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Blech – "tin" in German – by Berlin designer Vitalj Meier is a slick two-dimensional ribbon-like font that is an interpretation of three-dimensional metal curlings. The result is a display font that impossibly sublimes the hard with the fragile, at once coldly futuristic and elegant. Available in three weights Plain, Outline, and Shadow with Standard, Central European, Cyrillic, and Pro packages, this font from the Russian-born Meier is also Gestalten's first Cyrillic package from a native Eastern European designer.

Hailing originally from Eastern Europe, Vitalij Meier is a freelance graphic designer working in Berlin since 2000. His inspiration stems from visual chaos - the unimportant details that fulfill a certain function in a constantly changing world. He is a graduate of the Design Akademie Berlin and the co-founder of the Advertising Agency ISKRA.

www.iskra-design.com

Your name/Company name and a brief introduction:
My name is Vitalij Meier and I have been working as a freelance graphic designer in Berlin for 10 years.

A short description about the font:
"Blech” is simultaneously a plastic and massive font for alternative design projects.

What was the main idea behind designing the font?
“Blech” means “tin” in German. As the name already suggests, the idea was to represent the three-dimensional twists of a metal strip in a two-dimensional way.

How would you describe your style?
I would describe my style as “mathematically interpreted.“ I try to logically substantiate each idea or design approach and to formulate it like a mathematical equation.

How did you come up with the name of the font?
The font reflects the behaviour and the characteristic style of a metal strip; therefore there was no other alternative to the name “Blech”.

What inspires you?
Mostly I am inspired by the visual chaos which is all around us and which as a rule is subject to a range of laws. I am convinced that every unimportant detail fulfills a certain function in this constantly changing whole matter. Ideas that have occurred by chance are just as valuable as stylistic solutions to problems which have been planned for some time.

Which is the bigger challenge for you: Working on your own personal project or for a client with a strict briefing?
It is always easier to move in a predefined environment. For me, it is always problematic having to decide on one of many possibilities. A clearly defined briefing makes it easier on the search for the right idea.

Do you have a specific working routine? What would be the ideal conditions for you to work in?
You can work in nearly every situation. It is only the necessary technical support that can have an influence on this. However, a piece of paper and a pencil are nearly always there at the start of a design project.

What would be the ideal use for your font?
It is very difficult to say where you should implement “Blech.“ The font was not developed for a specific purpose, but rather to offer an additional design element. The plastic character of the font would definitely fit into some design concepts.

How would you describe the state your handwriting is in?
My handwriting reflects the state of mind I am in at the time. When I am relaxed then I also write very calmly and round. The more I start to hurry, the more my handwriting becomes jagged and not so nice.

Where does the font end, where does the image begin? Is there a border to draw?
A font, I think, is subject to strict visual and technical rules. The image, on the other hand, tries to break all rules. For this reason, these two related mediums remain separate for me.

Your future plans/projects?
I hope that I will have enough time and desire to work on my own projects. I’m sure however that these writings and the typography will remain a large topic for each of my projects.