WOBURN, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Monotype Imaging Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: TYPE), a leading provider of typefaces, technology and expertise for creative applications and consumer devices, has engaged with several of Japan’s top typeface foundries and distributors to enhance Monotype’s portfolio of high-quality Japanese fonts. Typefaces from Iwata, JiyuKobo, Motoya, Ricoh and Type Project comprise the latest additions, bringing the total to more than 500 high-quality Japanese fonts that can be licensed from Monotype for a wide variety of uses.
Monotype’s selection of Japanese typefaces now represents one of the world’s largest and most comprehensive portfolios of Japanese fonts. The latest additions – several of which are available for the first time outside of Japan – are licensed through Monotype’s direct sales channels and through the company’s Fonts.com and Linotype.com websites. In addition to licenses for Web fonts and traditional desktop fonts, licensing options are available for mobile applications, e-publications and Web-enabled services, as well as for OEMs and developers of consumer devices.
“Thanks to these premier suppliers, the choice and breadth of readily available, premium Japanese typefaces has expanded significantly,” said John Seguin, executive vice president of Monotype. “This is a real win for customers worldwide, particularly those who create and share branded content or develop products that support multiple languages. It’s all part of providing customers what they need to ensure brand fidelity and to meet increasingly global typeface requirements.”
“The Japanese typefaces are extremely important for global brands to have an authentic voice in local markets,” said Alex de Jánosi, partner at Lippincott, a global brand strategy and design consultancy. “This solves one of our pain points in design and production – having access to high-quality, trusted multilingual fonts.”
Monotype’s Japanese collection comprises a wide range of styles, including classic Mincho and Gothic designs, featuring several weights, as well as brush and decorative styles. Typefaces have been designed for optimal legibility and readability for both screen and print environments, and designs are able to complement Korean, Chinese and other language fonts that Monotype offers. In addition, certain faces have been designated by Monotype’s foundry partners as “universal design” fonts, which offer simplified strokes and other refinements that help to maximize on-screen clarity.
Availability
Licenses for Web and desktop fonts are available from www.fonts.com, www.linotype.com and direct channels, which also handle licenses for OEM customers. Licenses for iOS®- and Android™-based mobile apps, e-publications, and Web servers and applications are available from www.linotype.com. OEMs and developers may also visit Monotype’s OEM Font Catalog to view the Japanese fonts. In addition, Monotype type experts can be consulted to recommend Japanese typefaces that best match Latin-based designs and other language fonts, enabling a consistent appearance across multiple languages and writing systems.
Typefaces from the following companies comprise the latest additions to Monotype’s Japanese typeface offering:
Iwata Corp.
Founded in 1920, Iwata Corp. is one of Japan’s oldest and respected type companies, with one of the largest portfolios of high-quality Japanese fonts designed for digital and print applications. Iwata’s font collection contains many popular type styles and is known for excellent readability, uniformity, tradition and attention to detail. Iwata won a Good Design Award in 2009 for the company’s universal design fonts – strategically modified designs for user interfaces and other on-screen uses.
JiyuKobo Ltd.
JiyuKobo is a premier Japanese type foundry, established in 1989. The company’s type designers and font engineers have developed many Mincho and Gothic fonts with distinctive characteristics and traditional styles for use on screen and in print. JiyuKobo received both the Type Directors Club Tokyo Prize and Good Design Award in 2008.
Motoya Co. Ltd.
Founded in 1922, Motoya has a rich history of typeface development, from hot metal types to phototypesetting and digital fonts for the screen. The Motoya font library includes a diverse set of type styles to meet digital and print requirements. Motoya’s designs are also known for their beauty and readability qualities.
Ricoh
Founded in 1936, Ricoh is a global technology company specializing in office imaging equipment, production print solutions, document management systems and IT services. The Ricoh Japanese font collection contains a versatile set of typefaces including the popular HG Mincho and HG Gothic fonts. While Monotype has been a long-standing supplier of Ricoh typefaces for embedded devices, the fonts may now be licensed for desktop, Web, mobile apps, e-publications and Web-enabled services.
Type Project
Tokyo-based Type Project was founded in 2001 by Isao Suzuki to focus on original, forward-thinking type developments. Type Project’s AXIS Font® design is a modern sans serif Japanese typeface family with high visibility and readability characteristics, in addition to complementary Japanese and Western characters. The AXIS Font is available in a wide range of widths and weights.
About Monotype
Monotype is a leading global provider of typefaces, technology and expertise that enable the best user experience and ensure brand integrity. Based in Woburn, Mass., Monotype provides customers worldwide with typeface solutions for a broad range of creative applications and consumer devices. The company’s libraries and e-commerce sites are home to many of the most widely used typefaces – including the Helvetica®, Frutiger® and Univers® families – as well as the next generation of type designs. Further information is available at www.monotype.com.
Monotype, Helvetica and Frutiger are trademarks of Monotype Imaging Inc. registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and may be registered in certain jurisdictions. Univers is a trademark of Monotype GmbH registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and may be registered in certain jurisdictions. iOS is a trademark of Cisco Systems Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and certain other countries. iOS is used under license by Apple Inc. Android is a trademark of Google Inc. HG Gothic, HG Maru Gothic and HG Mincho are typefaces developed under license agreement with Ryobi Imagix Co. and are typeface names of Ricoh Company Ltd. AXIS Font is a trademark of AXIS Inc. and may be registered in certain jurisdictions. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2013 Monotype Imaging Holdings Inc. All rights reserved.
