E BO DO NI
E B
the man to be
RECKONED WITH
E B
BO DO NI
the man to be
RECKONED WITH Megan Masciana
Art 430 UMBC Fall 2013 first edition
masciana designs
BODONI right
An close up of the engraving of Bodoni from the Manuale tipografico 1818.
6
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8..............................................Bodoni: A Man, A Legend 10.............................................................How Bodoni Became A Man 14......................................................Bodoni: Typographer and Printer 16...........................................................................Absorbing Anecdotes
18................................................Bodoni: Visual Analysis 20.....................................................................A Type Full of Character 24...................................................................................Lowercase Fonts 26...................................................................................Uppercase Fonts
32.....................................................................................Font Attributes 35......................................................................................Negitive Space 36............................................................................Different Approaches
38............................Bodoni: Short & Long Term Influence 40..............................................................Bodoni: Recognized Brilliance 43.............................................................................Renewal of Legibility 45......................................................................................Lasting Impact
2 3
CONTENTS
30..................................................Bodoni VS. Helvetica
1
4
48............................................................................................Work Cited
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BO DO NI : a man
A LEGEND chapter 1
1: Giambattista Bodoni of Parma By Thomas Maitland Cleland, Society of Printers (Boston, Mass.) 2: The Vatican printing office kept a notable collection of oriental types in order to create material that would help bring the word of God to the countries that Europe as colonizing at the time.
How Bodoni Became A Man Giambattista Bodoni, a famous Italian typographer, was born into a family of typographers in 1740. He grew up at Saluzzo in Piedmont experimenting with type and printing because it was part of his heritage and upbringing. At the age of twelve he captured the wonder and excitement of his home town by creating “nocturnal illuminations” on the front of his fathers house during a local festival 1.
As a young boy his talent was also showcased
by the wood blocks he carved, which created such wonderful prints that some sold in Turin.
BODONI
At the age of eighteen he set out on his
own and went to Rome where he met Father Maria Paciaudi, Cardinal Spinelli’s libriarian, who later would prove to be an important friend. He spent his time working as an apprentice in the press of the Propaganda Fide or La Felice Scuola. The director, named Ruggeri, was a intelligent man who acted as a mentor to Bodoni and encouraged him to improve. He was impressed by Bodoni’s obvious enthusiasm. The young printer first became interested in oriental languages while working in Rome
10
right
Portrait of Bodoni
. He spent time cleaning the rust from the
2
matrices and punches of the various types, which had been cut two centuries earlier by the french typographers Garamond 3 and Le Be . This was truly a labor of love and 4
only Bodoni’s passion for the characters could have fueled this project. However after Bodoni had worked here for about ten could no longer endure working in Rome.
He planned to travel to England in
order to visit John Baskerville 5 and seek his fortune; However, Bodoni stopped to visit his parents house at Saluzzo and his trip was canceled because he fell ill. Despite the canceled trip John Baskerville’s type, while highly critiqued by his fellow Englishmen was very popular in Europe, continued to inspire the Italian printer. top left
Printing tools used by Bodoni. bottom left
the Propaganda Fide or La Felice Scuola illistrated by Giovanni Battista Falda (1643-78): a printmaker who illustrated many monuments of modern Rome at the time of Pope Alexander VII.
In 1768 he was asked to take charge of
the Stamperia Reale at Parma on behalf of the Duke of Parma, Ferdinand I. Father Paciaudi
4: Guillaume Le Bé (1525 – 1598) was a French punch cutter and engraver who specialised in Hebrew typefaces. 5: John Baskerville was an English businessman, in areas including japanning and papier-mâché, but he is best remembered as a printer and type designer.
