For the recumbent bicycle manufacturer see Optima Cycles

Optima is the name of a typeface designed by Hermann Zapf between 1952-1955. In 2002 Hermann Zapf together with Akira Kobayashi, typedirector at Linotype GmbH, redesigned and extended Optima to Optima nova. This new type family has new true italic weights and a series of condensed weights and a special Optima nova Titling version with extraordinary caps ligatures.

A mid-20th century sans-serif design, Optima at first looks a little like a traditional sans-serif. However, its strokes are delicately tapered and carry residual serifs. In many ways, Optima’s design follows humanist lines, but its italic variant is merely an oblique, a slanted Roman.

Like Palatino, another Zapf creation, Optima is widely admired and widely imitated. Optima and Palatino are trademarks of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG.

In the Bitstream font collection, Optima is called Zapf Humanist. Other Optima clones are Optane from the WSI Fonts collection, Opulent by Rubicon, CG Omega, and Eterna.

Optima is the typeface used on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall.

External links

• The story of Palatino and Optima from Hermann Zapf
• Linotype: Optima from Hermann Zapf
• Learn more about Optima nova from Hermann Zapf and Akira Kobayashi

Sans-serif typefaces | Typefaces

Optima | Optima | Optima | オプティマ | Optima | Optima