Omniscreen was a Dutch screen printing company founded in 1953 by André Kwee, later renamed Omnimark in 1973. Its logo, created by Wim Crouwel of Total Design, is a notable example of Dutch modernist graphic design from the early 1960s.
Design and History
Omniscreen was established in 1953 by André Kwee as a screen printing company. The name combined “Omni” (from Greek, meaning “everything”) with “screen,” referring to screen printing. The company specialized in applying logos and text to vehicles and other surfaces using self-adhesive foil, a technique Kwee introduced to the Netherlands after discovering it at a US trade fair in 1960.[1]
Wim Crouwel, co-founder of the Amsterdam design studio Total Design, offered to design a new logo for Omniscreen. Crouwel had come to know André Kwee through their mutual acquaintance Kho Liang-Ie, and the two had collaborated on projects including the PAM corporate identity and signage for Schiphol Airport.[2]
The Total Design archive records a house style program for Omniscreen dated 1963, attributed to Wim Crouwel.[3] The logo was drawn by Jack Jacobs, Crouwel’s assistant at Total Design, working with ruler, compass and pencil, as no digital tools existed at the time.[2]
In 1973, André Kwee renamed the company Omnimark, reflecting the growing focus on applying brand markings to vehicle fleets. The logo continued in use under the new name. Years later, Ben Bos, also of Total Design, was given permission by Crouwel to respectfully adjust “his” logo for Omnimark.[2]
Meaning and Symbolism
The letter “o” is central to the Omniscreen logo and also represents the iris of the eye, because Omniscreen’s work was about visual identity.[2] The original first sketch for the logo by Wim Crouwel is preserved in the NAGO archive.[2]
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