Stempel Type Foundry

D. Stempel AG

Company type	Aktiengesellschaft
Industry	Typography, type foundry
Founded	January 1, 1895 (1895-01-01) in Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Founder	David Stempel
Defunct	1986 (1986)
Fate	Type division acquired by Linotype AG; closure and donation of typefaces and equipment to Darmstadt University of Technology
Headquarters	Frankfurt am Main , Germany
Key people	David Stempel, Hans Bohn, Warren Chappell, F. H. Ehmcke, Hanns Th. Hoyer, Herbert Thannhaeuser, Hermann Zapf, Gudrun Zapf von Hesse
Products	Typefaces, matrices for Linotype machines, phototypesetting technology

D. Stempel AG was a typographic foundry originating in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, founded by David Stempel (1869–1927). Esteemed type designers including Hans Bohn, Warren Chappell, F. H. Ehmcke, Hanns Th. Hoyer, Herbert Thannhaeuser, Hermann Zapf, and Gudrun Zapf von Hesse enriched its collection. The foundry is noted for introducing the innovative slab serif typeface Memphis in 1929.

Between 1900 and 1983, Stempel held an exclusive collaboration with the Mergenthaler Linotype Company, serving as one of the few worldwide producers of matrices for Linotype machines and acting as the exclusive European supplier. From 1925 onward, Stempel's typefaces were marketed in the United States through the Continental Type Founders Association. In 1941, Linotype AG became the principal shareholder. By 1977, the company had diversified into manufacturing phototypesetting technology.

The type division of Stempel was acquired by Linotype AG in 1985, leading to the foundry's closure in 1986; its typefaces and equipment were subsequently donated to Darmstadt University of Technology. Today, Schriften-Service D. Stempel GmbH retains matrices from Stempel alongside those from other notable foundries such as Haas, Klingspor Bros., Deberny & Peignot, Berthold, C.E. Weber, Fonderie Olive, and Nebiolo Printech, continuing the tradition of type casting.

Mergers and acquisitions

• 1915: Purchased Roos & Junge type foundry in Offenbach (established 1886).
• 1917: Obtained majority ownership of Gebr. Klingspor in Offenbach.
• 1918: Acquired Heinrich Hoffmeister in Leipzig (established 1898).
• 1919: Took over W. Drugulin’s type division in Leipzig (established 1800) and invested in Brötz & Glock of Frankfurt.
• 1927: Secured shares in Haas Type Foundry located in Basel/Münchenstein; commenced matrix sharing.
• 1933: Invested in Benjamin Krebs (Successors), Frankfurt (established 1816).
• 1956: Achieved full ownership of Gebr. Klingspor.
• 1963: Linotype acquired Genzsch + Heyse of Hamburg (established 1833).
• 1970: Purchased part of C.E. Weber’s typeface collection based in Stuttgart.
• 1972: Haas'sche foundry absorbed Deberny & Peignot from Paris.
• 1978: Haas'sche foundry acquired Fonderie Olive in Marseille (established 1836).

Janson

Since 1919, Stempel has preserved the original matrices for the Janson typeface created by Nicolas Kis. In 1936, Chauncey H. Griffith from Mergenthaler Linotype revitalized this design for both Linotype and foundry production at Stempel. The widely used digital version known as Janson Text traces back to a metal adaptation crafted by Hermann Zapf during the 1950s for Stempel, based on Kis’ initial matrices.

References

• Friedl, Ott, and Stein, Typography: an Encyclopedic Survey of Type Design and Techniques Throughout History. Black Dog & Levinthal Publishers: 1998. .
• Jaspert, W. Pincus, W. Turner Berry and A.F. Johnson. The Encyclopedia of Type Faces. Blandford Press Lts.: 1953, 1983. .