BODONI
Bodoni: The Designer A twenty-eight-year-old Gambattistia Bodoni was asked to take charge of the Stamperia Reale, the official press of Ferdinand, Duke of Parma. Bodoni accepted and became the private printer to the court. He printed official documents and publications desired by the Duke, in addition to projects conceived and initiated by Bodoni. His initial design influence was Fournier le Jeune, whose foundry supplied type and ornaments to the Stamperia Reale after Bodoni took charge.
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The quality of Bodoni’s design and printing, even though scholarship and proofreading were sometimes lacking, created a growing international reputation. In 1790, the Vatican invited Bodoni to Rome to establish a press for printing the classics there, but the Duke countered with and offer of expanded facility and a privilege of printing for other clients. Bodoni elected to remain in Parma.1
Bodoni | DESIGNER
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s s wa oni’ e d e h s, Bo n th ce of l o n n e ica t at flu riso th ent tinc n i is i ns id pa e es om esig ally re d on c th a d ls tu od ite st. A two vir ere d B ery vea p r h an re yi es sv t’s ea . T t d cop ido pp ple rk, sign tion re in e a o a a inta Y ta D y am ir w s de min ns o a a o t x m t e he ot’ xa n o lm n e iti pe l ty rfac rfec in t Did se e ans sti oh J s . r s ; f e f t u l o d i e l s o a a p ariti udie a c ight ser ting ce rk ide is e his ke il ut st wo i’st g offi c sim rely lly, b i’s w nd ra he don tin id t n a fb g, Bo prin i d r su refu do ual o n o on ate ou as st ca t B rad ree a g s y ed s fir Bod In l isian ed eg h a , r r. w erv nc , in f t ore ht d hi a a e e i e P s u m lig o h le s ned arm rn at ay rk n u l nfl as he ervi ope of P Fo gre ot, i alw wo s W sk s m i e e d e i a th h k h ro Ba en Du pe f k of ois D ni w on h e . o r t c y h w t od en ries wo an rt h fo wit the r, Fr ly. B end ora l so ars, tito tica dep mp e e a e y mp am ner, ont dr an er c co m m hi me bold o r, s he ot
Origins of the Typeface
2 Bodoni | ORIGINS
There is even hint of “old style” in Bodoni’s work.
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He followed Didot’s lead, carefully evaluating the designs of his great competitor, consciously remaining, however, always just slightly behind the radical modernism of his contemporary. Perhaps this explains to some degree the longevity of
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Bodoni’s type designs. They were radical enough to be considered new and different (to establish for Bodoni an important and influential place in current typographic circles), but not so different that they became the 18th-century versions of fad designs.2
bracket
serif
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1. Baskerville 2. Didot 3. Bodoni MT
ORIGINS | Bodoni
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Characteristics of the Typeface Bodoni created typefaces and typography to impress the eye. His designs were studied efforts meant to be seen as well as read. Few would deny that Bodoni’s typefaces are beautiful; unfortunately, few would say they are also easy to read. By current standards, his designs are, in fact, the antithesis of what an easily readable typeface should be. His goal was not to create tyopgraphy to be appreciated by the masses. His books and other printing exercises were large regal efforts meant to be looked upon and appreciated as works of art, rather than
as mere pieces of communication.3
4 Bodoni | CHARACTERISTICS
Aa Qd 7
cap height
8
2
x-height
4
3
baseline
1
5
6
1. Abrupt slab serif without bracket
5. Curled tails
2. Stark contrast between thick and thin strokes
6. Capital letters sit directly on baseline
3. Small apature (that’s the gap!)
7. Vertical stress in letters
4. Ball terminals
8. Some serifs have a slight dip
CHARACTERISTICS | Bodoni
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Variation within the Typeface
Bodoni MT is a type family, and within every type family are multiple fonts. Bodoni MT has seven fonts in its family. As the font gets bolder, the contrast between the strokes grows even more intense. 1
2
Notice how the ball terminal on the lowercase “f� remains pronounced making an interesting counter shape between the terminal and the stem.
