We're counting down the 100 greatest typefaces in existence. Here is number 63...
FontShop AG, the renowned type foundry, conducted a survey based on historical relevance, sales at FontShop.com, and aesthetic quality. With a few additions from the experts at Creative Bloq and Computer Arts magazine, the best fonts ever were selected for the new book, 100 Best Typefaces Ever.
Here we are counting down the 100 greatest fonts, but you can read interviews with some of the typefaces' creators, a brief history of type, the anatomy of a font, and much, much more in the book – find out how to get your copy in print or digital formats at the foot of this post.
But without further ado, here is the 64th best typeface…
Adolphe Mouron Cassandre was born in the Ukraine in 1901. He went to school in Paris, where he passed his Baccalauréat with distinction at the Lycée Condorcet and discovered his passion for poster design.
In 1919 he won third place in a competition organised by Michelin. The poster ‘Au Bucheron’, designed in 1923 for the large Paris furniture store Hachard & Cie, was distributed throughout Paris and made the artist famous overnight.
From then on – on the advice of a friend – Mouron went by the name of A. M. Cassandre. His first typeface, Bifur, was designed for use in advertising and established his international reputation in 1929. At the Paris World Fair in 1937, he released another successful typeface, Peignot.
The 100 Best Typefaces Ever
This is an extract from The 100 Best Typefaces Ever, the definitive guide to the greatest fonts ever created, in association with FontShop AG. Over 180 premium pages, the book dissects the world's greatest typefaces, bringing you some insightful background on each and interviews with their creators.
You can pick up the book at all good newsagents today or order it online. Or you can download a digital edition directly to your iPad from the Computer Arts app on iTunes.
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Rob is editorial, graphic design and publishing lead at Transport for London. He previously worked at Future Publishing over the course of several years, where he launched digital art magazine, ImagineFX; and edited graphic design magazine Computer Arts, as well as the Computer Arts Projects series, and was also editor of technology magazine, T3.
