ysobel Pro Typeface Suite to the Monotype
Library
Design Led by Long-Time Employee and Type Designer, Robin Nicholas
WOBURN, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Monotype Imaging Holdings Inc., (Nasdaq: TYPE), a leading global
provider of text imaging solutions, has released the 20-font Ysobel?
Pro typeface suite. All Ysobel fonts can be viewed, purchased and
downloaded from the company?s e-commerce sites: www.fonts.com,
www.linotype.com,
www.itcfonts.com
and www.faces.co.uk.
The Ysobel (pronounced ?Isabel?) typeface family is intended primarily
for newspaper and periodical copy. Designed by Robin Nicholas, head of
typography at Monotype Imaging Ltd., and type designers Alice Savoie,
also working at Monotype Imaging?s UK subsidiary, and Delve Withrington
based in the U.S., the Ysobel typefaces were designed for both text and
display applications.
?The versatility of Ysobel makes it a joy to use,? said Allan Haley,
director of words and letters at Monotype Imaging. ?However, Ysobel is
first an exceptionally legible and elegant design.?
According to Nicholas, the idea for the Ysobel faces started when he was
asked to create a custom, updated version of the classic Century
Schoolbook typeface, which was designed to be an extremely readable
typeface ? one that made its appearance in school textbooks beginning in
the early 1900s. ?I wanted to give the design a more contemporary feel,
although the client ultimately decided to keep their typeface closer to
the original. The project nevertheless gave me ideas for a new design,?
said Nicholas.
Development began with the text version of Ysobel, which comprises eight
fonts. All weights feature lining and old style numerals, fractions,
superior numbers and extended Latin language coverage. Small caps are
also available in the Ysobel Pro Regular font. The 12-font Ysobel
Display Pro family is a completely redrawn version of Ysobel; it is
narrower and features other nuances for improving the design?s
appearance at large text sizes.
?Ysobel has the soft, inviting letter shapes of Century Schoolbook but
contrasts these with more angular serifs,? said Haley. Its capitals are
also narrower than those of Century Schoolbook, and the lowercase
letters are more full-bodied. In addition, curved terminals, such as
those in the ?C,? ?c? and ?e,? were drawn as open shapes to aid
readability in text copy. Other changes were added to ensure character
legibility at small point sizes.
Nicholas, whose employment with Monotype Imaging began nearly 45 years
ago as a draftsman for The Monotype Corp., has designed or co-designed
several fonts including the Arial® typeface, which is used
today by millions of users of the Microsoft® Windows®
operating system. Nicholas has directed the design of fonts such as the
Clarion® and Columbus® fonts, as well as the
digital versions of many Monotype® faces including the Bell,
Centaur®, Dante®, Monotype Janson?,
Fournier?, Van Dijck®, Monotype Walbaum?,
Bulmer® and Pastonchi? designs. Custom fonts for
brand identities are also part of Nicholas?s portfolio, including faces
designed for major commercial airlines, an automobile manufacturer, bank
and a home furnishings company. In addition, Nicholas designed the
Felbridge? family, intended for both print and online use,
and the Nimrod® family, a suite of fonts for newspaper text,
headlines and ads. According to Nicholas, Nimrod was also a face that
served as inspiration for the Ysobel design.
Ysobel Pro fonts support 48 western, central and eastern European
languages, including Baltic and Turkish and is available in the OpenType®
cross-platform font format. Typefaces include OpenType features such as
ligatures, small caps and several numerical figures.
Individual Ysobel fonts, selection packs and the complete typeface
family can be viewed, purchased and downloaded from www.fonts.com,
www.linotype.com,
www.itcfonts.com
and www.faces.co.uk.
Customers may contact Monotype Imaging in the U.S. toll-free at
800-424-8973, or in Europe at (+44 0)1737 765959, or 001781 970-6020,
option 2. Linotype may be reached at +49 (0) 6172 484-418. Customers
from other parts of the world may dial 001 781 970-6020 (U.S.).
About Monotype Imaging
Monotype Imaging is a global provider of text imaging solutions for
manufacturers and developers of consumer electronics devices including
laser printers, copiers, mobile phones, digital televisions, set-top
boxes, navigation devices, digital cameras and software applications and
operating systems. The company also provides printer drivers and color
imaging technologies to OEMs (original equipment manufacturers).
Monotype Imaging technologies are combined with access to more than
10,000 typefaces from the Monotype, Linotype® and ITC®
typeface libraries ? home to some of the world?s most widely used
designs, including the Times New Roman®, Helvetica®
and ITC Franklin Gothic? typefaces. Fonts are licensed to
creative and business professionals through custom font design services,
direct sales or e-commerce portals. Monotype Imaging offers fonts and
industry-standard solutions that support all of the world?s major
languages. The company is based in Woburn, Mass., with regional offices
in the U.K., Germany (Linotype), Mt. Prospect, Ill., Redwood City,
Calif., Boulder, Colo., Japan, China and Korea. Information about
Monotype Imaging and its products can be found at www.monotypeimaging.com.
Monotype is a trademark of Monotype Imaging Inc. registered in the U.S.
Patent and Trademark Office and may be registered in certain
jurisdictions. Ysobel and Felbridge are trademarks of Monotype Imaging
Inc. and may be registered in certain jurisdictions. Arial, Clarion,
Columbus, Centaur, Dante, Van Dijck, Bulmer, Nimrod and Times New Roman
are trademarks of The Monotype Corp. registered in the U.S. Patent and
Trademark Office and may be registered in certain jurisdictions.
Monotype Janson, Fournier, Monotype Walbaum and Pastonchi are trademarks
of The Monotype Corp. and may be registered in certain jurisdictions.
ITC is a trademark of International Typeface Corp. registered in the
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and may be registered in certain
jurisdictions. ITC Franklin Gothic is a trademark of International
Typeface Corp. and may be registered in certain jurisdictions. Linotype
is a trademark of Linotype GmbH registered in the U. S. Patent and
Trademark Office and may be registered in certain jurisdictions.
Helvetica is a trademark of Linotype Corp. registered in the U.S. Patent
and Trademark Office and may be registered in certain jurisdictions in
the name of Linotype Corp. or its licensee Linotype GmbH. Microsoft,
Windows and OpenType are either registered trademarks or trademarks of
Microsoft Corp. in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other trademarks
are the property of their respective owners. © 2009 Monotype Imaging
Holdings Inc. All rights reserved.
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