Product category:
General Print Supplies, Services for Printers
News Release from: Monotype Imaging
Edited by the Printingtalk Editorial
Team on 04 August 2006
Linotype Stays In Germany After Monotype
Buy-Out
Monotype Imaging has acquired Linotype, a subsidiary of Heidelberg and home of the Linotype Library.
Monotype Imaging has acquired Linotype, a subsidiary of Heidelberg and home of the Linotype Library The collection includes some of the most popular and time-honoured font designs, such as Helvetica, Frutiger and Optima
This article was originally published on Printingtalk on 22 Mar 2007 at 8.00am (UK)
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Linotype and its employees will remain based in Bad Homburg (Germany) and operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Monotype Imaging.
Linotype said that the combination of its typeface library and Monotype Imaging's font technology, as well as its global distribution strengths will provide customers a greater range of typographic services for use in printers, display devices and the graphic arts professional market.
Together, the companies aim to fulfill the increasingly sophisticated font requirements of consumer electronics markets, such as the mobile phone segment, where the number of mobile subscribers increased more than 25 per cent in 2005 to more than two billion people, according to Informa Telecoms and Media.
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Robert M Givens, president and chief executive officer of Monotype Imaging, said: "It's our vision to improve global communications through type.
Wherever our customers want to communicate, whether on mobile devices, digital cameras, computers, on television or in print, our fonts and technology enable type to be displayed at high quality in any language." He added: "We've worked with Linotype for years and we have developed an appreciation and respect for the esteemed reputation of the Linotype company, a valuable asset we intend to protect and enhance.
In addition to its impressive heritage and current typographic innovations, Linotype has a proven expert management team with values and standards we share.
Our passions and our visions are both aligned and enhanced by our partnership.
When the opportunity to combine our companies was presented, it was a natural fit." Linotype will continue as Linotype under the leadership of managing director Bruno Steinert, who gave his perspective on the acquisition: "It's a new era for the font industry and the strong legacy of Linotype's values will live on and gain strength with this move.
Our corporate identity will not change and our customers can be assured Linotype will continue to produce superior quality typefaces, products and services, consistent with our tradition of design excellence." Monotype Imaging and Linotype have built solid reputations for technological innovation and type design craftsmanship.
Linotype, with its collection of more than 6,000 typefaces, has provideded some of the most famous typefaces in history, from some of the most highly regarded designers, including Hermann Zapf, Adrian Frutiger and Matthew Carter, said the company.
Both Monotype Imaging and Linotype have established custom design businesses, which have created typefaces for the corporate identities of companies including Marks and Spencer, Porsche, Suntory and UBS.
In 1994, Monotype Imaging and Linotype standardised their end user licensing agreements to simplify font usage and workflow rights for creative professionals.
The companies said they can also help customers using large numbers of typefaces to effectively manage font licenses.
Through Monotype Imaging's Fontwise service and Linotype's Fontexplorer X application, the companies intend to accelerate development and support for those font and license management systems.
Monotype Imaging and Linotype will continue to market and license typefaces from hundreds of type foundries and designers worldwide through their e-commerce websites, said Monotype.
Allan Haley, director of words and letters at Monotype Imaging explained how the company views its responsibility to the type community: "Monotype Imaging and Linotype have forged solid partnerships with typeface designers to create what we believe to be a dynamic marketing and distribution channel.
Together we want to further strengthen this channel and encourage users to respect the hard work that goes in to creating typefaces.
We're seeing vibrant new designs every day - a sign that this community is thriving.
We intend to do all we can to help it stay that way." Bruno Steinert added: "Linotype's long-standing reputation within the type design community for integrity and best practice can be relied upon, as we'll continue to expand our design programme.".
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