Graphite was designed by David Siegel, who began thinking about the typeface in 1982, looking for an architect's handwriting with a chiselled pencil" look. The handwriting of San Francisco architect Anthony Celis LaRosa became Siegel's choice. With the assistance of David Berlow and Tom Rickner, Graphite was designed and released as a multiple master typeface with weight and width axes that allow for its use in a dynamic range from light condensed to black extended. Graphite is an upright script with simple lines, and is usable in a large variety of informal copysetting situations."