Fundamentals
of Document Design | Historic Classifications |
| There are a number of historic type classifications, all of which fall under either the “serif” or “sans-serif” classification. The following is a brief description of the most important and generally accepted type categories in use today by printers, type designers, and foundries throughout the US and Europe. |
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Venitian Oldstyle Venetian roman typefaces from the late fifteenth century, were initially designed to imitate the handwriting of Italian Renaissance scholars. These typefaces originated as book type and, because of their clarity and legibility, are still being used for that purpose.Examples: Stempel Scheidler, Italia, ITC Berkeley Oldstyle, Padua
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Some of the most popular roman styles in use today. In the fifteenth century, Ventian printer Aldus Manutius helped to refine type design, creating the very first italic typeface. Italics were used as text type until the eighteenth century, eventually evolving into the current accepted usage as a supplement to roman. Claude Garamond was a sixteenth century French master printer whose type designs include some of the most readable serif typefaces for text. Examples: Bembo, Garamond, Minion, and Sabon
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Script typefaces often mimic handwriting techniques. They were first designed in Paris in 1643, and often imitate writing instruments such as the brush, broad-edged pen or pointed pen. They are special-purpose faces and are not generally used for body text in documents. Examples: ITC Zapf Chancery, Dom Casual, Legend, Flemish Script
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In the eighteenth century, for the first time, type designers began to use complex mathematical formulas as part of their design process. This period was transitional in that it used elements from the both “oldstyle” designs and the modern (Didone). Some of the best known type designers were active during this period. William Caslon based his designs on seventeenth century Dutch type and his work is still very much in use. John Baskerville, an admirer of Caslon's work, designed what is today one of the most popular English book faces. Both Caslon’s and Baskerville’s designs have consistently and successfully been used for text-extensive situations, usually as books because of their regularity and precision. Examples: Baskerville, Caslon, Times
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Modern type is characterized by its emphasis on strong verticals and fine hairlines, which creates a strong visual contrast on the page. In France, during the late eighteenth century, the Didot family took advantage of improvements in paper production, composition, and printing which allowed for these refinements in type design. The Italian printer Bodoni took these refinements further, developing numerous versions of his designs, and they quickly became popular throughout Europe. He increased the strength of his verticals and made hairlines even thinner, making them especially well suited to headings, title pages, and other situations where a heavy, yet elegant, style is desired. Examples: Bodoni, New Century Schoolbook, Monotype Modern, and Linotype Centennial, Walbaum
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The English thought that sans serif typefaces were awkward and unappealing because they lacked the traditional serif and were thus referred to as grotesque. Examples: Monotype Grotesque, and Franklin Gothic
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Examples: Univers and Helvetica
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Examples: Futura, and Eurostyle
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Examples: Gill Sans and Optima
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Slab serif typefaces, have strong, square, finishing strokes, and were first used in the early nineteenth century for advertising posters, flyers, and broadsides. Examples: Clarendon, Courier, Egyptienne and Glypha
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