Home / ATypI Copenhagen 2001
Date Sunday, September 23rd 2001
Venue Falkoner Centret, Copenhagen, Denmark / Track A

From Ancient Script to Vivid Type. Designing Hebrew typefaces

Zvi Narkiss (Copenhagen 2001) Zvi Narkiss

Dialogue among civilizations: An emphasis on the cross-cultural aspects of type and typography

The Hebrew letter found its home in the state of Israel established 53 years ago.
Yet Hebrew writing traces its birth back 2800 years and the first printed Hebrew book was published in 1475 concurrently with Guttenberg’s Biblia. During the many years between its birth and the beginning of print Hebrew writing has undergone many transformations influenced by the different writings practiced through the various countries of the Jewish Diaspora.
I took my first staps towards Hebrew typo­graphy shortly after Israel’s independence. My work has offered new directions to Hebrew typography and my typefaces have become standard.

Zvi Narkiss (Copenhagen 2001)
Speaker

Zvi Narkiss

Born 1921. Freelance Designer since 1950 of books, posters, bank notes, postage staps, etc. Designed 16 Hebrew type families, introduced in all typesetting options available in Israel, including exclusive typefaces tor two newly revised Bible editions. Served as academic consultant to the graphic design course of the ‘Technion’, Israel’s Institute of Technology, and as lecturer in Graphic Design and Typography. Served as member of the aca­demic promotion committe at ‘Bezalel’, Israel’s major academy of Art and Design, and as a member of the national advisory committee to the Bank of Israel, for the design of new banknotes and coins.