HOW BODONI BECAME A MAN
years; Ruggeri committed suicide and Bodoni
3: Cluade Garamond created a Greek typeface in the 1540’s because King Francis I commissioned it. Garamond’s letterforms convey a sense of fluidity and consistency.
had become the librarian to the Duke in 1765. When the royal decided to set up his own press the priest suggested Bodoni be hired to run it. Bodoni was only 28 years old at the time. He produced stately quartos and folios
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BODONI
Q
A top right
top left
Faithful Reconstruction
This upper case Q shows the
(twentieth century) of the press
use of vertical stress, thick
Bodoni, made ​​on the basis of
and thin strokes and negative space, which makes Bodoni
iconographic evidence and
Roman a dynamic typeface.
descriptions left by Zephyrinus
Campanini, the great
typographer proto Saluzzo.
bottom left
An engraving of Bodoni from the Manuale tipografico 1818.
bottom right
This Bodoni Poster A emphasizes the contrast between thick and thin strokes as well as the elegance shown in the different weights of Bodoni. It exemplifies the use of horizontal serifs and the contrast between serif and stem.
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with magnificent title pages and luxurious margins. His work was that of a private printer producing works that were needed at court, that interested the Duke or that he proposed on his own. He spent most of his life in Parma as a result. This stationary lifestyle allowed
6: His lack of proofreading has brought his status as a scholarly printer into question. Although his reputation as a printer and type designer are secure. His main competitor Didot, the french typographer, pointed this out in a letter.
Bodoni to spend more time than other printers perfecting his typography and print layouts. craft enhanced the perfection of his type and the goal he tried to attain. However it is notable that Bodoni was a careless proofreader 6
and was often correctly criticized. Despite multiple offers from other
prominent clients, including dukes and kings’, Bodoni remained loyal to the Duke of Parma. However, Bodoni used these offers to improve his situation. In 1790 De Azara, the Spanish Minister to the Papal Court, was thinking of starting a press and asked Bodoni to be in charge of it. The Duke of Parma heard about this plan and made a counter offer, which
HOW BODONI BECAME A MAN
The unparalleled hours Bodoni spent on his
included a larger press and the freedom to print for other clients. Bodoni took advantage of this newfound freedom by printing French, Russian, German and English books in addition to Italian, Greek and Latin works.
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7: Pierre Simon Fournier (15 September 1712 – 8 October 1768) was a French mid-18th century punchcutter, typefounder and typographic theoretician. He was both a collector and originator of types”. Fournier’s contributions to printing were his creation of initials and ornaments, his design of letters, and his standardization of type sizes
Bodoni: Typographer and Printer Bodoni’s first attempts at cutting his own type were failures, but he kept trying. However, he showed great originality in his successful type forms, which made him the man most to be reckoned with. His set of ornaments and capitol letters were admired by his associates in Rome.
Bodoni’s earlier layout and type
designs show influence by the well-known typographer Fournier 7. His first stock of types came from the Parisian Foundry of Fournier, and he cut type based on these
BODONI
models. By the 1790’s Bodoni had developed his own iconic style. “Letters do not achieve their true beauty when done in haste and discomfort,” Bodoni wrote, “nor when done with diligence and pain, but only when they are created with love and passion” .
“
Bodoni printed many revered works. The
A page from the The
Epithalamia, printed in 1775 to celebrate the
also shows an example
wedding of King Louis XVI’s French sister,
Letters do
exemplifies the bold and dramatic style that
not achieve
The pamphlet also highlights the important
the printer and typographer Bodoni favored. clientele that Bodoni served. His stark style
their true beauty when
“
done in
haste and
discomfort
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left
Epithalamia 1775. This of the typographers “exotic” typefaces.
was heavily neoclassical and mature. By 1788 Bodoni had designed a great number of typefaces, which began as old style type but gained a more modern look a few degree’s at a time.
Eventually, Bodoni began to work
When developing his own fonts. The giant folio formant of books he produced complemented his type designs, which look best with wide leading. His most famous books include the Manuale Tipographico 1818 as well as the two volume work P. Virgilii Maronis an opera published in Rome 1793.
more detailed printing was made
possible by improved printing techniques and papers, during the 1790’s, which allowed the punch cutter to cut far thinner strokes without a risk of cracking the page. Bodoni top right
example of a printer using a letter press bottom right
a drawer of metal type
was aware of other typographers work and printing techniques, which influenced the design of his own fonts. Bodoni went to great lengths with his typography. Sometimes he would cut several variations of a type just to fit one particular page. He created 25, 735
BODONI: TYPOGRAPHER AND PRINTER
with his brother, Giuseppe Bodoni,
punches and 50,994 matrices which each took about four hours to produce.
