Kabel (typeface)
Kabel is a geometric sans-serif typeface designed by German typeface designer Rudolf Koch, and released by the Klingspor foundry in 1927. The face was named to honor the newly completed trans-Atlantic telephone cable. Today the typeface is licensed by the Elsner+Flake GbR foundry.
Like its contemporary Futura it bears influence of two earlier geometric sans-serif typefaces; the 1919 Feder Schrift, drawn by Jakob Erbar, and more so his 1922 design called Erbar. Still, Kabel comes less out of the influences of German modernism, but more German expressionism. Stroke weights are more varied than most geometric sans-serifs, and the terminus of vertical strokes are cut to a near eight-degree angle. This has the effect of not quite sitting on the baseline and making for a more animated, less static feeling than Futura. Uppercase characters are broad and show influence of monumental roman capitals. The capital W is splayed and the G has no terminal. Lowercase characters a, e, and g show a link with Carolingian script.
Victor Caruso's 1975 revival, licensed by D Stempel AG, for the International Typeface Corporation follows the formulary ITC approach of a dramatically increased x-height accompanied by multiple weights from Book to Ultra.
Prominent usage
- NBC's logotypes are in Kabel, and a heavyweight Kabel was also used for NBC Sports' on screen graphics from 1985-89.
- A shadowed bold weight version of Kabel was used for many years on MTV as the typeface in the opening/closing lower third credits of music videos until 2011, when sister network MTV Jams used it for the last time.
- A modified use of Kabel is used for the L'eggs Pantyhose logo.
- A lower-case Kabel font is used as the typeface in the logo and other promotional materials for supermarket chain Piggly Wiggly
- The typeface was used extensively in the credits and on-screen lyrics for the movie, Yellow Submarine.
- My Bloody Valentine's albums Loveless and Isn't Anything used the typeface, in its heavy and regular weights respectively. The band's main songwriter, Kevin Shields, also wrote songs for the soundtrack of the Sofia Coppola film Lost in Translation, which used a heavy weight version of the typeface for its titles.
- Kabel is used at the typeface for the Self album Breakfast with Girls.
- Kabel is used in the opening and closing credits of Saved by the Bell.
- The ultra version Kabel is used in the opening/closing credits of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
- The typeface was used in the titling of the TV series Joey. The typeface was used in its book weight.
- Kabel Black was also used in the opening episode titles of the Disney's Cartoon Series, "DuckTales," "Chip N'Dale Rescue Rangers," "Talespin" and "Darkwing Duck."
- Kabel is used in the popular board game Monopoly.
- Kabel is used for the cast aluminum lettering on most buildings around Cornell University's Ithaca, New York campus.
- Kabel is used in the logo of the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey club.
- ITC Kabel Medium is the font used for the Georgia Times logo.
- Kabel Ultra is the typeface favored by the hate group Westboro Baptist Church for use in its picket signs.
- The K Desktop Environment uses Kabel in its logo and related artwork.
- Kabel is used in the O RLY? internet meme image.
- Kabel was used in the first season of The Cosby Show
- Kabel is used in some The Sims 3 logotypes.
- Kabel is used in the KDE logo.
References
- Blackwell, Lewis. 20th Century Type. Yale University Press: 2004. ISBN 0-300-10073-6.
- Fiedl, Frederich, Nicholas Ott and Bernard Stein. Typography: An Encyclopedic Survey of Type Design and Techniques Through History. Black Dog & Leventhal: 1998. ISBN 1-57912-023-7.
- Jaspert, W. Pincus, W. Turner Berry and A.F. Johnson. The Encyclopædia of Type Faces. Blandford Press Lts.: 1953, 1983. ISBN 0-7137-1347-X.
- Macmillan, Neil. An A–Z of Type Designers. Yale University Press: 2006. ISBN 0-300-11151-7.
External links