The idea to develop a new typeface tailored to the special requirements of annual reports was born out of the "First Heidelberg Forum for Annual Reports 1988".
The challenge was to provide a type system that delivered readability and multiple tonality while maintaining harmony throughout the wide range of different characters required in an annual report.
Linotype worked closely together with Professor Olaf Leu and his Analyse Team at the University of Applied Sciences, Mainz, who have been commissioned by Manager Magazin to judge its annual competition "Best Annual Reports" since 1996. Reviewing work from 130 companies represented on six different stock markets, they made a number of observations over the years and raised several questions, particularly in regard to the legibility of the average annual report.
Modelling an annual report in certain language and tonality essentially involves having a type system that can handle all eventualities. It must have multiple weights for emphasis as well as different styles for tone of voice and expression. It must have small caps to deal with the many acronyms, initials and uppercase characters required for product and company names, as well as the many styles of numbers that appear within the text. Most importantly it must have a structure that allows for the easy manipulation of figures.
Development work on the Compatil™ type system took almost two years. It was a unique project requiring the perfect marriage of four different styles in multiple weights into a type system suitable for variable use.
The original idea was to implement the four different type styles for different applications in the field of financial communications. However, as this results demonstrate, Compatil™ has a much wider range of applications than that.
The Compatil™ type system combines aesthetics with the ability to function on all aspects of communication across the whole media range.
Compatil is a trademark of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG, which may be registered in certain jurisdictions, exclusively licensed through Linotype GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG.
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