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Absorbing Anecdotes Bodoni was not only talented but he had a lot of character as well. Whenever he would write to a friend in Rome he would not call the city by its name, but instead referred to it as “the banks of the Tiber” . He referred to Madrid as “the banks of the Tagus”.
Many of his books display the
name “Crisopoli” instead of Parma. This is somewhat confusing if you do not understand that Crisopoli was the name given to Parma during the short Greek occupation in the sixth century. Once again
BODONI
the thought put into every little detail shows how passionate he was about his work.
French writer Stedhal wrote that when
he visited the printer to admire his work, Bodoni asked him which of several French Bodoni books he preferred. Stedhal responded that they all seemed equally beautiful.
veiw of the Tiber looking
“Monsiuer”, Bodoni responded, “you don’t
Sant’Angelo, with Saint
see the title of the Boileau?”. The writer admitted he saw nothing distinguishing it. “Boileau-Despreaux is in all capitols!”, he cried out,”I spent six months before I could decide upon exactly that type.”
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Left towards the Castel Peter’s in the distance.
ABSORBING ANECDOTES
R ight A letter from Bodoni to the Duke of Parma on 31 August 1779. Note Bodoni’s signature in the bottom right corner.
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BO DO NI : visual
ANALYSIS chapter chapter 2 2
A Type Full of Character Giambattista Bodoni created a very rigid and structured typeface, named Bodoni. The tight building blocks of the letters are defined by the similarity of all the rounded forms and the homogenous steams, crossbars and serifs. The contrast between thick and thin strokes, unbraketed serifs, combined traditional ear and flag, horizontal serifs and vertical shading give the font a bold color and comprehensive feeling despite its small x-height. Typefaces are based upon marks made using a pen, the forms and living quality
BODONI
of letters. Bodoni created designs that were based upon a broader and sharper-edged pen then anyone had ever thought of before. When pushing to create a neater, sharper typeface, which included heavy contrast Bodoni gave his font characteristics much more similar to copper plate engraving and moved away from
uppercase E in bodoni
penmanship. Another change that Bodoni
typographic terms.
made was in his use of serifs. Bodoni’s capitol letters utilize hairline serifs the same width as the thin strokes of the letters. In his lowercase letters, the serifs are positioned at right angles, instead of traditional acute angles.
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left
Roman is used to decpict
A TYPE FULL OF CHARACTER
A BC DE F GH IJ K LM N O PQ R S TU V W XY Z 1234567890 !@#$%^&*()
right
uppercase Bodoni Roman shown in point size 72 alternating with 110 with a leading of 100. Numbers and punctuation are point size 18 with a leading of 24. This style is based on Johanna Drucker’s work.
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BODONI
a bc de f gh ij k lm no pq rst u v wx yz 1234567890 !@#$%^&*()
22
left
lowercase Bodoni Roman shown in point size 72 alternating with 110 with a leading of 100. Numbers and punctuation are point size 18 with a leading of 24. This style is based on Johanna Drucker’s work.
A TYPE FULL OF CHARACTER
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Lowercase Letters The lowercase p, b, d and q are almost identical forms. However, p and b are facing the same direction, which is also true of d and q. When the b is flipped upside down then close inspection is necessary to differentiate the two characters, p and b. The most visible difference is that the unbraketed serifs fall at different ends of the stem. The slight curve of this detail does not match up with the hairline serif. The bowls are almost carbon copies of each other. Slight differences occur where the curved lines meet the stem. The lowercase d
BODONI
and q are identical to p and b but are flipped in the opposite direction. top left
Similarities in the strokes of lowercase c and o are highlighted by the green created where the two letters overlap. middle left
Similarities in the strokes of lowercase g and o are highlighted by the green created where the two letters overlap. bottom left
Similarities in the strokes of lowercase p and d are highlighted by the green created where the two letters overlap. d is flipped upside down.
