A graduate of the St. Joost Academy in Breda, where he received private tutoring from widely respected Dutch letter designer Chris Brands. Also attended the Rijksacademie in Amsterdam. Since the 1990s, Knip has operated a design studio in Amsterdam. Although he has designed several typefaces for use in print, his real passion is the environmental use of lettering. Recently, Knip and his brother Edgar formed a new company, Gebroeders Knip, which produces furniture and accessories in which letterforms are integral parts of the object's design.