Didot The Typographic Legacy of Firmin Didot
Molly Stallings
U Z R W Q J L O C F
P A DK TV E N X HM Y
V X
Didot The Typographic Legacy of Firmin Didot
Molly Stallings
Designed by Molly Stallings Published in the United States of America
University of Maryland, Baltimore County 1000 Hilltop Circle Baltimore, MD, 21250
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08
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Introduction
The Didot Dynasty
Firmin Didot
13
14
06
Industrial Revolution
Typographical Styles
Baskerville Comparison
07
08
09
Neoclassicism
External Qualities
Legacy
ido
Firmin Didot | 7
Introduction The most important French typographic, paper
the high contrast between thick and thin strokes,
making, and printing enterprise in Europe within the
hairline serifs with no bracketing, and vertical stress
eighteenth and nineteenth centuries belonged to
in rounded strokes. Because of Didot’s forward
the Didot Dynasty. Within this family, Firmin Didot
thinking in his design, his typeface is often believed
is considered to be the most prolific in terms of
to be the first modern typeface, and is the catalyst
typographic and printing industries. Firmin Didot
toward modern typography. The simple, strong,
was inspired by the typeface of Baskerville and
geometric qualities of Didot formed a strong
took his experiments in letterform to the extreme,
parallel with the contemporary painting style known
designing his first typeface in 1784. Didot utilized
as Neoclassicism. The typeface itself is a subtractive
the influence of Baskerville as well as his family’s
face that does away with unnecessary flourishes in
roman face. The typeface that he created was
order to stress its clear and direct structure. Didot
similar to that of Baskerville’s in that the typeface
created a roman face that was admired and even
consisted of clear, sharp designs, and obliterated
revered by neoclassic elite of France, yet also
most of the cursive elements from the characters.
was legible for the common individual. Within
Didot’s approach was unique, though, in that he
one typeface, it possessed a synergy that equally
approached his typeface as not merely a medium
represented the antiquity of neoclassical Europe
of communication, but as an object of art in and
and the modern age. The result of his diligence and
of itself. The typeface that resulted from Didot’s
precision, Didot created the first modern typeface,
craftsmanship is regarded to this day as being the
and it has been utilized since the nineteenth-century.
first modern typeface, and is the most recognizable and famous Didot typeface. It is well-known for
Firmin Didot | 8
Didot Dynasty The Didot Dynasty operated the most
contributed to the success of these
of the family were involved in some form
prominent typographic, printing, and
firms. These rapid industrial changes
of the book trade; all of the them being
paper making foundry in Europe. The
created a demand for printed media in
men of great importance and renown.
firm resided on the Esconnes River, just
Europe, and also positioned printing,
south of Paris, which had many notable
typographic, and paper making industries
factories within it. Like many of these
at the forefront of mass media.
1
2
The roots of the Didot Dynasty can be traced to Denis Diderot (Figure 1),
3
who acquired the right of bourgeois
establishments, the Didot enterprise was
in Paris during the second half of the
soon transformed by the introduction
The Didot family in particular made
of mass-production technology and
a transition from the privileged and
seventeenth century. His daughter
the dramatic expansion of French
traditional world of printing media to the
married Jan-Luc Nyon, and they had
paper production industries. The rise
more open, market-driven scene. There,
a son named Francois in 1689. It is
in the literacy rate, which served as the
they became the epitome of nineteenth
Francois who is officially recognized
catalyst for an increase in the demand
century French printing and publishing.
as having established the dynasty.
of reading material and literature, also
Much like a royal dynasty, the Didot
4
Dynasty passed down knowledge of the trade from generation to generation.Their innate sense of dedication, precision and talent also appeared to be a familial trait.
5
For almost two hundred years, the Didot Dynasty printed and published in Paris. At one point in time, at least seven members
1 Smith, Michael Stephen. The Emergence of Modern Business Enterprise in France: 1800-1930. Cambridge (Mass.): Harvard University Press, 2006. 247.
3 Smith, 258.
5 George, Albert Joseph, and Pierre Didot. The Didot family and the progress of printing: a brief review of the development and accomplishments of the House of Didot: with facsimile pages and translation of Épître sur les progrès de l’imprimerie, written by Pierre Didot, printed in 1784 in italic type designed by his younger brother, Firmin, & dedicated to their father, François-Ambroise Didot. Syracuse: Syracuse University Press, 1961.
4 Ibid.
6 Ibid.
2 Osterer, Heidrun, Philipp Stamm, and Adrian Frutiger. Adrian Frutiger Typefaces: The Complete Works. Basel: Birkhäuser, 2014. 362.
