Kabel (typeface)

Infobox font
name = Kabel


style = Sans-serif
classifications = Geometric sans-serif
date = 1927
creator = Rudolf Koch
foundry = Gebr. Klingspor
variations = Stempel Kabel
shown_here = ITC Kabel|

Kabel is a geometric sans-serif typeface designed by German typeface designer Rudolf Koch, and released by the Klingspor foundry in 1927. The face was named to honor the newly completed trans-Atlantic telephone cable. Today the typeface is licensed by the Elsner+Flake GbR foundry.

Like its contemporary Futura it bears influence of two earlier geometric sans-serif typefaces; the 1919 Feder Schrift, drawn by Jakob Erbar, and more so his 1922 design called Erbar. Still, Kabel comes less out of the influences of German modernism, but more German expressionism. Stroke weights are more varied than most geometric sans-serifs, and the terminus of vertical strokes are cut to a near eight-degree angle. This has the effect of not quite sitting on the baseline and making for a more animated, less static feeling than Futura. Uppercase characters are broad and show influence of monumental roman capitals. The capital W is splayed and the G has no terminal. Lowercase characters a, e, and g show a link with Carolingian script.

Victor Caruso's 1975 revival, licensed by D Stempel AG, for the International Typeface Corporation follows the formulary ITC approach of a dramatically increased x-height accompanied by multiple weights from Book to Ultra.

Prominent usage

* A shadowed bold weight version of Kabel was used for many years on MTV as the typeface in the opening/closing credits of music videos.
* The same heavy weight Kabel was also used for NBC Sports' on screen graphics from 1985-8.
* A lower-case Kabel font is used as the typeface in the logo and other promotional materials for supermarket chain Piggly Wiggly
* The typeface was used in the titling of the Sofia Coppola film Lost in Translation. The typeface was used in its heavy weight.
* The typeface was also used extensively in the credits and on-screen lyrics for the movie, Yellow Submarine.
* This typeface is featured in the O RLY? Internet meme.
* Kabel is used in the popular board game "Monopoly".
* The K Desktop Environment uses Kabel in its logo and related artwork.

References

*Blackwell, Lewis. "20th Century Type." Yale University Press: 2004. ISBN 0-300-10073-6.
*Fiedl, Frederich, Nicholas Ott and Bernard Stein. "Typography: An Encyclopedic Survey of Type Design and Techniques Through History." Black Dog & Leventhal: 1998. ISBN 1-57912-023-7.
*Jaspert, W. Pincus, W. Turner Berry and A.F. Johnson. "The Encyclopædia of Type Faces." Blandford Press Lts.: 1953, 1983. ISBN 0-7137-1347-X.
*Macmillan, Neil. "An A–Z of Type Designers." Yale University Press: 2006. ISBN 0-300-11151-7.

External links

* [https://ssl.kundenserver.de/www.elsner-flake-shop.com/sess/utn154586d12cabe7c/shopdata/0110_K/product_overview.shopscript?sprache=&searchmode=fl&pattern=K Elsner + Flake web page on Kabel]
* [http://typophile.com/wiki/kabel Typowiki: Kabel]
* [http://www.fonts.com/findfonts/detail.htm?pid=242734&grab_id=0&page_id=24703&query=kabel&SCOPE=Fonts Kabel MT font information] (Monotype)