ITC Zapf Chancery
ITC Zapf Chancery is a family of script typefaces designed by the German type designer Hermann Zapf and marketed by the International Typeface Corporation. It is one of the three typefaces designed by Zapf that are shipped with computers running Apple's Mac OS. It is also one of the core PostScript fonts.
Also recorded as Zapf Chancery
ITC Zapf Chancery

AnonMoos · Generated by means of the following PostScript code (note that this program references the "Zapf Chancery Medium Italic" font, which is part of the Basic 35 Postscript fonts, but not the Basic 14): %! · Public domain
- Name
- ITC Zapf Chancery
- Period
- 1979
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Documentary summary
ITC Zapf Chancery is a family of script typefaces designed by the German type designer Hermann Zapf and marketed by the International Typeface Corporation. It is one of the three typefaces designed by Zapf that are shipped with computers running Apple's Mac OS. It is also one of the core PostScript fonts.
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Authority files
wikidata · Q5974730 · wikipedia · ITC Zapf Chancery
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — ITC Zapf Chancery • Style — Script • Creator — Hermann Zapf • Releasedate — 1979 • Foundry — ITC
History
History
Zapf Chancery was announced in 1979 in six styles from light to bold, the demibold and bold styles being released without italics. It was named after the English name for a Renaissance handwriting style later adapted as an inspiration for early printing.
Variants and similar typefaces
Variants and similar typefaces
Like many typefaces of the period, imitations of Zapf Chancery were created for specific uses and by competing companies. URW Chancery L by URW (Unternehmensberatung Rubow Weber—from the founders' names now retitled URW++) provides a GPL-ed clone of the font. An extended version TeX Gyre Chorus is another similar typeface based on the URW Chancery L font. This typeface is released in formats compatible with LaTeX as well as with modern OpenType compatible systems.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Monotype Corsiva • Style — Script • Creator — Patricia Saunders • Foundry — Monotype A popular lookalike design has been Monotype Corsiva, by Patricia Saunders at the Monotype Corporation. Monotype at the time created or licensed many lookalike typefaces for Microsoft software with identical metrics to popular fonts, including Century Gothic, Arial and Book Antiqua, also a Zapf knockoff. Zapf resigned from ATypI (Association Typographique Internationale) over what he viewed as its hypocritical attitude toward unauthorized copying by prominent ATypI members, specifically Monotype. However, a court case concluded that Corsiva was sufficiently separate as a design to avoid payment of damages, noting that while the fonts were "similar", "the typeface is based upon 15th and 16th Century calligraphic designs from Rome and Venice. In fact, Ms. Saunders' research and work done on creating Corsiva was televised on the BBC program, Landmarks."

Medieval-style version of the "Shield of the Trinity" diagram of traditional western Christian symbolism, shown on a red shield. The three nodes at the edge of the diagram are labelled with the Latin-language names of the three persons of the
AnonMoos · This graphic was generated by means of the following PostScript code (note that this program references the "Zapf Chancery Medium Italic" font, which is part of the Basic 35 Postscript fonts, but not

Arms attributed to St Faith, Virgin and Martyr of Agen France, in the late medieval Harleian Manuscript 5852 (as reported in "On Sacred Heraldry" by E.L. Blackburne, attached as Appendix II to Emblems of the Saints, By which they are Distinguished in Works of Art by F.C. Husenbeth, edited by Augustus Jessopp, 3rd.ed. 1882). Consists of a yellow Shield of the Trinity diagram on a red shield (for a
AnonMoos at English Wikipedia · Own work- This graphic was generated by means of the following PostScript code (note that this program references the "Zapf Chancery Medium Italic" font, which is part of the Basic 35 Postscript fon
Chronology
Dated record
Chronology
Explore 1979–1980
The full dated record · 6 entries
1979
ITC Zapf Chancery first recorded.
1979
ITC Zapf Chancery is recorded from 1979.
1979
ITC Zapf Chancery was established or created in 1979.
1979
ITC Zapf Chancery Light, Medium, Demi and Bold, with Light and Medium Italic. (1979) is digitised and catalogued by Open Library.
1979
ITC Zapf Chancery Light, Medium, Demi and Bold, with Light and Medium Italic. digitised by Open Library.
1980
ITC Zapf Chancery. digitised by Open Library.
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “ITC Zapf Chancery”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q5974730: ITC Zapf Chancery
General reference · Wikidata
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Kathleen Carroll. RESPONSIBLE PARTY/HERMANN ZAPF; Written on Wall (And in Windows). New York Times. February 4, 2001.
- 2.Adobe Postscript 3. adobe.com.
- 3.Linotype. ITC Zapf Chancery.
- 4.Strizver, Ilene. The Story of Zapf Chancery. fonts.com.
- 5.MyFonts.com - URW
- 6.Simonson, Mark. Monotype's Other Arials. marksimonson.com. 21 February 2001.
- 7.Simonson, Mark. The Scourge of Arial. marksimonson.com. 21 February 2001.
- 8.Microsoft. Monotype Corsiva.
- 9.Monotype v. ITC. Open Jurist. F3d. 43. 443. 4 October 1994.
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ITC Zapf Chancery
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
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