Koenig & Bauer – Menschen, Maschinen, Ideen

For its 200th anniversary, the printing press company KBA returned to its founders’ names, Koenig & Bauer, the inventors of the modern printing press, and it was given a consistent brand identity built on humanity and innovation. For this, a modern corporate typeface has been developed that is both relatable to people and reflecting the company’s innovative engineering. Based on the Rational font family, the Koenig & Bauer typeface combines friendly, humanistic shapes with geometric forms and engineering precision. Its approachable style emphasises clarity in communication, which is essential for any corporation of such a kind. That typography can shape a brand’s appearance is also demonstrated by the anniversary box that consists of the two books “Menschen” (People) and “Ideen” (Ideas) as well as the poster set “Maschinen” (Machines). While the latter exhibits the fascination of print history, the books highlight the personalities seminal in the company’s turning points and illuminate the significance of the print industry, intertwining it with other sectors. The clear and straight typography thus manages to reflect the values and the reasons for the company’s success in an impressive manner.