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The rounded lowercase letter forms, o, e and c all share the same shape. However, the o is much wider than c and e. Lowercase c and e have the same width, however; the crossbar of the e falls lower than the pear-shaped eve of the c.
Lowercase o can also be compared with
the top of the lowercase g. When blown up the g has thicker strokes and a wider bowl. The g, which makes it a better example of vertical stress distributed, which is throughout the font.
The thick and thin strokes of the
rounded letters emphasize the beautiful negative space created by Bodoni’s letters. top right
Similarities in the strokes of lowercase c and e are highlighted by the green created where the two letters overlap.
LOWERCASE LETTERS
lowercase o has a slightly taller bowl then the
middle right
Similarities in the strokes of lowercase e and o are highlighted by the green created where the two letters overlap. bottom right
Similarities in the strokes of lowercase p and d are highlighted by the green created where the two letters overlap. b is flipped upside down.
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Uppercase Letters Uppercase R is one signifier of style when analyzing and identifying fonts. The R and uppercase B are interesting to compare because they have similar counters and strokes. The bowl and top horizontal stroke line up almost perfectly. Slight deviation begins where the R’s leg meets the lower bowl. Despite this minute difference a couple of points on the curved leg of the R lines up with the lower bowl of the B. Bodoni probably made this decision to keep the letters optically the same width.
BODONI
Once again the strict structure of the face is emphasized. The lower bowl is wider than the leg, which makes the B appear larger.
Another important comparison is
between the uppercase R and P. optically the two letters look like they should line up, however the crossbar on the P falls
original sketches by
much lower than the R’s. Instead of lining
Museum in Parma.
up, P’s bowl is taller and wider. The two
Bodoni from the Bodoni
bottom left
letters remain optically the same because
original sketches of capitol
the serif and top of the letter and stem
Bodoni Museum in Parma.
align perfectly. The differences between these two letters is necessary because
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top left
letters by Bodoni from the
UPPERCASE LETTERS
top right
Similarities in the strokes
top left
Similarities in the strokes
bottom
Similarities in the strokes
of uppercase P and B
of uppercase B and R
of uppercase P and R
are highlighted by the
are highlighted by the
are highlighted by the
green created where the two letters overlap.
green created where the two letters overlap.
green created where the two letters overlap.
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BODONI
28
top right
Similarities in the strokes
top left
Similarities in the strokes
bottom
Similarities in the strokes
of uppercase P and B
of uppercase B and R
of uppercase P and R
are highlighted by the
are highlighted by the
are highlighted by the
green created where the two letters overlap.
green created where the two letters overlap.
green created where the two letters overlap.
the R has a leg and the P does not.
Uppercase E and F are almost
carbon copies of each other, however there are slight differences. The F’s uppermost serif comes down further than the E’s to compensate for the uppercase T. Optically the T is the same as E and F however, if the top horizontal stroke continued as far out as on the E and F does then the T would be too large. Once again, the stems
A few letters in the font don’t follow
the militaristic structure of the font. These surprising details are not repeated in other letter forms. Both upper and lowercase K k do not connect at the waist but are constructed of two separate shapes. Uppercase M has one stem that is constructed from a thin stroke. Lowercase m has a serif on the vertex. For top right
both upper and lowercase k have a slight gap at the waist. this is only
the most part, Bodoni is a very solid and
UPPERCASE LETTERS
of all three letters line up perfectly.
consistent font.
visible at display sizes bottom right
uppercase M has one thinner stem and one normal stem and lowercase m has a serif on its vertex. these characteristics are unique.
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E B
BO DO NI
:versus HELVETICA chapter 3
1: leading is the amount of blank space between lines of print.
Font Attributes Most people today do not stop to question the differences between fonts or how they were created. A majority of peoples’ knowledge of fonts is limited to the program Microsoft Word’s drop down menu. However fonts each have a colorful history and presence. Bodoni is militaristic and refined. The Italian font pushes the limits of thick and thin, which gives it a heavy feeling. Helvetica is mostly square. The bland Swiss sans serif remains a consistent color throughout each letter form. The two equally respected fonts seem to be
BODONI
opposites designed at different times for different purposes. When choosing a font it is important to understand the nuances of type so that you can pick the right tool for the job.
