Memphis (typeface)

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title: "Memphis (typeface)" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["letterpress-typefaces", "geometric-slab-serif-typefaces", "stempel-typefaces", "linotype-typefaces", "digital-typefaces"] description: "Slab serif typeface" topic_path: "general/letterpress-typefaces" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memphis_(typeface)" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Slab serif typeface ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox font"]

Field	Value
name	Memphis
image	MemphisLTStd.png
style	Slab serif
creator	Rudolf Wolf
creationdate	1929
foundry	Stempel Type Foundry
::

| name = Memphis | image = MemphisLTStd.png | style = Slab serif | creator = Rudolf Wolf | creationdate = 1929 | foundry = Stempel Type Foundry ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/Memphis_Type_Specimen_(15400511180,_cropped).jpg" caption="10pt Memphis in metal type."] ::

Memphis is a slab-serif typeface designed by Rudolf Wolf and released in 1929 by the Stempel Type Foundry.

Memphis is a "geometric" slab serif, reflecting the style of German geometric sans-serifs (in particular Futura) which had attracted considerable attention, and adapting the design to the slab serif structure. Its structure is strictly monoline, with a "single-storey" 'a' similar to blackletter or handwriting, in an almost-perfect circle. It was released in several weights and with alternative characters such as swashes, which digitisations have mostly not included.

Memphis has an Egyptian name, in reference to the fact that early slab serifs were often called "Egyptians" as an exoticism by nineteenth-century typefounders.{{efn|Although, confusingly, the term was first used to refer to sans-serifs, and the earliest slab-serifs were often called "Antiques".{{Citation | url = http://typefoundry.blogspot.com/2007/01/nymph-and-grot-update.html | title = The Nymph and the Grot, an update | last1 = Mosley | first1= James |author-link=James Mosley | date = January 6, 2007 | accessdate = June 10, 2014 | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20140610132607/http://typefoundry.blogspot.it/2007/01/nymph-and-grot-update.html |archivedate= June 10, 2014

Memphis and other similar designs were popular in printing during the hot metal typesetting period and several foundries brought out similar designs or direct imitations such as Karnak and Stymie in the United States and Rosmini from Nebiolo in Italy, and (more loosely) Rockwell from Monotype. Digital designs in a similar style include Neutraface Slab and Archer. Memphis itself has been released digitally by Linotype, who licensed it from Stempel, and by Bitstream in a release including condensed weights under the name "Geometric Slabserif 703".

Notes

References

References

1. . (n.d.). ["Font Designer: Robert Wolf"](https://www.linotype.com/619/rudolf-wolf.html).
2. "The revival of slab-serif typefaces in the 20th century". University of Reading (MA thesis).
3. "Memphis".
4. See, for instance, [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Spartan_and_Memphis_Type_Specimen_(15400511180).jpg this specimen], which has one Q in the 6 and 8-point sizes and another in 10pt.
5. "Scrambled Eggs & Serifs". Frere-Jones Type.
6. James Mosley, ''The Nymph and the Grot: the revival of the sanserif letter'', London: Friends of the St Bride Printing Library, 1999
7. "Sentinel: historical background". Hoefler & Frere-Jones.
8. Schwartz, Christian. "Neutraface Slab". www.christianschwartz.com.
9. "Neutraface Slab". [[House Industries]].
10. "Archer".
11. "Memphis Font {{!}} Webfont & Desktop {{!}} MyFonts".
12. "Geometric Slabserif 703". MyFonts.

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::