Font Analysis

Zapfino is a calligraphic font designed by Hermann Zapf, it is based on his original alphabet he designed in 1944, however Zapfino was designed in 1998. Apple use the font in Mac OS X and  iOS which has developed over time to include 1400 glyphs.

Zapf worked with Donald Knuth and David Siegel on a mathematic font called AMS Euler, Siegel wanted to continue working with him and create another font. Zapf referred to old sketches from 1944 and a font from 1948 called Stempel he was unable to make due to metal limitations. So after discussion they decided to develop the complicated software to create this font Zapfino. However Siegel abandoned the project due to heartache and Zapf had to show Linotype the work, which fortunately took it up and finished it with him. It was released in 1998.

This is an old style font, where form was pushed further than function, because of its stems and line movement. Although it is legible and readable, it is decorative with the extended curved stems and serifs.

This font has good cultural codes of an old classic age because of the serifs. Also the script style makes it connate a handwritten font that care and attention has gone into it. In reality Zapf was able to create these fonts with his hand and talent. Bayer disagrees, 'the manual skill and approach of the craftsman was seen to be inevitably replaced by mechanical techniques', which can be truthful in a sense however all fonts start with a hand rendered idea that then develops into digital. 

http://www.linotype.com/5667/theartofhermannzapf.html