evolutionevolution of ofserif serif type type e p y t if r se of on ti u aol evolution of serif type For Katherine evolution of serif type contents history of old-style serif type history of transitional serif type history of modern serif type history of slab serif type § evolution of serif type timeline old-style serif transitional serif modern serif slab serif 1540 1757 1798 1815 evolution of serif type introduction to serif type Serif fonts are a category of typeface characterized by small details in the form of tiny lines or hooks at the tops and bottoms of certain letters. These details are called serifs. One of the most commonly recognized serif fonts is Times New Roman. The four types of serif fonts are old style, transitional, modern and slab serif. Serif fonts are often recognized as easier to read than sans serif fonts; the term for the kind of font that does not have serifs. Therefore, serif fonts are considered somewhat better than sans serif fonts for body text. A common rule of thumb when selecting typography is to use a sans serif font for the header text and a serif font for the body text. evolution of serif type an introduction to old style serif type evolution of serif type Old style serif fonts are the oldest type of serif font. Old style serif fonts are charac- terized by only moderate transitions between the thinner and thicker parts of the stroke with a diagonal stress, meaning that the thinnest parts of strokes are on a diagonal. Old style fonts work well for body text. Examples of old style fonts are Garamond, Palatino, Goudy Old Style and Minion. evolution of serif type life of Claude Garamond evolution of serif type Born in Paris, France in 1490, Garamond started his career as an apprentice for the Parisian punch-cutter and printer Antoine Augereau in 1510. It was during this early part of the 16th century that Garamond and his peers found that the typography industry required unique multi-talented people. This way they could produce fine books. Many of the printers during that time were able to master all or most of the artistic and technical skills of book production from type design to bookbinding. Claude Garamond was first to specialize in type design, punch cutting and type-founding in Paris as a service to many famous publishers. After a decade of success with his work shown all over Europe, King Francois I of France commissioned Garamond to produce a Greek typeface. This typeface later became known as ‘Grecs du Roi.’ Claude Garamond’s contribution to typography is vast. He created perfection in the type that he crafted throughout his life and it is through the publication of books like Pia et Religiosa Meditatio that we experience the beauty of his old-style fonts. evolution of serif type an introduction to garamond type evolution of serif type Garamond is the name given to a group of old style typefaces named after the punch-cutter Claude Garamond (c. 1480-1561). Most of the Garamond faces are more closely related to the work of a later punch-cutter, Jean Jannon. A direct relationship between Garamonds letterforms and contemporary type can be found in the roman versions of the typefaces of Adobe Garamond, Granjon, Sabon, and Stempel Garamond. Garamond’s letterforms convey a sense of fluidity and consistency. Some unique characteristics in his letters are the small bowl of the a (a) and the small eye of the e (e). Long extenders and top serifs have a downward slope. Garamond is considered to be among the most legible and readable serif typefaces for use in print (offline) applica- tions. It has also been noted to be one of the most eco-friendly major fonts when it comes to ink usage. evolution of serif type an introduction to transitional serif type evolution of serif type serif fonts in the transitional style fall between the old style and the modern style. Transitional serif fonts are characterized by a horizontal stress, unlike the old style which features a diagonal stress, and have a moderately higher contrast between the thinner and the thicker parts of strokes than old style fonts. Transitional fonts are quite common and include Times New Roman and Baskerville. They are considered to be a neutral font and work well for body text. evolution of serif type the life of John Baskerville evolution of serif type John Baskerville was born in 1706 at Sion Hill, Wolverley, Worcester, England. By 1723, he had become a writing master and skilled engraver of gravestones. In 1740 he started a very successful varnishing business in Burmingham and within a decade he became a very wealthy man. Around 1750, he begun experimenting with paper making, ink manufacturing, type founding, and printing, and around 1754 Baskerville produced his first typeface. Three years later in 1757, Baskerville published his first work, the