Released by Klingspor in 1927–30 in 8 styles (4 weights, 2 of
them with italics, 2 condensed weights). [Reichardt]
Zeppelin (aka Verzierte Kabel),
Prisma, and Optik are related display
styles. Comes with round
alternates for a number of caps incl. ‘AEFKMNR’. The italic is
accompanied by a set of swash initials (Geschriebene
Grotesk-Initialen). A revised version (less idiosyncratic
‘a’ and ‘W’, Futura-like alternates for ‘a’, ‘e’, ‘g’)
was issued as Neu-Kabel in 1953.
Monotype’s copy for the American market was called
Sans
Serif (Sol Hess, 1930–33) and was nearly identical until
it added several alternate characters mimicking other popular
geometrics like Futura and Bernhard
Gothic. [McGrew]
The phototype era brought various interpretations — both
licensed and pirated —, most notably ITC
Kabel. Like More…
Released by Klingspor in 1927–30 in 8 styles (4 weights, 2 of them with italics, 2 condensed weights). [Reichardt] Zeppelin (aka Verzierte Kabel), Prisma, and Optik are related display styles. Comes with round alternates for a number of caps incl. ‘AEFKMNR’. The italic is accompanied by a set of swash initials (Geschriebene Grotesk-Initialen). A revised version (less idiosyncratic ‘a’ and ‘W’, Futura-like alternates for ‘a’, ‘e’, ‘g’) was issued as Neu-Kabel in 1953.
Monotype’s copy for the American market was called Sans Serif (Sol Hess, 1930–33) and was nearly identical until it added several alternate characters mimicking other popular geometrics like Futura and Bernhard Gothic. [McGrew]
The phototype era brought various interpretations — both licensed and pirated —, most notably ITC Kabel. Like other English-speaking distributors, Letraset offered it as Cable.
Bitstream’s version is Geometric 231. Neue Kabel (Linotype, 2016) is a reinterpretation designed by Marc Schütz. Kabella (J. Penner, 2017) is a digitization of the swash initials.
