Silesianum

The Monitor typeface, designed by Henryk Sakwerda (1942–2017) is one of the most compelling yet underrated works of Polish typography from the second half of the 20th century. Created in 1986 with phototypesetting technology in mind, it was designed on strictly defined character widths, a constraint that had a significant impact on its form. Monitor was developed onli in a Regular weight and was never fully realized within later technological contexts. For nearly three years, Mateusz Machalski together with a team consisting of Weronika Kanigowska, Karol Mularczyk, Małgorzata Bartosik, and Borys Kosmynka, have been working on a contemporary interpretation of the typeface. Thanks to Robert Chwałowski, who scanned Sakwerda’s original drawings, it was possible to prepare a “version 0” closely based on the source materials. This reconstruction served as the foundation for a full digitization, further development, and expansion of the family to include Medium, SemiBold, and Bold weights, as well as an italic. The biggest challenge was preserving the sharp organic texture of the letterforms – an expression of Henryk Sakwerda’s exceptional calligraphic mastery. We believe that had it not been for the shift in technology, Monitor might have achieved widespread recognition. Today, sixty years later, it returns as Silesianum, a typeface ready for contemporary use, restoring an important chapter in the history of Polish typography. Design team: Mateusz Machalski, Henryk Sakwerda, Karol Mularczyk, Weronika Kanigowska, Małgorzata Bartosik & Borys Kosmynka