Virgil, which was followed by some fifty other classics. In 1758, he became a printer to Cambridge University, where on July 4, 1763 he published his masterpiece, a folio Bible, which was printed using his own typeface, ink and paper. The use of heated copper cylinders to give a crisp finish to the printed pages indicates the unusual effort he would make to achieve excellence in printing. He died January 8, 1775. evolution of serif type an introduction to baskerville font evolution of serif type an introduction to baskerville type Baskerville’s typeface is classified as ‘transitional,’ positioned between the typefaces of William Caslon (old style); and Giambattista Bodoni and Firman Didot (Modern). Baskerville designed type with great delicacy and visual eloquence. In spite of being surrounded by the ostentatious ornamental style of his generation Baskerville chose simplicity and quiet refinemant both in type design and in his printing. His tastefully composed pages of type have the elegant appeal of superior design. As a designer, Baskerville’s guiding principle was clarity and this attention to superior design is quite evident in the continued popularity of his typeface design today. evolution of serif type history of modern serif type evolution of serif type Modern serif fonts are characterized by a high contrast between the thinnest and thickest parts of strokes and have very thin serifs, often hairline thin. The modern serif font style is not connected to how recent the font was developed. The modern style first appeared in the late 1700’s. Of the different serif fonts, it is the most decorative and the least suitable for body text. Common examples are Bodoni and Didot. evolution of serif type the life of Giambattista Bodoni evolution of serif type Giambattista Bodoni was born on February 16, 1740 in Saluzzo Italy. He was an Italian engraver, publisher, printer and typographer of high repute remembered for designing a family of typefaces called Bodoni. Bodoni worked for a time as an apprentice in the Vatican’s Propaganda File Printing House in Rome. There, it was said that he impressed his superiors with his eagerness to learn and to master the ancient languages and types. Consequently he was allowed to place his own name on his first books, a Coptic Missal and a version of the Tibetan Alphabet. After Bodoni recuperated from his struggle with malaria he was hired by Duke Ferdinand of Bourbon-Parma to organize a printing house. Bodoni created specimen books publicizing the house which were very well received by the upper classes of European capitals. evolution of serif type an introduction to bondoni type evolution of serif type Bodoni is a series of serif typefaces first designed by Giambattista Bodoni (1740-1813) in 1798. He followed the ideas of John Baskerville; that of increased stroke contrast and a more vertical, slightly condensed, upper case, but taking them to a more extreme conclusion. Bodoni had a long career and his designs evolved and differed, ending with a typeface of narrower underlying structure with flat, unbracketed serifs, extreme contrast between thick and thin strokes, and an overall geometric construction. Though these later designs are rightfully called ‘modern,’ his earlier designs are ‘transitional.’ Among digital versions, there are two good examples of the earlier, transitional period; Sumner Stone’s ITC Bodoni, and Günther Lange’s ‘Bodoni Old Face’ for Berthold. Virtually all other versions are based on Bodoni’s more extreme later design. evolution of serif type an introduction to slab serif type evolution of serif type Slab serif fonts are almost like the serif form of the sans serif, in that the strokes are generally of equal weight or have very little variation, and the serifs are thick and often angular. Slab serifs tend to be good for body text. Some slab serif fonts are monospace, such as Courier. All the letters and spaces in a monospace font are the same, making them excellent for coding or in any situation in which uniformity is desired. Examples of the slab serif style are Rockwell, Courier and Clarendon. evolution of serif type life of Frank Hinman Pierpont evolution of serif type Frank Hinman Pierpont was born in 1860 in New Haven, Connecticut and died in 1937 in London, England. He was a Connecticut engineer who moved to London and headed the Monotype Corporation Matrix factory and Drawing Office from early in the 20th century until 1936. He was responsible for the high level of quality of the Mono- type Corporation typefaces of the time. evolution of serif type introduction to Rockwell type evolution of serif type Rockwell is a serif typeface belonging to the classification slab serif, or Egyptian, where the serifs are unbracketed and similar in weight to the horizontal strokes of the letters.