Zapf

Zapf is a German surname. In typography, the name is most closely associated with Hermann Zapf (1918–2015), a German type designer and calligrapher whose work influenced both traditional handwriting and digital typography.

Hermann Zapf designed several influential typefaces, including Palatino (1948), a humanist serif; Optima (1958), a sans-serif with calligraphic roots; and Zapfino (1998), a calligraphic script. He also created Zapf Dingbats (1978), a symbol font that showcased the potential of digital glyph sets.

His work contributed to the transition from metal type to digital fonts, and he collaborated with major type foundries and software developers to advance font design and typesetting.

The Zapf surname remains associated with typography, and Hermann Zapf's fonts remain widely used in book publishing, branding, and digital interfaces.