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This article, Typography and logography of Apple Computer, covers Apple Computer’s history of typeface and logo design in marketing, operating systems, and industrial design. more...

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In the late 1980s Apple developed TrueType, an outline font standard, amongst other technologies created later, including QuickDraw GX and Apple Advanced Typography. Apple controls several patents important to the implementation of high-quality typeface rendering on computers. In 1984 Apple created several new fonts for the Apple Macintosh computer. Apple has used three corporate fonts throughout its history including Motter Tektura, Apple Garamond and Adobe Myriad.

Corporate fonts and brand identity

For at least 18 years, Apple's corporate font was a custom variant of the ITC Garamond typeface, called Apple Garamond. It was used alongside the Apple logo, for product names on computers, in countless ads, printed materials and on the company website. Since 2001, Apple has gradually shifted towards using Myriad in its marketing.

Motter Tektura

Prior to the first Macintosh, Apple used a typeface called Motter Tektura alongside the Apple logo. Motter Tektura was designed by Othmar Motter of Vorarlberger Graphik in 1975 and distributed by Letraset. At the time, the typeface was considered new and modern. One modification to the typeface was that the dot over the i was removed.

According to the logo designer, Rob Janoff, the typeface was selected for its playful qualities and techno look, in line with Apple's mission statement of making high technology accessible to anyone. Janoff designed the logo in 1976 while working with Palo Alto marketer Regis McKenna.

In the early 1980s, the logo was simplified by removing computer ınc. from the logo. Motter Tektura was also used for the Apple II logo. This typeface has sometimes been mislabeled as Cupertino, a similar bitmap font, probably created to mimic Motter Tektura.

Apple Garamond

Upon the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984, Apple adopted a new corporate font called Apple Garamond. It was a narrow variation of the classic Garamond typeface. Specifically, ITC Garamond (created by Tony Stan in 1977) was condensed to 80% of its normal width. Presumably, Apple felt that the existing ITC Garamond Condensed, at 64%, was too narrow. Bitstream condensed the font and subtly adjusted the stroke widths and performed the hinting required to create a PostScript font which was then delivered to Apple as "apgaram."

In cases when the Apple logo was accompanied by text, it was always set in Apple Garamond. Aside from the company name, most of Apple's advertising and marketing slogans such as "Think different." used the font as well.

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