Bodoni is mostly used in headlines
to create dynamic layouts, while Helvetica is good for everything from titles to short
Helvetica, yellow, is
paragraphs. However, Bodoni can be used
than Bodoni, blue.
for text. It just has to be set properly with generous leading 1. The elegant thick and thin strokes, of the Italian font, add a sense of abruptness and drama because of the shift between weights, and vertical stress add a
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left
more square and even
2: Color refers to the shapes of letters and their presence on the page.
neoclassical presence, which references the ancient carvings of the past. Bodoni feels heavy despite its small x-height because of its bold color 2 and contrasting lines. The Didone or Neoclassical style typefaces, named after Bodoni and Didot, were originally labeled as classical but it soon became clear that these faces were not just revivals of past type but unique designs in their own right. As a result the classification was changed to modern.
This is directly contrasted by
classification as a grotesque style font. Helvetica’s haphazard anomalies give it a disheveled appearance through the lens of Bodoni’s clean and militant style. The axis of curved strokes, in Bodoni, are vertical with little or no bracketing. In Helvetica the strokes appear mostly even. top right
an example of ancient lettering. This photo is from the museum in the Castello Sforseza located in Milan bottom right
Helvetica, yellow,has a larger counter than Bodoni, blue, and the leg of the R is much less curved. Note the slightly skewed bowl of Helvetica a in place of an the fonts
The grotesques, such as Arial, Century
F O N T AT T R I B U T E S
Helvetica’s even strokes, lack of serifs and
Gothic and Verdana, were some of the first commercially popular sans serif typefaces . Many of the features of the sans serif add to the indecisiveness of the typeface such as the curves with their slight squared quality, the slight contrast in stroke weight on characters such as lowercase t, the very
usual round counters.
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BODONI top left
Helvetica, yellow, is taller than Bodoni, blue, and the leg of the R is much less curved.
bottom right
Helvetica, yellow, is thinner and taller than Bodoni, blue, and the crossbar of the f is also placed higher
bottom left
than that of Bodoni
Helvetica, yellow, uses a very round shape and the tail intersects with the counter. Bodoni, blue, is very vertical which is highlighted by the centered tail that does not intersect the counter. top right
Helvetica, yellow, is taller and wider than Bodoni, blue, and has a larger counter.
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right - hand page
Helvetica, yellow, is taller than Bodoni, blue, and has no pear shaped eve.
curved bowl of lowercase a and the curved leg of the uppercase R. The x-height is larger than that of Bodoni. However, there is a lot to be said for the easy simplicity of sans serifs, especially Helvetica. It has a warmer and more casual appearance.
Negative Space
The counters of Bodoni and Helvetica
within the letter forms differs dramatically. Within Helvetica the counters are all very even, round and large. Because all strokes terminate at ninety degrees the negative space, like the letter forms, remains very simple and consistent. The counters of bodoni are clean oval shapes created by the contrast in strokes. The rounded oval shapes,
N E G AT I V E S PA C E
of uppercase Q and lowercase g, and the negative space created by the pear shaped apexs’, such as in lowercase r, are much more active than the simple and even counters of Helvetica’s letters. Although occasionally the sans serif does display some quirky counters for example the bowl of lowercase a.
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Both typefaces have been used for a wide range of purposes. Bodoni has been used for eighteenth century Italian books and periodicals, Mamma Mia! Posters, fashion magazines, Hilton Hotels, the logo for Nirvana a popular band, Carnegie Melon University’s word mark, fashion magazines and much more. The effect created is one of class and wealth. Helvetica has been used for everything from Internet memes to apple products. Helvetica, although a classic face, has gained a status in pop culture, which makes it the go to font for any design whether
BODONI
the composer is visually literate or not. The two faces may differ in the feelings they exude, but they are both timeless fonts, which time and time again attract cult followings.
Different Approaches
Both fonts are based on modular
forms. Bodoni adheres to a strict set of rules. In contrast, Helvetica is much more
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left
example of Bodoni as the logotype and header of Vogue Magazine.
relaxed about following its structure. They are both carefully thought out creative approaches to the Roman alphabet. Both work well for logos or graphic display type.
