Kabel was named in honor of a transatlantic telephone cable completed in 1926. The typeface was designed by German designer Rudolph Koch and released in 1927 as a metal typeface by the Klingspor foundry in Germany. Kabel is a geometric sans-serif design. It appears to have been part of a design trend in Germany, which at the time had already yielded one other geometric sans-serif design, such as Erbar, Futura, and Berthold Grotesque, among others that were in development. It was a successful metal type design, and by 1932, Kabel and Kabel Bold were both shown in Hamilton’s wood-type catalog. Our sample “Modern” is an 8-line type Kabel Bold from Hamilton.

In addition to its geometric origin, Kabel is characterized by classical and even calligraphic influences that combine to yield a unique, less rigid look than some other geometric typefaces. Kabel retains the 30-degree rotation of the lowercase “e” from an earlier era, and most linear strokes end in an eight-degree slant to perpendicular. These features, among others, give Kabel its special look. It has enjoyed popularity over the years, where millions of people saw it every day. People of all ages should recognize it from two widely seen applications: the NBC logo that appears on your TV station and the name in the middle of the Monopoly board. Kabel has also been used for TV shows, movie titles, and product and store names.