Rudolf Koch created the original Kabel typeface in 1927 for the Klingspor type foundry. The reasons for the project were largely pragmatic: every other major German type foundry in the late 1920s was actively working on a new kind of sans serif design based on geometric character shapes. Ludwig and Mayer had already released Erbar, the Bauer foundry was developing Futura, and Berthold was busy creating Berthold Grotesque. To remain competitive, Klingspor would have to release a similar type.
Koch was one of the most important and well-known type designers in pre-World War II Germany. He was also a calligrapher, illustrator, poet, and a designer of books and tapestries. The geometric characteristics of Kabel were an experiment of sorts for Koch, who prided himself on his calligraphic ability. As he once said, “the task of creating a type with a pair of compasses and a straight edge has always attracted me.”
Although the specimen booklet that announced Kabel went to great lengths to explain the rationale behind the design and to prove its geometric heritage, it doesn’t take excessive scrutiny to reveal that this was more a marketing strategem than actual design formula. While Kabel was geometric in form, Koch based its character proportions on his own artistic sensibilities, and perhaps even a creative whim or two. Kabel’s character shapes and proportions can be traced to ancient Greek lapidary letters, Venetian old style type designs, and, of course, calligraphy.
The rights to the original Koch design were eventually transferred to the Stempel type foundry. In 1975, under a special license from Stempel, ITC commissioned Victor Caruso to revive the design for phototypesetting. Caruso was charged with the task of building a well-integrated type family suitable for text composition, but without losing the charm and vitality of the original design.
As a virtue of its large x-height and carefully weighted family range, Caruso’s design for ITC is more legible as a text typeface than its predecessor. Display copy, however, is what Kabel is all about. ITC Kabel creates strong headlines and delivers a clear message. Its lighter weights approach elegance, while the heaviest dominate the page and demand that the reader take notice.
ITC Kabel is available in Book, Medium, Demi, Bold, and Ultra weights. All are truly ITC classic designs.