bodoni a b r i e f h i s t o ry
“The letters don’t get their true delight when done in haste & discomfort, nor merely done with diligence & pain, but first when they are created with love and passion.” — Giambattista Bodoni
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ABCDEFGHIJKLM NOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLM NOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
de signer At twenty-eight years old, Giambattista 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
b ow l
cap height
x- h e ig h t
stem
the Stamperia Reale after Bodoni took charge. The quality of Bodoni’s design and printing, although sometimes lacking in scholarship and proofreading, created a growing international reputation. In 1790, the Vatican invited Bodoni to Rome to establish a press for printing the classics, but the Duke countered with an offer of expanded facility and the privilege of printing for other clients. Bodoni elected to remain in Parma.
counter
serif
terminal
C l as s ic
c harac t e r i s t ic s
4
Bodoni created typefaces and typography to impress the eye. 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. Bodoni’s goal, however, was not to create typography that would be appreciated by the masses. His books and other printing exercises were large regal efforts to be looked upon and appreciated as works of art rather than as mere pieces of communication.
Bodoni is characterized by hairline serifs, strong thick-and-thin stroke contrast, and abrupt weight changes. Cupped top serifs, ball shaped terminals, and thin, ovular counters futher contribute to the typeface’s elegant appearance. When used carefully, the type creates typography 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 “dazzling” effect which is visually uninviting and disruptive to the reading process.
t h i c k to thin Maximum Contrast
r o u n d t e r m i n a ls
u n b r ac k e t e d hairline serifs
Bodoni’s ver y thin serifs, as seen in the letter x, are referred to as hair lines, the minimum thickness for serifs.
The combinations of ball shapes and cur ved stroke ends in the letters f and j exemplify Bodoni’s rounded terminals.
cupped serifs
The stroke tops of Bodoni’s lowercase letters have a slight upward bow, as demonstrated by the letter b.
ov u l a r c o u n t e r s
The enclosed shapes of negative space in the letters g and q are representative of Bodoni’s oval-shaped counters.
or igins
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Bodoni was no revolutionary. The modern roman style attributed to him, did not, as many would believe, spring forth as if by magic. When he was young, the work of John Basker ville ser ved as his ideal. In later years, the work of his great Parisian competitor, Francois Didot, influenced him dramatically. Despite these influences, he was not a copyist, as exemplified by a comparison of Bodoni’s type to Didot’s — two designs
that on the surface appear virtually identical. There are distinct similarities in their work, but Bodoni’s weight transitions are more gradual and his serifs still maintain a slight degree of bracketing. He carefully evaluated the designs of his great competitor, consciously remaining, however, ever so slightly behind the radical modernism of his contemporary. Perhaps this explains, to some degree, the longevity of Bodoni’s type designs.
b od o ni
didot
b a s k e rv i l l e
Bodoni has narrow letters, large contrast between thick and thin, closed metric kerning, and dark color. Didot has wide letters, extreme thicks and thins, open kerning, open leading, and light color. Baskerville has wide letters, bracketed serifs, less contrast of thick and thin, and diagonal extension.
comparisons
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Bodoni was one of the most prolific type designers and considered an archromantic. His hundreds of faces embrace considerable variety, and the revivals issued in his name reflect only a tiny part of this legacy. 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. Other favorites are the Bodoni cut by Louis Hoell for the
Bauer Foundr y, Frankfurt, in 1924, and the Berthold Foundr y version, produced in 1930. The Bodoni type style is not an allpurpose workhorse. It is, rather, a highstrung thoroughbred. Most interpretations are exceptionally handsome designs that perform best within a narrow range of functions, but in these they perform like few others can.
bodoni mt
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
itc bodoni 72
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
bodoni mt italic
T he quick bro wn fox jumps o v er the lazy do g.
itc bodoni 72 italic
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
bodoni mt Italic is closer to vertical, shows gradual changes in stroke width, and has straight stroke ends.
itc bodoni 72 Italic has greater contrast in stroke widths, rounded stroke ends, and distinctly ballshaped terminals.
bi bliography
Haley, Allan. Typographic Milestones. New York:
Lawson, Alexander S. Anatomy of a Typeface.
Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1992.
Boston: D.R. Godine, 1990.
(SC: Z250 A2 H18 1992 4o)
(SC: Z250 L34 1990)
Bringhurst, Robert. The Elements of Typographic
Cleland, T. M. Giambattista Bodoni of Parma.
Style. Vancouver: Hartley and Marks,1997.
Boston: Society of Printers, 1916.
(A&A: Z246 B745 1996 and Vault)
(SC: Z232 B66 C5)
Jaspert, W. Pincus. The Encyclopaedia of Typefaces.
Bodoni, Giambattista. Preface to the Manuale
Poole, Dorset: Blandford Press; New York: Distributed
Tipografico of 1818, translated by H. V. Marrot,
in the U.S. by Sterling, 1983. (SC: Z250 J36 1983)
London: Lion & Unicorn Press, 1953.
Revival of the Fittest: Digital Versions of Classic
Bodoni, Giambattista. Manuale Tipografico, 1788.
Typefaces, essays by Carolyn Annand...[et al.];edited
Facsimile a cura de Giovanni Mardersteig, Verona:
by Philip B. Meggs and Roy McKelvey, New York:
Editiones Officinae Bodoni, 1968.
RC Publications, 2000. (A&A: Z250.R45 2000)
(SC: Z232 B66 1788a 4o)
Bodoni, Giambattista. Preface to the Manuale
http://www.linotype.com
Tipografico of 1818, translated by H. V. Marrot,
http://www.fonts.com
London: Lion & Unicorn Press, 1953.
http://www.prepressure.com
(SC: Z232 B66 1953)
http://www.typographydeconstructed.com
“ Some typefaces shout and demand attention. Bodoni speaks in polished tones.�
Designed by Carmi Cioni in the Fall of 2011 Washington University in St. Louis Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts Typefaces used include Univers, Bulmer BT, and Bodoni MT