Frequently Asked Questions
Monotype Imaging and Linotype are joining forces to pursue a common vision – to help customers improve communication globally through type. Following are answers to frequently asked questions about Monotype Imaging’s acquisition of Linotype.
About the acquisition
Why was Linotype for sale?
Linotype GmbH, based in Bad Homburg, Germany, had operated as a subsidiary of Heidelberg Druckmaschinen AG. Heidelberg has been steadily increasing its focus on strengthening core businesses related to prepress, press and postpress technologies. Despite Linotype’s success as a profitable subsidiary. Linotype was not considered a core business of Heidelberg.
Why did Monotype Imaging want to acquire Linotype?
When the opportunity was presented, Monotype Imaging saw the possibility as a natural fit. The blending of Linotype’s extensive, high-quality typeface library and Monotype Imaging’s font technology offerings and global distribution strengths will allow the companies to offer a greater range of typographic solutions for use in a variety of industries, from the graphic arts professional market to display devices and office printers. Together, Monotype Imaging and Linotype aim to fulfill the increasingly sophisticated font requirements of consumer electronics markets, such as the mobile phone segment.
Monotype Imaging was also interested in acquiring Linotype to ensure the continuance of its highly respected brand in type. Moving forward, the combined efforts of Monotype Imaging and Linotype as a strong, global entity focused on protecting and advancing typographic intellectual property will also help spur vitality within the type industry. For example, Monotype Imaging and Linotype view issues relating to font copyright protection and the continued flow of innovative, new typeface designs as factors imperative to the health of the type community.
Will the Linotype corporate name be changed?
Linotype will continue as Linotype GmbH, the company’s legal name since November, 2005, when Linotype was previously registered as Linotype Library GmbH. Linotype GmbH now becomes a subsidiary of the Monotype Imaging group of companies.
Customer-specific FAQs
What does the acquisition mean to Linotype’s customers?
Customers should expect no disruptions, as Linotype will continue to provide creative professionals with high-quality typefaces and custom design services. Moving forward into 2007 and beyond, Linotype’s offerings will add value to Monotype Imaging’s portfolio of solutions geared for a wide range of global markets, including cell phones, television set-top boxes and other devices and systems that rely on text. Customers will benefit with a wider range of typographic solutions engineered to work consistently across different devices. Broadened opportunities will also become available for tailored solutions that leverage the design and multilingual expertise of the companies.
Who are Monotype Imaging’s customers?
Monotype Imaging’s customers are as diverse as the number of font and imaging solutions the company offers. Customers include creative professionals requiring off-the-shelf fonts or customized solutions, manufacturers of printers and consumer electronics devices such as cell phones and television set-top boxes, as well as mobile phone network operators, software developers, content providers, aggregators and publishers that serve digital markets. In addition, Monotype Imaging has relationships with several technology companies, including corporations such as Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard and QUALCOMM, which have played major roles in shaping various high-tech markets.
Integration of Monotype Imaging and Linotype
What will happen to the Linotype brand?
The brand will continue as Linotype moves forward with Monotype Imaging. Linotype has cultivated an esteemed reputation for its brand over the past century. Today, the Linotype brand remains highly respected and is a symbol of value and quality. There are no current plans to modify Linotype’s brands or logos.
How will Monotype Imaging and Linotype work together?
Challenges continuously arise as type requirements change to meet technological advances and consumer demand, such as the ability to create and view text on-screen on any electronic device and in any language. By leveraging both companies’ intellectual property, which includes world-renowned typeface designs and technologies that enable the production of high-quality, scalable, multilingual text, Monotype Imaging and Linotype will work together to create diverse font-based solutions that deliver high-quality, consistent results anywhere on screen or in print.
Monotype Imaging and Linotype will draw on complementary capabilities that have taken shape since the 19th century, when the automated type industry began and the Linotype and Monotype brands were established. Over the course of more than a century, both firms have built successful businesses. The companies have evolved as type and printing technology have advanced – from hot metal composition, laser and offset technologies to today’s digital solutions.
Will the product and service portfolios of both companies be integrated over time?
Yes. Linotype’s typeface offerings will become part of Monotype Imaging’s solutions for meeting the needs of various markets. The consumer electronics industry, for example, encompasses markets such as the cell phone and set-top box segments, where type is necessary but the requirements may vary. In addition, Monotype Imaging and Linotype today offer complementary products and services that address end-user font licensing and management issues. The companies will review these offerings to bring forth a combined solution to better assist customers in controlling font licensing and management issues.
How does the acquisition effect internal typeface design capabilities?
Monotype Imaging and Linotype will have accessibility to each other’s design capabilities. Monotype Imaging employs approximately 40 experts who handle various typographic specialties ranging from design and fine-tuning to production and testing. In addition, the company contracts with top freelance designers such as Matthew Carter, Sumner Stone and Rod McDonald on a variety of projects. Linotype employs industry experts who specify and direct typeface design work for custom brand identity projects and fonts for Linotype’s collection. Such work includes conversions and extensions of designs that comply with the OpenType® font format. Linotype also has exclusive contracts with world-class designers, including the legendary Hermann Zapf, who has designed such ageless classics as the Palatino®, Optima® and ITC Zapf Dingbats® typefaces.
How will the companies work together to address font piracy and licensing issues?
