Typography legend revives a font family How the creation of the Miller font brought back the Scotch romans and changed newspapers forever atthew Carter, whom the New Yorker dubbed “the most widely read man in M 1 the world” , designed the Miller font, as well as many others including Georgia, Tahoma, Centennial Bell, and Verdana. Miller is descended Matthew Carter in 2014, Christopher Lewis photo [CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)] from the “Scotch Roman” class of are still used today. “Miller & Rich- weight has its own italic, small caps, fonts, which were very popular in ard Oldstyle” and its boldface later and italic small caps. Miller and its America in the 19th century. It is clas- became known as “Century Oldstyle” variants are used in the Washington sified as a transitional serif, meaning and “Bookman”, respectively. Post, Glamour, Hindustan Times, the that its features fall in between old Guardian, the Boston Globe, and the style traditional fonts and modern Carter began his career cutting letter Dallas Morning News. In newspa- fonts. John Baskerville was one of the punches by hand as an unpaid ap- pers, it is commonly used for head- most influential type designers in the prentice and later designed fonts by lines. However, in magazines its more transitional period, which began in hand in the 1960s. In the 70s, AT&T likely to be seen in body text. A 2004 the 18th century. commissioned him to create Bell study listed miller as the #10 most Centennial, which was subsequently popular font in US newspapers3. Miller has balled terminals on its 2 used in millions of phone books . When he was featured in the New lowercase a, c, f, g, j, r, and y; as well Still, he was relatively unknown out- as on 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, and 9. Its serifs are Yorker in 2005, Carter began getting side his profession, even after creat- recognition for his years of work. prominent and bracketed. The de- ing Verdana, Georgia, and Miller. scenders of 7 and 9 extend well below In 2010 he received a MacArthur 4 the baseline, and 6 Carter was curious about Grant . The next year he received a sits slightly high; Carter began his the disappearance of lifetime achievement award from floating above the Scotch Roman fonts, and the Smithsonian Institute, given to baseline and with career cutting let- had begun planning a a distinguished individual who has the ascender taller ter punches by new one when Microsoft made lasting contributions to design than the cap height. asked him to create new practice. “Matthew has made our It looks similar hand as an unpaid fonts for its 1996 release world more legible, more sustainable, to Georgia, but is apprentice. of Internet Explorer 4.0. and more design-friendly,” said actor intended for print This font, also inspired Matthew Modine, who presented the whereas Georgia by the Scotch Roman award. “His commitment to improv- was intended for the low-resolution tradition, was to become Georgia. Af- ing type is an amazing example of computer screens of the time. Both ter completing Georgia, Carter went how design can impact daily life.” are owned and distributed by Carter back to working on Miller, which he Notes & Cone. completed the following year. Carter and others have also designed several 1. Alex Wilkinson, “Man of Letters,” The New The name “Miller” honors William variants including Miller Display, Yorker, December 2005, p. 56 2. Jan Middendorp, “Matthew Carter,” Creative Miller, who established the Miller Miller Headline, Miller Banner, and & Richard Type Foundry in End- Characters 74 October 2013 Miller Daily. Relative to the regular 3.Bill Davis, “Fonts on the Front Page” (As- inburgh, Scotland in 1809. This text version, these variants increase cender Coroporation, 2004) foundry was in operation until 1952, in weight and density in order to 4. “The most-read man in the world,” The Economist, December 2010 and some of its most popular fonts grab attention in headlines. Each 1.