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1. Bodoni MT Regular 2. Bodoni MT Italic 3. Bodoni MT Bold 4. Bodoni MT Ultra Bold
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Bodoni | CHARACTERISTICS
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BODONI
TYP E FA M I LY
{
If used carefully, Bodoni type can create typography
Dazzling contrast Dazzling contrast Dazzling contrast Dazzling contrast Dazzling contrast Dazzling Contrast Bodoni MT Regukar
Bodoni MT Italic
Bodoni MT Bold
Bodoni MT Bold Italic
Bodoni MT Ultra Bold
Bodoni MT Ultra Bold Italic
that is exceptionally beautiful, even elegant, but not particularly easy to read. If used poorly, Bodoni’s extreme weight contrast and vertical stress can cause a typographic effect, “dazzling,” which is
visually uninviting and exceptionally disruptive to the reading process.4
CHARACTERISTICS | Bodoni 7
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Comparisons There are three main categoies of type: old style, transitional, and modern. Since Bodoni is a modern typeface, here it is compared to a transitional and contemporary typeface. Baskerville is a transitional typeface created in 1757, while Bodoni is a modern typeface created by Giambattista Bodoni 2
in 1788. Filosophia is a contemporary revival of Bodoni created in 1996. When comparing these three typefaces, we can see the evolution of type from the thick and heavy strokes and bracketed serifs of old style transforming to the high-contrast strokes and abrupt serifs of modern Bodoni. In the contemporary font we see a softening of some of the harsh endges and contrast.
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Bodoni | COMPARISONS
BASKERVILLE
BODONI MT
FILOSOPHIA 1
2
1. The high contrast of the strokes 3. becomes much more intense over time and then balances out 2. The terminal gets thicker at first and more square. It then softens
3
The serif loses the brackets and becomes squared at the edges. The more recent version gains a softer edge and is slightly bracketed
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5
4. The counter space becomes more vertical and then tilts 5. The stroke of the bowl becomes more varried in width
COMPARISONS | Bodoni
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Distinguished Letters
WWW
The gap in the “g� closes up between Baskerville and Bodoni
1
2
3
The serfs join up on the Bodoni W and the strokes criss-cross. The Baskerville W is more similar to an upside down Bodoni M.
1. Basvkerville
i
2. Bodoni MT 3. Filosophia
The counters on the O narrow greatly from Baskerville to Bodoni.
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Bodoni | COMPARISONS
The first modern revival of Bodoni was by Morris Fuller Benton and drawn in 1910 for the American Type Founders Company (ATF). Benton chose the
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Bodonis of the Past & Present
best qualities from several examples of work printed by Bodoni, so his font is more of an interpretation.
The ATF design was a success, however, influenced Linotype, Monotype (Bodoni MT), Haas, Stemple, and Bertold, all type design foundries in the 1920s and 30s. Bauer Bodoni, created in 1926 is the only design that is not a close copy or interpreation of Benton’s work.5
Bodoni Comparison: Linotype, Bauer, Berthold, ITC 5
The ITC Bodoni, digitized in 1994-95 under the direction of Sumner Stone, are the closest of all the revivals to Bodoni’s mature style. There are three versions, based on 6, 12 and 72 pt originals.
Filosophia is another new Bodoni design that rounds out the serifs and decreases the contrast in the strokes. It also returns to some characteristics of older Bodonis.
ITC Bodoni: 6, 12, 72
COMPARISONS | Bodoni
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References 1. Philip B. Meggs, A History of Graphic Design. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 199. p. 124. 2. Alexander S. Lawson, Anatomy of a Typeface. Boston: D.R. Godine, 1990. p.46, 48. 3. Alexander S. Lawson, Anatomy of a Typeface. Boston: D.R. Godine, 1990. p. 46, 49, 50. 4. Robert Bringhurst, The Elements of Typographic Style. Point Roberts, WA: Hartley & Marks, 1992. p. 217, 218.
This book was made by Alissa Millenson, a student at Washington University in St. Louis Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Art on December 8, 2010. This book was set in Bodoni MT, Neutraface 2 Text, Filosophia, and Baskerville. This project was part of Typography 1 for the Communication Design major.