Bernhard Gothic

Bernhard Gothic

Category	Sans-serif
Classification	Geometric
Designer(s)	Lucian Bernhard
Foundry	American Type Founders
Date released	1929 - 30
Re-issuing foundries	Intertype
Design based on	Futura, Kabel
Also known as	Greeting Gothic
Sample

Bernhard Gothic is a family of geometric sans serif typeface designed by Lucian Bernhard in 1929 for the American Type Founders (ATF). Five variations by Bernhard were introduced over two years:

• Bernhard Gothic Light (1929)
• Bernhard Gothic Medium (1929)
• Bernhard Gothic Light Italic (1930)
• Bernhard Gothic Heavy (1930)
• Bernhard Gothic Extra Heavy (1930)

A final member of the family, Bernhard Gothic Medium Condensed, was introduced by ATF in 1936, but it is unclear as to who the designer was.^[1]

Bernhard Gothic is more organic and less regular than other geometric sans-serif typefaces, including Futura, Kabel, and Twentieth Century, showing influence of Bernhard's earlier more expressionistic faces.

Hot Metal Copies

Intertype's 1936 copy was called Greeting Gothic.^[2]

Digital Copies

Digital copies are available from Elsner+Flake, Font Company, URW++, Berthold, Spiece Graphics, Monotype Imaging and FontHaus.

References

1. MacGrew, Mac, "American Metal Typefaces of the Twentieth Century," Oak Knoll Books, New Castle Delaware, 1993, ISBN 0-938768-34-4, pp. 32 - 33.
2. MacGrew, "American Metal Typefaces of the Twentieth Century," p. 33.