Company History

  History and Development
1975
  • TypeBank Co. Ltd., founded in November.
  • Started direction, design and production of analog typefaces and started development of bitmap fonts.
1977
  • Started the license business of the original artwork typeface "NOW" with Ryobi Imagix Co. and started designing "NOW-GU" which is the beginning of "Tadashi Mizui NOW Series". 
1980
  • Started co-development of bitmap fonts with Hitachi, Ltd., Design Center. 
1984
  • Contracted license business agreement of "Shintaro Ajioka Kana Series" with Ryobi Imagix Co. 
1988
  • TypeBank bitmap fonts were successively adopted by various printer makers. 
1992
  • Contracted cross license business agreement with Adobe Systems Incorporated. 
1993
  • Adobe Systems started sales of 5 TypeBank outline fonts "TBMincho M/H" and "TBGothic M/B/H" in OCF format.
  • Started the sales of WIFE fonts under own company brand through Alps Electric Co., Ltd., Canon Co., Ltd. and Fujitsu Limited. 
1994
  • Linotype-Hell K.K., Agfa Division and Enfour Media Laboratory Pty. Ltd started sales of TypeBank fonts in OCF format respectively.
1998
  • Adobe Systems and Enfour Media Laboratory started sales of TypeBank fonts in CID format.
2000
  • Started sales of 25 typefaces in TrueType format as downloadable products.
2003
  • First started sales of TypeBank branded fonts; 29 typefaces in OpenType format, and 25 typefaces in CID format as a product package.
  • "TBMincho SU" and "TBNewspaperMidashiGothic E/H" were adopted as display fonts for Nikkan Sport Newspaper. 
2004
  • "TBGothic R/B" were adopted as the Japanese corporate fonts with alphabets by Linotype Library GmbH for Suntory Limited.
2005
  • Started the sub license business with the permission of the sales right of the fonts owned by Hitachi, Ltd.
  • Started development and the license business of "TBGothic for condense family" which is based on the use of condensing. 
2006
  • Completed the production of 17 display fonts for newspapers which corresponded U-PRESS established by Kyodo News.
  • Completed the production of "TBCinemaRoundedGothic M" for subtitles on a digital cinema screen and started the license business being for the use for digital cinema. 
2007
  • Started sales of "TyposAlmighty (25 typefaces)" in OpenType format.
  • Started development of "KanjiTypos family" which was well arrranged in modern way based on originally artwork typefaces designed by Group Typo in 1960s.
  • Started development "TBFZTekkinReisho" and "TBFZRyuhyoGyosho" as the joint development projects with Founder International Inc.
2009
  • Started sales of "TypeBank LETS" which is the annual font license program from February.
  • Completed the production of "TB Universal Design fonts (15 typefaces)" through collaborative research with Professor Yasushi Nakano of Keio University, and started the sales. 
2010
  • All stock of the company was sold to Morisawa Inc. in April, and became a wholly owned subsidiary company.
2012
  • The ownership of the typefaces of the old Ryobi Imagix Co. was transfered to us through Morisawa Inc.
  • Started sales of "TypeBank PASSPORT" which is the annual font license program, and "TypeBank Select Pack" which is the sales of your selected fonts permanently.  
  • Completed collaborative production "KanaBank (18 typefaces)" with active people in each field, and started the sales in November.