Gerard Unger (1942-2018)

I am sorry to hear about the death of Gerard Unger, one of the most respected contemporary type designers.

I met Gerard more than 25 years ago at a conference in Vienna. His presentation was clear, focused and, in his usual unassuming way, he talked about his process for creating and designing an alphabet. I was fascinated and I remembered that I was one of the first to rush to the stage after his presentation to invite him to come to The Poynter Institute for Media Studies.  At the time, my friend and colleague Roger Black, and I, were planning a type conference. Roger agreed that Gerard Unger would be an outstanding addition to our program. And he was.

Through the years I always kept in touch with Gerard, and we ran into each other at conferences here and there around the globe.

I remember using two of his fonts, Gulliver and Swift on various projects.  I still find these two fonts to be among his best, combining the classic strokes with a sense of the modern.

Gerard was a pioneer in making the transition from the old metal (hot)  type to digital, something he was achieving in the 1980s already.

We will miss Gerard’s tremendous talent, his constant desire to reinvent himself and his craft. Personally, I will miss his cordial friendship and camaraderie.

RIP, Gerard Unger.

Tributes from colleagues around the globe

And speaking of fonts

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/11/21/nyregion/new-york-storefronts-mystery-font.html?em_pos=large&emc=edit_ur_20181124&nl=new-york-today&nlid=53831611edit_ur_20181124&ref=headline&te=1

TheMarioBlog post #2957