Memphis (typeface)


Memphis is a slab-serif typeface designed by Dr. Rudolf Wolf and released in 1929 by the Stempel Type Foundry.
Memphis is a "geometric" slab serif, reflecting the style of German geometric sans-serifs which had attracted considerable attention, and adapting the design to the slab serif structure. Its structure is strictly monoline, with a "single-storey" 'a' similar to blackletter or handwriting, in an almost-perfect circle. It was released in several weights and with alternate characters such as swashes, which digitisations have mostly not included.
Memphis has an Egyptian name, in reference to the fact that early slab serifs were often called "Egyptians" as an exoticism by nineteenth-century typefounders.
Memphis and other similar designs were popular in printing during the hot metal typesetting period and several foundries brought out similar designs or direct imitations such as Karnak and Stymie in the United States and Rosmini from Nebiolo in Italy, and Rockwell from Monotype. Digital designs in a similar style include Neutraface Slab and Archer. Memphis itself has been released digitally by Linotype, who licensed it from Stempel, and by Bitstream in a release including condensed weights under the name "Geometric Slabserif 703".

Notable uses

Memphis was one of the fonts employed by Janus Films for titles and subtitles; one film in which it appeared on original theatrical and television prints was Jules and Jim. It is also one of two fonts used for the English subtitles on their release of Beauty and the Beast.