The period after World War I was particularly characterised by the establishment of the University in Ljubljana. As the number of important institutions in the Ljubljana region increased, so did the number of intellectuals, cultural workers and students. The bourgeoisie’s role in society was increasingly important, which brought about a change in the visual image of the city itself.1 What also contributed to this changing image was the collapse of the monarchy, as the language used in public signs, names and slogans was no longer German, but Slovenian. As society began to change, so did the visual image of posters.

An important influence on Slovenian graphic design was the Vesna art club, established in 1903 by South Slav students in Vienna.1 The members of the club, which was active for only a short period of time, were inspired by folk tradition and art, and spread their design ideas also through posters.

As the role of the city and its events was ever more prominent, posters–along with newspapers–became the most important means of communication. They responded to events, phenomena and social changes. In the first half of the 20th century, Slovenes were beginning to understand that advertising was “an integral part of the functioning of modern economy”.2

The posters from that period can be divided into three notable groups: propaganda posters, event posters and commercial posters (Kordiš). Propaganda posters relied on their content, slogans written in Slovene, and national iconography to raise national and cultural consciousness, and also reflected large social changes and events. Event posters provided information on various events that raised the cultural awareness of citizens–most notably the Ljubljana fair, cinema projections, exhibitions and sporting events. Last but not least, commercial posters informed the society on values, such as beauty, health and lifestyle, and brought the citizens attention to a better standard of living and well-being.

Technological development was also a major factor in the development of Slovenian posters. The photolithographic printing technique using masks made it possible to use colour illustrations, paving the way for the first golden era of Slovenian posters.3

At the time, there were no academies in Slovenia with a curriculum on visual design, and the first posters were therefore designed by students who studied abroad, mostly in Austria and Italy. Consequently, the influences of individual countries and art styles can also be observed in the very approach to design. When the faculty of Architecture of the University of Ljubljana was established, many students focused on poster design as well.4 Another important aspect of poster design were art styles of the turn of the 20th century, when organic forms and pompous decorations of the Secession gave way to new avant-garde ideas that fostered a deep appreciation for simple forms with no unnecessary decorations and exaggeration. Simplicity and functionality prevailed.

Typefaces are a reflection of their time.

The turn of the 20th century saw a rise in the use of sans serif fonts, whose shapes were designed in line with the industrial development. The influence of Bauhaus is also evident from typographic guidelines: it was the sans serif fonts with no unnecessary decoration that were considered “beautiful and modern”. Typefaces were increasingly respected for their simplicity, clean and fresh visual appearance, and good legibility.

International classification labels early sans serif typefaces as grotesque. The first sans serif typefaces were made in larger sizes and bold lines, and were used in shorter texts. One of the most distinguished font foundries at the time was the German foundry Berthold, which heavily influenced the styles of typefaces used in that period.

The 20th century offered Slovenian designers the opportunity to earn greater recognition for Slovenian designs. The typefaces that were used on posters in the interwar period, however, were not pressed with movable type in letterpress technique, but were mostly drawn by artists and adapted to the medium and printing technique.