The German designer Thomas Hofmann created the font in 1994. Linotype HoTom is part of the Take Type Library, which features winners of Linotype's International Digital Type Design Contest from 1994 to 1997. The historical roots of this font are easily traced to the slab serif style. HoTom was originally intended as a lettering system for a project in the center of the old East Berlin. This explains the stable, angular characters and the consistent rectangular base forms, which also makes HoTom a very legible font, suitable for longer texts. Linotype HoTom is part of the Linotype Library. HoTom is a trademark of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG, which may be registered in certain jurisdictions, exclusively licensed through Linotype GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG.