About
We craft modern typefaces and provide innovative font engineering and type design services.
We believe that convincing communication is only possible with the most aesthetically pleasing and most technically sound fonts.
Our vision is to provide easy access to such fonts through free trial versions, a simple licensing model and one of the fastest ordering processes around.
Our long-lasting designs add value above and beyond the actual cost. These fonts can be downloaded directly by discerning agencies, designers and brands or ordered as a perfectly fitting custom type solution in addition to font engineering services.
We hope to contribute to something bigger by promoting talented designers from around the world with whom we work under the fairest conditions.
Our motivation is simply the love of good design. Outstanding type is our contribution to that.
The Team
Who is behind Fontwerk? A pretty motley crew. Nevertheless, a passion for letters, years of experience and some unexpected talents unite us.
Our DNA
From the typographic epicentre in Berlin, we operate as a permanent team and freelance network of international designers, font engineers and marketing experts. Many of us are from the original FontShop universe; the place where typographic trends were set, simple license models devised, experimental limits explored and the largest library of contemporary typefaces emerged. We carry this DNA within us and develop it further – 100% independently.
Ivo Gabrowitsch
Founder and Managing Director Ivo started Fontwerk at the beginning of 2019. Prior to that he was the Marketing Director at FontShop International and following the takeover by Monotype, he worked in a number of different roles, most recently as Senior Director of Marketing for MyFonts, Linotype, FontShop, Fonts.com and FontExplorer X.
His passion for typography was ignited whilst he trained as a Media Designer for Digital and Print Media. The Engineer of Print and Media Technology was a member of the DIN 1450 Standardization Committee (lettering and legibility), he also founded Typostammtisch Berlin, LTypI and Creative FM.
Ivo is an enthusiastic cyclist, nature lover and keen gardener and especially loves to grow fruit. The autumn before last, he planted the apple variety, Prince Albrecht of Prussia, but he’s still waiting for it to bear fruit.
Olli Meier
Font Engineer Olli joined the Fontwerk family in 2022. Starting out as a Communications Designer, he initially worked with type for agencies such as MetaDesign and Stan Hema. He also taught the basics of typography at the University of Applied Sciences Dresden before he was drawn to Monotype’s production team. There he found his calling in font technology, most recently as a Senior Software Engineer, and was responsible for internal font tools, among many other things.
His projects for the market leader included: Helvetica Now, Neue Frutiger World (working on Quality Engineering), he worked with Bernd Volmer on the corporate design of TYPOLabs, which used a variable font as a logo for the first time and which was awarded a Red Dot, he also created his own family Vary and the interactive font specimen website FontSpecimen.com which was an Awwwards-nominee. As a committed member of the Unicode consortium, Olli is involved in the development of one of the most important tools in our industry and has worked closely with Dave Opstad, Apple’s TrueType and Unicode Pioneer. Working in cooperation with Glyphs he also ensures the quality of the app and supports the development of new features.
His reputation as a DIY king proves that he can also do things by hand. On a farm in Barnim, he lives out his passion for vegetables, works on wood or jumps on his randonneur bike to cycle over 1000 km across Poland … or sometimes to the North Cape.
Website · LinkedIn · Instagram · Twitter · Github
Our freelance team includes the following friendly faces.
Christoph Koeberlin
Font Engineer Right from the very start, Christoph has supported us and been a source of invaluable knowledge in his prime discipline and area of expertise, Font Technology. He has helped us build a powerful engineering team and production workflow. We value him not only as a source of brilliant ideas and impulses but also as a critical spirit and dear friend.
We are honoured to have published one of his designs Pangea. You can find out more about him and the secret of his Prenzl’berger allotment garden office over on his designer page.
Daniel Weiand
Font Engineer Daniel is another key part of our technical network. He is a man of many talents and is a Type Designer and Font Engineer. He designs logos and typefaces, produces and masters fonts and writes scripts for font production. Daniel studied communication design at HBKsaar, where he got lost in the world of letters and hasn’t looked back. Since then, he has worked for DaltonMaag in London and Alphabet Type in Berlin. During the pandemic, he retrained as a paramedic. But, some of his patients are fonts that he works on with us at Fontwerk part-time.
Interested in joining?
By the way, we are growing and plan to expand our Engineering Team. If you’re interested, please get in touch.
Lucy Beckley
Marketing & Translation Lucy is what is commonly known as a global citizen. She is currently working as a freelance marketing and communications consultant in Cornwall. Before that, she worked with her sister as a flower grower and florist and also renovated a beautiful old Cornish Farmhouse (hot insider tip for anyone wanting to visit!). And before that, she worked in Berlin for FontShop and FontFont. After perfecting her German, this English woman is set to follow suit with Portuguese. She’s also working on her first book and we’re convinced that it will be a bestseller.
Further partners
Rob Meek
Web Developer We have worked with Rob on a number of other software projects, e.g. FontStruct, an Adobe plugin and various microsites. We are frequent users of Fonts In Use which he also developed. So it was logical for us that he wrote the code for our webshop. We don’t know a faster and more precise developer. A little known fact: Rob’s biggest success outside of his work was winning a fancy dress competition, dressed as a fried egg.
© Max Zerrahn
Jana Kühl
UX/UI Designer Jana is our secret weapon for interface design. She combines user-oriented design with typographic know-how and a highly efficient way of working. She is living proof that mothers are the best because they are the most organized employees. However, caution should be exercised on one thing. Pray that you never face her in a foosball match, opponents don’t stand a chance against her!
Fontwerk Designers
Type Designers All our Type Designers are part of the Fontwerk Family too: Aad, Anja, Christine, Daniel, Erik, Felix, Franziska, Hendrik, Jan, Joe, Jörg, Katja, Loris, Noheul, Ralph and Ulrike, as well as a number of other designers, whose typefaces are still in the works. These talented people not only fill our label with exclusive content, we also work with them on all sorts of type design projects. Custom fonts, language extensions, calligraphy, lettering, design modifications and additions or logo developments and improvements; our designer pool always has the right partner ready.
Not enough?
Still want to know more? Head to our FAQs or get in touch, if you have any other questions.