Bodoni’s severe and glamorous style
compared with the relaxed and simple forms of Helvetica are almost complete opposites. Designers who choose Helvetica over Bodoni are often looking for simplicity as from the past. Although Helvetica is consistently taller and wider than Bodoni, the color of the font makes it seem optically thinner and smaller than the Italian font.
The combination of both fonts could
strengthen the layout of a poster or short amount of text because opposites attract. It is important to note that depending on what a designer is trying to convey then it top right
example of Helvetica used on Apple packaging for the iphone 5.
might be necessary to choose one of these typefaces or to work with what makes
DIFFERENT APPROACHES
well as creating a identity that is separate
each one unique to enhance an image.
bottom right
example of Bodoni used in the logotype of Carnegie Mellon University.
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BO DO NI
:short & long term
INFLUENCE chapter 4
1: Grand Tour: A cultural tour taken by young upperclass men, as part of their education, in the 18th century.
Bodoni: Recognized Brilliance Because of his meticulous printing technique and unerring typographic style, Bodoni’s press became one of the sights of Europe and England. Parma became a stop on the “grand tour” 1. English authors, such as Horace Walpole, went out of their way to have their work printed in Parma; as a result, many Italian printers began to copy Bodoni’s style. He continued to impress when he entered fourteen of his books in the 1806 exhibition of National Industry in Paris. He was awarded many gold medals for
BODONI
his work. Bodoni’s editions were admired and bought by collectors from all over the world. His work captured the attention of Napoleon Bonaparte who awarded him a pension and the Order of the Réunion in 1810. Noteworthy works from this part of Bodoni’s life include La Gerusalemme liberata (2
an close up of a page from
vols, Parma, 1794), the Iliad (3 vols, Parma,
1818. This is an example of
1808) and Fénelon (2 parts, Parma, 1812). Despite the rave reviews of Bodoni’s books, his cold style was meant more to showcase the style of his typography than to be studied or read. As a printer, he did not care much
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left
Bodoni’s Manuale Tipografico his hebrew font showing.
for content and did not proof read. William Morris declared Bodoni’s mechanical work to be the definition of modern ugliness.
However, Bodoni’s most famous work
is the Manuale Tipografico printed in Parma 1818 by Bodoni’s widow, Paola Margherita, after his death. He spent more than four
BODONI: RECOGNIZED BRILLIANCE
decades creating the manual. The two volume work included 142 Roman Typefaces. Bodoni continued to work with many “exotic faces”. He took classes in-order to fully understand languages he created fonts for ; such as, Greek, Hebrew, Etruscan, Armenian, Tibetan, Ethiopian, Ect. Bodoni included Gothic faces, which were still used prominently in Germany at the time, and Russian type. The significance of these books goes beyond the ornament and simple cataloguing of typefaces. Bodoni asserts what he believes are the top right
an example of William Morris’s detailed and ornamental work printed at the Kelmscott Press. His style helped define the arts and crafts movement and reflects Medieval Times however the type is given very little space.
“
characteristics of a well done typeface and
applies them to each language. Bodoni Roman
exemplifies these ideals. First, Bodoni stresses the uniformity and regularity of the typeface. Next he asserts that the meaning and clarity of the punches should be readily available.
bottom right
Bodoni’s Manuale Tipographico 1818. He uses simple spreads and creates a modern layout.
Good taste is necessary when choosing the
shapes, which will be included in the typeface
He took classes in-
order to fully understand languages he created
“
fonts for.
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BODONI top left
top right
an close-up example of
an example of a spread from
ornaments used in the
Manuale Tipografico 1818.
Manuale Tipografico 1818.
Note the use of boarders and simple symmetry.
bottom left
an close-up example of black letter font included in the Manuale Tipografico 1818.
right - hand page
an example of a page from an edition of Chaucer printed by William Morris at the Kelmscott Press. bottom right
Punches for Calvi italic typeface cut by Giambattista Bodoni at the Museo Bodoniano, Parma.
