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Plantin
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Frank Hinman Pierpont
The History of Monotype Plantin
Frank Hinman Pierpont In 1913, the Monotype Corporation issued a revival based on Robert Granjon’s 16th century Gros Cicero typeface and named it Plantin. In the text about Garamond on page 209, it was noted that many 20th century Garamond italics are copies of typefaces cut by Granjon. Revivals of Granjon roman fonts are named Plantin after the renowned Antwerp printer Christophe Plantin. Granjon’s designs, still used today, are named after a fellow punchcutter and a printer. Ironically, a 1928 Linotype face named Granjon is closely modelled after one of Garamond’s fonts. Monotype Plantin’s designer, F.H. Pierpont, deviated from the 16th century prototype to meet the legibility and production needs of early 20th century periodicals. To increase legibility in small text, it was given shorter ascenders and descenders, a larger x-height, and a slightly condensed width. To improve reproduction, thin strokes were thickened to a weight closer to the thick strokes. The value of Pierpont’s revisions was affirmed when Monotype Plantin 113 was chosen as the prototype for Times New Roman in the early 1930s. Plantin has been widely used in promotional and advertising text for its distinctive appearance. plantin bold, including many variations in weight and width, has been a very popular typeface for advertising headlines.
During the interwar period the face was adopted and popularized by Francis Meynell’s Pelican Press and by C. W. Hobson’s Cloister press, and also used occasionally by Cambridge Press. In more recent usage, the magazine Monocle is set entirely in Plantin and Helvetica. An infant variety of the typeface also exists, with single-story versions of the letters a and g. The font was used as the signature font for ABC News from 1978 until the late 1990s.
19 13 The year Plantin was designed.
The Design of Monotype Plantin
Plantin Bold Condensed
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abcdefghijklmnopqrst uvwxyzABCDEFGHIJK LMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ $1234567890&(.,”:;!?)
Plantin Regular
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abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvw xyzABCDEFGHIJKLM NOPQRSTUVWXYZ $1234567890&(.,”:;!?)
Plantin Semibold Italic
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abcdefghijklmnopqrstu vwxyzABCDEFGHIJKL MNOPQRSTUVWXYZ $1234567890&(.,”:;!?)
Plantin Light
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abcdefghijklmnopqrstuv wxyzABCDEFGHIJKL MNOPQRSTVWXYZ $1234567890&(.,”:;!?)
Plantin Italic
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abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwx yzABCDEFGHIJKLM NOPQRSTUVWXYZ $1234567890&(.,”:;!?)
Plantin Bold
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abcdefghijklmnopqrstv wxyzABCDEFGHIJKL MNOPQRSTUVWXYZ $1234567890&(.,”:;!?)
Plantin Light Italic
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abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwx yzABCDEFGHIJKLM NOPQRSTUVWXYZ $1234567890&(.,”:;!?)
Plantin Semibold
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abcdefghijklmnopqrstu vwxyzABCDEFGHJKL MNOPQRSTUVWXYZ $1234567890&(.,”:;!?)
Plantin Bold Italic
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abcdefghijklmnopqrstu vwxyzABCDEFGHIJKL MNOPQRSTUVWXYZ $1234567890&(.,”:;!?)
Unique characters of Monotype Plantin
t j
The j has but a slight hook.
t is very narrow.
a
The a has a larger bowl than most old style faces.
r
The top serifs on lowercase letters such as b and r have a triangular or wedge shaped appearance.
The M is splayed.
b The italic capital J is cursive.
J
M A
The A has a flat top.
Paragraphs
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Monotype Plantin’s designer, F.H. Pierpont, deviated from the 16th century prototype to meet the legibility and production needs of early 20th century periodicals. To increase legibility in small text, it was given shorter ascenders and descenders, a larger x-height, and a slightly condensed width. To improve reproduction, thin strokes were thickened to a weight closer to the thick strokes.
Monotype Plantin’s designer, F.H. Pierpont, deviated from the 16th century prototype to meet the legibility and production needs of early 20th century periodicals. To increase legibility in small text, it was given shorter ascenders and descenders, a larger x-height, and a slightly condensed width. To improve reproduction, thin strokes were thickened to a
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Monotype Plantin’s designer, F.H. Pierpont, deviated from the 16th century prototype to meet the legibility and production needs of early 20th century periodicals. To increase legibility in small text, it was given shorter ascenders and descenders, a larger x-height, and a slightly condensed width. To improve reproduction, thin strokes were thickened to a weight closer to the thick strokes.
