| D. Stempel AG | |
| Type: | Aktiengesellschaft |
| Foundation: | January 15, 1895 |
| Founder: | David Stempel |
| Defunct: | 1986 |
| Location: | Germany |
| Key People: | W. Cunz, P. Scondo (partners) |
| Industry: | Type foundry |
D. Stempel AG was a German typographic foundry founded by David Stempel (1869–1927), in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Many important font designers worked for the Stempel foundry, including Hans Bohn, Warren Chappell, F. H. Ehmcke, Friedrich Heinrichsen, Hanns Th. Hoyer, F. W. Kleukens, Erich Meyer, Hans Möhring, Hiero Rhode, Wilhelm Schwerdtner, Herbert Thannhaeuser, Martin Wilke, Rudolf Wolf, Victor Hammer, Hermann Zapf, and Gudrun Zapf von Hesse. With the introduction of Memphis in 1929, the foundry was the first to cast modern slab serif typefaces.[1]
From 1900 to 1983, Stempel had an exclusive relationship with Mergenthaler Linotype Company, as one of just a few producers of matrices for the Linotype machine worldwide and the only one in Europe. Starting in 1925, Stempel types were distributed in the United States by Continental Type Founders Association. Linotype AG became the majority stockholder in 1941. In 1977, Stempel began manufacturing Phototypesetting equipment.
In 1985, Linotype AG purchased Stempel's type department. Stempel closed down in 1986, donating all of its type and equipment to the Darmstadt University of Technology.[2] Schriften-Service D. Stempel GmbH has possession of the matrices of Stempel, Haas, Klingspor Bros., Deberny & Peignot, Berthold, C.E. Weber, Fonderie Olive, and the Nebiolo foundry and continues to cast their types today.[3]
Nicolas Kis's original matrices for the typeface Janson have been held by Stempel since 1919. In 1936, a revival of the face was designed by Chauncey H. Griffith of the Mergenthaler Linotype for production of both Linotype matrices and foundry type by Stempel. Today, the most common digital version, Janson Text, comes from a metal version produced by Hermann Zapf in the 1950s for Stempel, also based on Kis' original matrices.[5]