Gerard Unger facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gerard Unger
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| Born | 22 January 1942 Arnhem, Netherlands
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| Died | 23 November 2018 (aged 76) Bussum, Netherlands
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| Nationality | Dutch |
| Education | Gerrit Rietveld Academie |
| Known for | Typographer, Graphic designer |
| Spouse(s) | Marjan Unger (1946–2018) |
| Awards | H.N. Werkmanprijs 1984 Maurits Enschedé prize 1991 SOTA Typography Award 2009 Piet Zwart Lifetime Achievement Award 2012 |
Gerard Unger (born January 22, 1942 – died November 23, 2018) was a famous Dutch designer who created many different typefaces. A typeface is a specific design of letters, numbers, and symbols, like Arial or Times New Roman. Gerard Unger studied design in Amsterdam from 1963 to 1967. After his studies, he worked for several design companies. In 1975, he started his own design business. He also taught at the University of Reading for many years, helping new typeface designers learn their craft. He lived and worked in Bussum, Netherlands.
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What Gerard Unger Did
Gerard Unger created many typefaces during his career. Some of his designs were made especially for newspapers. These typefaces often had tall letters and open spaces inside them, making them easy to read. Examples include Swift, Gulliver, Coranto, and Vesta.
He also designed typefaces for magazines, coins, books, logos, and stamps. Many of his typefaces are available from companies like Linotype. He even designed the fonts used for road signs on Dutch highways. His Gulliver typeface was used by millions of readers in newspapers like the Stuttgarter Zeitung in Europe and USA Today for ten years. His Coranto typeface is used by The Scotsman and the Brazilian newspaper Valor.
Teaching and Writing
Besides designing, Gerard Unger was also a dedicated teacher. He taught at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie for over 30 years. From 1994, he was a visiting professor at the University of Reading, teaching about Typography and Graphic Communication. He also taught typography at Leiden University from 2006 to 2012.
He wrote an important book called While You're Reading (originally Terwijl je leest). This book was later updated and translated into different languages. In 2013, he earned a PhD degree for a new typeface he created called Alverata. He developed this typeface while studying old medieval letters.
His Passing
Gerard Unger passed away at his home in Bussum on November 23, 2018. This was about five months after his wife also passed away.
Gerard Unger Scholarship
After his death, a company called TypeTogether, which publishes many of Unger’s typefaces, created a special scholarship in his honor. It's called the Gerard Unger Scholarship. This yearly award helps a student or recent graduate who is designing a typeface. They get advice, support, and money to help them finish their design project.
Awards and Honors
Gerard Unger received many awards for his amazing work. These include the H.N. Werkman prize in 1984 and the Maurits Enschedé prize in 1991. In 2009, he received the SOTA Typography Award. He also received honorary doctorates from universities in Belgium and Estonia. In 2012, he was given the "Piet Zwart Lifetime Achievement Award" for his lifelong contributions to design. In 2017, the Type Directors Club honored him with the TDC Medal.
Typefaces Designed by Unger
- Demos (1976/2001 [Neue Demos]/2015 [Demos Next])
- Praxis (1977/2001 [Neue Praxis]/2017 [Praxis Next])
- Hollander (1983)
- Flora (1984)
- Swift (1985/1995 [Neue Swift])
- Amerigo (1986)
- Argo (1991)
- Gulliver (1993)
- ANWB-fonts (1997)
- Capitolium (1998/2011 [Capitolium 2])
- Paradox (1999)
- Coranto (2000/2011 [Coranto 2])
- Vesta (2001/2011)
- Big Vesta (2003/2011)
- Capitolium News (2006/2011)
- Capitolium Headline (2011)
- Coranto Headline (2011)
- Alverata (2013)
- Sanserata (2016)
Images for kids
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Wibautstraat metro station (Amsterdam, Netherlands), July 2005
