This chapter covers the main story of Hebrew typography, while looking at the different stages of development, as a visual representation of the Jewish people, Zionism, and, finally, the State of Israel. Initially, the Hebrew type was meant for printing religious texts. The standard was set by great European printers, such as the Soncino family, Daniel Bomberg, and Guillaume Le Bé. These early typefaces established a spiritual Jewish textual image in print that was mostly produced by non-Jewish designers, who were not fully acquainted with the language. Secular and humanistic visuality came about with the creation of Frank-Rühl. Cantor and designer Rafael Frank based his design on tradition but managed to free it from its deep religious roots. A liberation of Hebrew typography followed, with two separate trends. Grotesque designs brought the visual representation of Hebrew up to speed with that of Latin languages. At the same time, meticulous designs revived old Hebrew lettering to be seen as apropos for the twentieth century. With the establishment of the State of Israel, type design became even more original and unique, highlighting a new and fresh look for the young state. Typefaces such as David and Hatzvi rely on the past but make a strong statement of rejuvenation and growth. These initial Israeli designs led to the development of a wide range of typographies and endless visual possibilities, especially with the introduction of computers in the 1980s. Today, leading Israeli designers are creating Hebrew versions for multilingual international typefaces, thereby establishing a new visual voice for Israel throughout the world.
