Schriften, Lettering, Ecritures (Walter Käch)

Published in Olten, Switzerland, in 1949 by Otto Walter, Walter Käch’s Schriften, Lettering, Écritures stands as a highly sought-after masterpiece of mid-century Swiss lettering instruction. Designed as a large-format landscape handbook whose pages can be easily removed from a three-ring binder, Käch’s rigorous manual systematically breaks down letterforms into precise geometric construction systems, directly establishing the visual logic and optical balance that paved the way for now-classic sans-serifs like Univers and Helvetica. Käch was ahead of his time, and his suggestions remain relevant for our current age of Bézier curves and pixels. Originally designed to teach by encouraging tracing (which we think is an excellent way to force one to stop and look and see), today’s readers can learn by tracing and scanning. Käch taught designers how to look for elements in the construction of letters that could be modified and built upon, allowing for the smooth development of typeface families. One of the richest places to find these elements, for Käch, was the history of writing itself, and he encouraged his students to recycle past motifs to unlock new design potential. The first part of this book shows historic and historically-influenced samples. The latter portion shows how to take that foundation and solve modern problems.

In 2025, a facsimile of this was published in a smaller format. While the publishers did us all a service by making this at times impossible-to-find book available, the original is kinda stunning. And this copy is in excellent shape. Because this is massive and heavy, most copies we’ve seen are trashed. Now. this copy features a purple ink provenance stamp on the first page reading: GIPSER- u. MALERGESCHÄFT / PORTMANN / SOLOTHURN THEATERGASSE (Plastering & Painting Business / Portmann / Solothurn, Theatergasse). Belonging to a regional Swiss plastering and painting firm located on Theatergasse in Solothurn, the stamp offers evidence of the portfolio’s real-world application. (Although, apparently they never used it because it’s in such good shape.) Rather than sitting solely on academic shelves, Käch’s plates served as a practical studio reference for working Swiss trade craftsmen, sign-painters, and architectural letterers. This thing is too good.