Melior

Designer: Hermann Zapf // Foundry: D. Stempel AG, Linotype // Country of origin: Germany Release year: 1952 // Classification: Rational Serif

Melior is one of the few serif typefaces with round forms based on the superellipse, an oval with nearly flat sides. This squarish shape is much more common in sans serifs, particularly Grotesques and square Geometrics, making Melior an unusually harmonious serif companion for typefaces like Univers and Eurostile. The superellipse — also common in Hermann Zapf’s lettering for book covers — can feel dated, perhaps because it brings to mind the shape of a vintage TV screen. Melior’s rounded terminals (“a,” “e,” “r”) are also typical of the soft, unfocused type of the phototype era. Still, Melior remains a unique typeface, a milestone of its time with ideas that are still rare in new designs. Good for: Sober, readable text. Referencing the 1960s–80s.