Bühler Buchdruck is the historical letterpress printing identity of Bühler Druck AG, a Swiss printing company founded in 1918 and based in Zürich before relocating to Volketswil. The mark is attributed to Swiss graphic designer Albert Rüegg (1902–1986), who created it in 1940.[1]
Design and History
Bühler Druck AG was registered in the Swiss commercial register on 17 October 1918, and operated from Gutenbergstrasse 6 in Zürich from that year.[2][3] The company later moved to Schwerzenbach in early 2010 and subsequently to its current location in Volketswil.[4]
The “Bühler Buchdruck” symbol was originally designed by Albert Rüegg in 1940.[1] Rüegg was a Zürich-born painter, graphic artist and poster designer who completed his graphic design apprenticeship at the printing company J.E. Wolfensberger in Zürich between 1918 and 1922, studied at the Munich School of Applied Arts from 1922 to 1924, and worked as an independent graphic designer from 1925.[5][6]
A Swiss trademark registered on 3 September 1991 under number 395841 for Bühler Druck AG lists the mark as a “Fabrikationsmarke” (manufacturing mark) with a colour claim of blue/red (blau/rot). The trademark was later deleted from the register on 6 July 2024.[7]
Meaning and Symbolism
Documented symbolism for the Bühler Buchdruck mark is limited. The logo database entry describes the mark as having a rounded shape with a reflection effect, categorised among “reflection logos” and “rounded logos.”[1]
Typography and Design
Rüegg’s broader artistic style was strongly figurative and influenced by expressionism, with paintings often composed of clear geometric or cubic shapes.[5] The only verifiable colour information comes from the 1991 Swiss trademark registration, which claims blue and red.[7]
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