Explore the Typographische Monatsblätter

I can lose hours looking through the archives of The Typographische Monatsblätter. Simply looking through the decades of covers from 1960 through 1990 is a fascinating glimpse into the influence of this journal and Swiss typography in general.

Just look at these variations of Univers on the covers in 1961 by Emil Ruder.

Cover Design: Emil Ruder

Typeface: Univers

The Typographische Monatsblätter was one of the most important journals to successfully disseminate the phenomenon of ‘Swiss typography’ to an international audience. With more than 70 years in existence, the journal witnessed significant moments in the history of typography and graphic design. Its contributors include some of the most influential designers. Although the issues before 1960 are extremely rich in revealing the development of modernist typography, the years 1960–90 correspond to a period of transition in which many factors such as technology, socio-political contexts and aesthetic ideologies, profoundly affected and transformed the fields of typography and graphic design. From this general turbulence, new forms emerged and new models were explicitly manifested. The examination of the Typographische Monatsblätter during these specific years enables a greater understanding of the development of late 20th century typography and graphic design.