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. Last but not least, an important characteristic of a typeface is its charm and elegance.
Bodoni believed in a strong, strict
and charming system for each typeface that he cut. He grew up around typefaces and the printing process. His belief in perfection and uniformity heavily influenced his type and book designs.
Bodoni’s fonts and layouts have had a large impact on how text is displayed and the way that information is conveyed today. Both Bodoni and Didot are credited with inventing the concept of ‘modern’ typefaces because they built upon the transitional designs of Baskerville.
When Bodoni had first arrived to work
at the printing press in Parma, the art of punch cutting and laying out type had been unappreciated for many years. The beauty
R E N E WA L O F L E G I B I L I T Y
Renewal of Legibility
of books was thought to be in the engraved illustrations and ornament. Typography was considered a functional necessity, which did not need to be well thought out, or was completely abandoned. Even worse than the clumsy type was the messy printing habits
43
that developed. The beautiful illustrations, done by some of the best French draftsmen, were accompanied by almost illegible text. John Baskerville made the first attempt to revive the art of typography, but received vey little encouragement. His types did not create a radical enough change to draw attention. The Foulis brothers in Glasgow, the Didots in Paris and the Spaniard Ibarra followed Baskerville’s example but it was Bodoni’s limitless energy, passion and creativity that renewed the organic beauty of printing and infused it with definitive style.
BODONI
His typeface designs consisted of three main innovations. He increased vertical stress in letters and reduced the slant in the bowls of letters. He made all the horizontal serifs very thin, light and uniform. Finally, Bodoni increased the contrast between stems and serifs. Bodoni’s work was more commercial,
left
in contrast to the artistic illustrative style
layouts, which includes
of William Morris, and made text more
ornaments. The detail is added
readable and printing more accessible.
an example of Bodoni’s borders, display type and gracefully and negative space activates all the elements much like Bodoni’s type face.
44
Lasting Impact One of Bodoni’s largest contributions to society is his Manuale Tipographico, published by his widow after his death, has had a huge impact on the way that text is set and leading is used. It chronicles many different typefaces, languages and ornaments which were created with Bodoni’s elegant touch. In addition to the extensive inventory of fonts Bodoni included many ornaments such as borders, frames, lines and brackets for use on type set clear typography, in the style of Bodoni, has inspired books since its publication ranging from 18th century books to 1960’s periodicals. There is no typeface, which embodies class like the modern faces, which is why today the faces are prominently used in Magazines right
an example of Bodoni’s layouts, which includes borders, display type and ornaments..
such as Vanity Fair, Elle and Vouge.
L A S T I N G I M PA C T
pages. The manuals generous margins and
Bodoni’s typefaces are still popular today, in the twenty first century. Bauer Bodoni was released in 1926 from the Bauer type foundry in Frankfurt. It was designed by
45
Heinrich Jost and punch cut by Louis Hoell. This reproduction is considered to be the most delicate and graceful of all recent interpretations of the masterful original font. The display face is recommended for use in magazines, lavish books or dignified websites.
Bodoni’s legacy was honored when the
Museo Bodoniano was opeaned in Parma during 1963, the 150th anniversary of Bodoni’s death. It is the oldest museum of the press in Italy and encourages the study of graphic design and typography. The museum houses the typographic melting-furnishings
BODONI
and the memoribillia of the workshop Bodoni. It is located in the seventeenth century palace Farnese Pilotta where Bodoni’s workshop had been untill he passed away.
left
steal punches are placed into copper or wooden slabs known as matrices then molten lead is poured into the molds to create pieces of type. This image depicts Bodoni numbers.
46
L A S T I N G I M PA C T
R ight A woodcut by Karl Mahr which shows the process, of a professional punch cutter, when creating metal type and matrices by hand.
47
Work Cited sources
image sources
“Bauer Bodoni.” Typedia. typedia. Web. 17 Dec 2013.
p. 10-11 right :
Portriait. Painting from Bodoni,
Coles, Stephan. The Anatomy of Type. China:
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Futura, 10 pt size, 12 pt leading
Bodoni Book, 101 pt size, 103 leading
WORK CITED
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