Linotype

Linotype – a company with a long tradition
The day Ottmar Mergenthaler demonstrated the first linecasting machine to the New York Tribune in 1886, Whitelaw Reid, the editor, was delighted: “Ottmar,” he said, “you’ve cast a line of type!” The editor’s words formed the basis for the company label, and marked the beginning of Linotype’s success story. Four years later, the ingenious inventor founded the Mergenthaler Linotype Company. Little did he know that after more than 100 years of successful business the Linotype, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Monotype Imaging Holdings Inc., would be following in his footsteps.


Today, Linotype has one of the world’s largest font libraries, offering more than 10,500 high-quality typefaces.

Linotype’s goal is to be a partner for designers and typographers, and to support a global transfer of know-how and an open exchange of ideas and information in the field of typography. The ambitious and qualified staff at Linotype are dedicated to meeting this objective and making it reality.


The library

With the revolutionary invention of hot-metal setting, fonts were no longer just for the elite and soon became a popular tool of graphical and visual communication.

Many of today’s most important and internationally influential fonts derived from the Linotype Library and its predecessors. Original fonts that you can nowadays find on every PC as OpenType or PostScript fonts have been licensed from this huge library.

The importance of font usage and the loyalty and creativity of today’s highly renowned international type designers have made the Linotype Library the center of both traditional and innovative modern type design.


Mission Statement

The concept
We see the task of the Linotype in the production, marketing and licensing of high quality fonts. Proven methods have to be kept and continuously developed, while new ways have to be found and tested. As a developer of the communication vehicle ‘font’ for all visual media we see ourselves as a partner for both designers and typographers. Together we wish to promote global transfer and open discussion.

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