Converting old bicycles into modern single speed bikes is more than just a hobby for Yanek Iontef. The Type Designer and Typographer loves to glide through the hustle and bustle of Tel Aviv on them. One almost gets the impression that his enthusiasm for bikes exceeds that for letters.

Born in the Soviet Union, Yanek Iontef emigrated to Israel at a young age and studied graphic design at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem. He later taught Typography there and at Shenkar College. 30 years ago, he founded the Fontef Type Foundry, through which he published numerous Hebrew and Latin typefaces. For his services to the Hebrew language and its characters, he received an award from the Rothschild Foundation in 2021.

His expertise is appreciated by the Who’s Who of the font industry. Yanek Iontef has designed Hebrew language extensions for Bold Monday (Nitti, IBM Plex Sans), Lineto (LL Akkurat, LL Circular), Google (Open Sans), Typotheque (Parmigiano), Commercial Type (Graphik, Lyon) and ABC Dinamo (Favorit), among others. Fontwerk can also add its name to this illustrious list: together with Daniel Grumer, Yanek Iontef designed Pangea Hebrew.