Monotype Plantin’s designer, F.H. Pierpont, deviated from the 16th century prototype to meet the legibility and production needs of early 20th century periodicals. To increase legibility in small text, it was given shorter ascenders and descenders, a larger x-height, and a slightly condensed width. To improve repro-
Monotype Plantin’s designer, F.H. Pierpont, deviated from the 16th century prototype to meet the legibility and production needs of early 20th century periodicals. To increase legibility in small text, it was given shorter ascenders and descenders, a larger
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Monotype Plantin’s designer, F.H. Pierpont, deviated from the 16th century prototype to meet the legibility and production needs of early 20th century periodicals. To increase legibility in small text, it was given shorter ascenders and descenders, a larger x-height, and a slightly condensed width. To improve reproduction, thin strokes were thickened to a weight closer to the thick strokes.
Monotype Plantin’s designer, F.H. Pierpont, deviated from the 16th centry prototype to meet the legibility and production needs of early 20th century periodicals. To increase legibility in small text, it was given shorter ascenders and descenders, a larger x-height, and a slightly condensed width. To improve reproduction, thin
Monotype Plantin’s designer, F.H. Pierpont, deviated from the 16th century prototype to meet the legibility and production needs of early 20th century periodicals. To increase legibility in small text, it was given shorter ascenders and descenders, a larger x-height, and a slightly condensed
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Monotype Plantin’s designer, F.H. Pierpont, deviated from the 16th century prototype to meet the legibility and production needs of early 20th century periodicals. To increase legibility in small text, it was given shorter ascenders and descenders, a larger x-height, and a slightly condensed width. To improve reproduction, thin strokes were thickened to a weight closer to the thick strokes.
Monotype Plantin’s designer, F.H. Pierpont, deviated from the 16th century prototype to meet the legibility and production needs of early 20th century periodicals. To increase legibility in small text, it was given shorter ascenders and descenders, a larger x-height, and a slight-
Monotype Plantin’s designer, F.H. Pierpont, deviated from the 16th century prototype to meet the legibility and production needs of early 20th century periodicals. To increase legibility in small text, it was given shorter ascenders and descenders, a larger x-height, and a slightly condensed
Monotype Plantin’s designer, F.H. Pierpont, deviated from the 16th century prototype to meet the legibility and production needs of early 20th century periodicals. To increase legibility in small text, it was given shorter ascenders and descenders, a larger
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Monotype Plantin’s designer, F.H. Pierpont, deviated from the 16th century prototype to meet the legibility and production needs of early 20th century periodicals. To increase legibility in small text, it was
Monotype Plantin’s designer, F.H. Pierpont, deviated from the 16th century prototype to meet the legibility and production needs of early 20th century periodicals. To
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Monotype Plantin’s designer, F.H. Pierpont, deviated from the 16th century prototype to meet the legibility and production needs of early 20th century periodicals. To increase legibility in small text, it was given shorter ascenders and
Monotype Plantin’s designer, F.H. Pierpont, deviated from the 16th century prototype to meet the legibility and production needs of early 20th century periodicals. To increase legibility
Monotype Plantin’s designer, F.H. Pierpont, deviated from the 16th century prototype to meet the legibility and production needs of early 20th century periodicals. To in-
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Monotype Plantin’s designer, F.H. Pierpont, deviated from the 16th century prototype to meet the legibility and production needs of early 20th century periodicals. To increase legibility in small text, it was given shorter ascenders and
Monotype Plantin’s designer, F.H. Pierpont, deviated from the 16th century prototype to meet the legibility and production needs of early 20th century periodicals. To increase legibility
Monotype Plantin’s designer, F.H. Pierpont, deviated from the 16th century prototype to meet the legibility and production needs of early 20th century periodicals. To in-
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Monotype Plantin’s designer, F.H. Pierpont, deviated from the 16th century prototype to meet the legibility and production needs of early 20th cen-
Monotype Plantin’s designer, F.H. Pierpont, deviated from the 16th century prototype to meet the legibility and production needs of early
11/11 Monotype Plantin’s designer, F.H. Pierpont, deviated from the 16th century prototype to meet the legibility and production needs of early 20th century periodicals. To increase legibility in small text, it was given shorter ascenders and
Monotype Plantin’s designer, F.H. Pierpont, deviated from the 16th century prototype to meet the legibility and production needs of early 20th century periodicals. To increase legibility in small text, it
1913
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