Monotype Imaging and Linotype will combine efforts to raise awareness of the importance of type as protected intellectual property. Despite the prominent use of fonts worldwide – with type frequently being the most visible component of a company’s brand – fonts are often not properly licensed. The issue also impacts the work of typeface designers, who have rights to copyright protection and often spend hundreds of hours creating new typefaces. Through education and tools to help users ensure proper licensing and avoid legal dangers, Monotype Imaging and Linotype will work together toward the goal of eliminating font piracy and solidifying proper licensing. The companies will also combine efforts to strengthen partnerships with type designers who are critical to the long-term success of the type industry.
Products and services
What are the main products and services of Monotype Imaging and Linotype?
Linotype offers the Linotype® Library, a collection of typefaces from the company’s expanding selection of more than 6,000 fonts. The library contains timeless classics such as the Helvetica® and Frutiger® designs as well as newer typefaces such as the Zapfino™ design. Monotype Imaging is home to the Monotype® and ITC® libraries. The Monotype Library contains widely used typefaces including the Arial® and Times New Roman® families, as well as contemporary new designs such as the Neo Sans™ and Felbridge™ families. The ITC Library includes the popular ITC Franklin Gothic™ and ITC Officina® typefaces. New and existing typefaces from all the libraries form the basis of many typographic solutions, whether the end result involves printed publications, office documents or on-screen messages delivered by cell phones, set-top boxes or a host of other display screens, from digital cameras to printer control panels.
The iType® font engine is Monotype Imaging’s solution for enabling high-quality, scalable text display on memory-constrained devices such as mobile phones. Monotype Imaging’s WorldType® Layout Engine works with the iType font engine to enable the composition, rendering and positioning of multilingual text, including complex scripts such as Arabic, Hindi and Thai. In 2006, more than 100 million mobile phones are expected to ship with Monotype Imaging technology.
Monotype Imaging and Linotype also offer solutions to help customers using large numbers of typefaces to effectively manage font licenses. Through Monotype Imaging’s Fontwise® service and Linotype’s FontExplorer™ X application, the companies intend to accelerate development and support for these font and license management solutions.
Most office printers today employ Monotype Imaging’s UFST® (Universal Font Scaling Technology™) and MicroType® compression technologies, which comply with industry-standard font specifications from Adobe, HP and Microsoft. Printer manufacturers also benefit with the integration of Monotype Imaging’s printer drivers and ColorSet™ imaging tools for embedding within printers high-quality color capabilities.
What are examples of corporate brands that have been designed using custom typefaces from Monotype Imaging and Linotype?
Both companies have created custom designs for the corporate identities of several international and regional companies. Examples from Monotype Imaging include Barclays Bank, Scandinavian Airlines and Marks & Spencer. Examples from Linotype include Porsche, Suntory and UBS.
Company specifics
Who will run Linotype GmbH?
Frank Wildenberg has been named managing director of Linotype, succeeding Bruno Steinert, whose 33-year history with the company spanned a variety of roles, from photocomposition systems trainer to managing director. Steinert decided to retire from Linotype as of September, 2006, capping a successful 45-year career in the print media industry. He has been a major force in the type marketplace, having built Linotype into a profitable, sustainable business. Steinert will remain on board for the remainder of the year as a consultant, working closely with Monotype Imaging to ensure the successful alignment of both companies.
Frank Wildenberg, who was hand-selected by Steinert to lead Linotype, moves to his new position from his role as Linotype’s director of sales and marketing. In collaboration with Monotype Imaging, Wildenberg is committed to moving forward Steinert’s passion and vision for the advancement of high-quality typefaces, font technology and the protection of type designer rights.
New leadership at Linotype press release
Will there be a reduction in workforce?
No. The acquisition will allow Monotype Imaging to build upon a new creative foundation, rather than lessen it.
How many employees are at Linotype and Monotype Imaging?
Approximately 50 employees work in Germany at Linotype. Monotype Imaging employs 169 people around the world, with 102 employees residing at the company’s Woburn, Mass. headquarters in the U.S.
Will Linotype remain at its current location in Bad Homburg, Germany?
Yes. There are no plans to uproot the organization to a different location.
Where are Monotype Imaging’s offices?
Monotype Imaging is based in Woburn, Mass., with regional offices in London, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Beijing, Chicago, Redwood City, Calif. and Boulder Colo.
Who owns Monotype Imaging?
The majority shareowner of Monotype Imaging is TA Associates, a Boston-based private equity investment firm. Monotype Imaging employees are minority shareowners.
When was Monotype Imaging established?
Monotype Imaging was formed in 2004 when a majority share of the company was purchased by TA Associates from Agfa-Gevaert AG. Monotype Imaging formerly operated as Agfa Monotype Corp., a subsidiary of Agfa, which in 1998 acquired Monotype Typography. Monotype’s roots date back to the late 19th century when the Lanston Monotype Machine Company was formed to provide newspapers and publications equipment that mechanically composed metal types.
When was Linotype established?
The company was first established in 1890 as Mergenthaler Linotype Company in the U.S. and Mergenthaler Linotype & Machinery Ltd. in the UK. The first Linotype casting machine in Europe was used for newspaper setting in 1894. Linotype became Linotype Library GmbH in 1997 when the company was acquired as a subsidiary of the Heidelberg Group. In 2005, Linotype Library GmbH was registered as Linotype GmbH.
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