Grafotechna

Grafotechna (Grafotechna n. p., Závod 5) was a type foundry based in Prague, Czechoslovakia, founded in 1951. It held the distinction of being the only producer of metal type across former Czechoslovakia until it discontinued operations after 1990. The foundry was instrumental in the national printing sector, manufacturing typefaces created by renowned Czech typographers including Oldřich Menhart and Josef Týfa.

Typefaces

The range of typefaces offered by Grafotechna significantly influenced its presence in the printing and publishing industries:

• Brno Z (1951, Jan Rambousek)
• Ceska Unciala (1945, Oldřich Menhart)
• Drynkov (K. Drynkov)
• Empiriana (1920; traditional typeface)
• Figural (Oldřich Menhart)
• Garamond (1959, Stanislav Marso)
• Kalab (Method Kalab)
• Kolektiv (1952, S. Duda, K. Misek, Josef Týfa)
• Manuscript (1944-50, Oldřich Menhart)
• Menhart (1938, Oldřich Menhart; initially for Monotype)
• Monument (1950-52, Oldřich Menhart)
• Tyfa (1959, Josef Týfa)

Grafotechna operated under an exclusive manufacturing license within its national boundaries, fostering growth in the printing field through collaborations with prominent designers. Its legal form as an Aktiengesellschaft mirrored the scale and organization of its operations during the socialist period.

==External links==*"Manuscript" font by Oldřich Menhart, 1946*Czechoslovak Typography*History of Grafotechna (in Czech)