o the
bodoni book
an introduction to the typeface
Giambattista
Bodoni
A twenty-eight-year-old 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. 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 an offer of expanded facility and a privilege of printing for other clients. Bodoni elected to remain in Parma.1
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the bodoni book
sans serif
serif
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Bodoni 101
hairline serif
bracketed serif
slab serif
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. Had he known this fact, however, Bodoni would probably not have been very upset. His goal was not to create typography 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.
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the bodoni book
counter
ear
stem
serif
descender
link/neck loop
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Bodoni 101
ligature terminal tittle
cap height eye
ascender
x-height
baseline bowl finial descender
There are many key characteristics that distinguish any typeface, and allow you to tell the difference between two faces. The above diagram points out these characteristics as seen in Bodoni MT. The bowl, counter and eye are key features to remember when comparing typefaces, since the basic shapes of a letter will significantly alter the shape and size of these elements. The serif, terminal and ear also are key features to identify a typeface.
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the bodoni book
g Beatrice Warde, an eminent typographic historian, in a famous essay, likened the perfect type to a crystal goblet. Her perfect type is transparent, or invisible, to the reader and allows the content to be enjoyed without coloration or distraction. Bodoni’s type is anything but a “crystal goblet.” Its hairline serifs, strong thick-and-thin stroke contrast, and abrupt weight changes cloud the reading process. Bodoni is no quiet servant to the communication process; it is a design that demands attention. If used carefully, Bodoni type can create 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 typographic effect, “dazzling,” which is visually uninviting and exceptionally disruptive to the reading process.3
The lowercase g in Bodoni has a droopy, teardrop shaped ear.
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The Bodoni ampersand exemplifies both the elegant curves and thick-thin stroke contrast of the typeface.
Bodoni 101
fff
The letterform greatly changes as one shifts weight in Bodoni. This can be seen in the lowercase f, as it transitions from Ultra Bold, to Bold, and then to Regular. The Ultra Bold weight emphasizes the thick-thin stroke contrast, and dramatizes the teardrop terminal of the f.
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the bodoni book
Comparisons Bodoni was one of the most prolific type designers and considered an arch-romantic. His hundreds of faces embrace considerable variety, and more than 25,000 of his punches are in the Bodoni Museum in Parma. The revivals issued in his name reflect only a tiny part of this legacy, and many are simply parodies of his ideas. The typical features of Bodoni revivals are abrupt hairline serifs, ball terminal, vertical axis, small aperture, high contrast and exaggerated modulation. 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.) Other favorites are the Bodoni cut by Louis Hoell for the Bauer Foundry, Frankfurt, in 1924, and the Berthold Foundry version, produced in 1930. Both have been issued in digital form. Small caps and text figures are essential to all of these designs.4
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Between Bauer Bodoni, Berthold Bodoni and ITC Bodoni (from left to right), ITC Bodoni has the smoothest curves on the ear of its lowercase g. Bauer Bodoni features an intense thick-thin contrast between the stroke and drop of the ear, while Berthold Bodoni has a more solid, less expressive ear.
The lowercase w is a great place to look at the serifs of different versions of Bodoni. Bauer Bodoni has long serifs, which connect over the middle stroke of the w, while both Berthold and ITC Bodoni have shorter serifs, making the lowercase w appear lighter.
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the bodoni book
Bodoni was no revolutionary. The modern roman style, which is attributed to him, did not, as many would believe, spring forth as if by magic. While the letters he cut and the books he printed were more refined and of exceptionally higher quality than most of the work originating before or during his lifetime, it would be difficult to classify any of Bodoni’s efforts as fundamentally new. When he was young, the work of John Baskerville served as his ideal; when he opened his first printing office for the Duke of Parma, Bodoni did so with type from Fournier. In later years, the work of his great Parisian competitor, Francois Didot, influenced him dramatically. Bodoni was always, in some manner, dependent on the work of other, bolder contemporaries. Yet despite these influences, he was not a copyist. A comparison of Bodoni’s type to Didot’s two designs that on the surface may appear virtually identical is a perfect example. There are distinct similarities in their work, and Bodoni surely studied Didot’s designs very carefully, but a close examination reveals that Bodoni’s weight transitions are more gradual and his serifs still maintain a slight degree of bracketing. There is even hint of “old style” in Bodoni’s work. 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 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.5
styled styled styled magnify magnify magnify Samples of Bodoni MT, Baskerville and Didot, from top to bottom. One can see how Bodoni appears darker on the page. Didot has greater thick-thin contrast, and maintains the hairline serifs of Bodoni MT. However, Baskerville differentiates itself with bracketed serifs.
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The lowercase k of Didot, Baskerville and Bodoni MT from top to bottom. The smooth curves of Baskerville are emphasized in the upper stroke of the k, and its thicker serfis help ground the letter, unlike the serifs of Bodoni MT and Didot. The strokes of Bodoni MT and Didot meet at the stem while the strokes of Baskerville do not.
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References 1 Philip B. Meggs, A History of Graphic Design (New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1992), 124. 2 Alexander S. Lawson, Anatomy of a Typeface (Boston: D.R. Godine, 1990), 46, 48. 3 Ibid., 46, 49, 50. 4 Robert Bringhurst, The Elements of Typographic Style (Point Roberts, WA: Hartley & Marks, 1992), 217, 218. 5 Lawson, 46, 48.
Bibliography Haley, Allan. Typographic Milestones. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1992. (SC: Z250 A2 H18 1992 4o) Lawson, Alexander S. Anatomy of a Typeface. Boston: D.R. Godine, 1990. (SC: Z250 L34 1990) Bringhurst, Robert. The Elements of Typographic Style. Vancouver: Hartley and Marks,1997. (A&A: Z246 B745 1996 and Vault) Jaspert, W. Pincus. The Encyclopaedia of Typefaces. Poole, Dorset: Blandford Press; New York: Distributed in the U.S. by Sterling, 1983. (SC: Z250 J36 1983) https://www.myfonts.com/
Book designed by Madeline Partner for Typography I, Washington University in St. Louis, Spring 2017. Typeset in Whitney and Bodoni. Examples of ITC Bodoni, Bauer Bodoni, Berthold Bodoni, Baskerville and Didot were also used. Originally printed on Mohawk Loop Antique Vellum Snow, 80lb text.
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