Hard Copy, Soft Copy

HARD COPY, SOFT COPY maps the shift in publishing, dissemination, and reception, from print to digital, mirrored in the trajectory of the typeface ‘Schmalfette Grotesk’ from the 1950s up to today. This research project moves from museums’ text-based search methods to a machine-learning image-centric approach to uncover visual artifacts from vast digital collections.

‘Schmalfette Grotesk’ has a global presence in printed materials. The findings show its wide application and how the font pairs with pictures on a page. The tool had limits in distinguishing fonts, yet it tracked ‘Schmalfette Grotesk’s variations, also including stretched or twisted shapes and fonts with similar visual traits, indicating the font’s role in a broader trend.

This research paper was published by Marietta Eugster and Andreas Koller in conjunction with the exhibition Haettenschweiler from A to Z, Typographer, Graphic Designer, and Artist at the Museum für Gestaltung Zürich in 2023