7
6
Didot Dynasty | 9
Figure 1
Firmin Didot | 10
Francois Didot, or often referred to as
order of Louis XVI and his younger
‘Francois the Elder’, began his career as
brother, Charles X. As a result of Francois-
a bookseller before he started his own
Ambroise Didot’s reputation, Benjamin
printing workshop. His son, Francois-
Franklin sent his grandson to him to learn
Ambroise, achieved one of the Didot
punch cutting, which exemplifies just
9
family’s greatest honors. He was the first
how prolific the Didot Dynasty was— not
member of the family to give typefaces
just in France but internationally as well.
the classic ‘Didot’ appearance early in his typeface-creating career. He initially printed with classic Garamond types (Figure 2), creatd by Claude Garamond (Figure 3), but transitioned later and produced his own. The result was a light, transitional roman typeface that was utilized in 1782. The following year, this typeface was printed in three quarto editions of French classics. Francois8
Ambroise then became one of the most illustrious typographers and printers in France, epitomized when he began printing and publishing works by express
7 George, Albert Joseph, and Pierre Didot. The Didot family and the progress of printing: a brief review of the development and accomplishments of the House of Didot: with facsimile pages and translation of Épître sur les progrès de l’imprimerie, written by Pierre Didot, printed in 1784 in italic type designed by his younger brother, Firmin, & dedicated to their father, François-Ambroise Didot. Syracuse: Syracuse University Press, 1961. 5. 8 Macmillian, 73. 9 George, Joseph, Didot, 8.
9 George, Joseph, Didot, 8.
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Garamond Italic
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Figure 2
Didot Dynasty | 11
Garamond
Firmin Didot | 12
Firmin Didot Francois-Ambroise had two sons, Pierre and Firmin (Figure 4). Firmin Didot was born in 1764, 10
and throughout his early life he displayed great ability in the family business. As a young man, he inherited the Didot foundry when his father retired—despite the fact that he was the younger son. His brother on the other hand, designed large books with delicate illustrations. The books, which were very luxurious, were meant to be admired and appreciated not merely as works of literature, but also as objects of art. It was with these concepts in mind that Firmin Didot started his lengthy typographical career. During this time, Didot worked predominately with the letterpress upon which words were printed from movable metal type; each word was composed of individual pieces. This was an arduous and laborious undertaking, as each typeface not only had to be designed but also required to be cut and punched out individually.
Figure 4
10 George, Joseph, Didot, 8. 11 Ibid.
11
Industrial Revolution | 13
Figure 5
Figure 6
Industrial Revolution The processes and later successes of
thousands of new typefaces both for
Firmin Didot were directly related to the
display and decorative purposes, which
impact of the Industrial Revolution in
resulted in a booming business for Didot.
available option prior to the Industrial Revolution. The steam powered printing 12
Europe (Figure 5). The rise of cities and
machine was first introduced in France at the Didot’s enterprise in 1816. Naturally,
the increasing populations within them
This period was noted for its many
the Didot’s typographic, printing, and
stimulated an escalation of mass culture,
inventions that benefited factories and
paper making establishment flourished
including art and literature. The Industrial
businesses alike. One of these inventions
with this new and incredibly helpful
Revolution also created a demand for
is commonly referred to as the steam
technology, which allowed them to
basic mass media and advertising on
press (Figure 6), which greatly enhanced
generate even more business than they
a scale that had not been witnessed in
the possibilities for production of printed
had previously. By 1830, these machines 13
previous eras. The Industrial Revolution
material, in which Didot and his family
were installed in twenty-two French
itself resulted in a dramatic transformation
specialized. This mechanism could produce
paper mills, including the Didot mill, and
in typography and a large variety of new
over 1,000 pages of text per hour and
Paris became the center of printing and
and innovative typefaces. Typographers
millions of pages per week. It could
publishing in the nineteenth century.
like Didot responded to the demands of
also generate paper continuously, and
the modern urban culture and created
not ‘sheet-by-sheet’, which was the only
12 E skilson, Stephen. Graphic Design: A New History. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2012.
13 Ibid. 14 Smith, 258.
14
Firmin Didot | 14
Typographical Styles Prior to the the Industrial Revolution, the French typographic and printing industries were largely acknowledged to be a fine art, and were not available to a wide audience. Literature was produced predominately for an aristocratic and elite group, and did not consider ordinary individuals. The books that were distributed were marketed toward the privileged who were adept in the classics of antiquity. This elite group controlled the direction of literature, and wanted the external qualities of a book to be fundamentally similar to its content (Figure 7). Therefore, they put an importance not only upon the composition of the book, but its binding and typography as well.
15
Old Style
A
Bembo
Figure 7
The external qualities of a book were believed to be just as importent as its content to the Neoclassistic elite.
15 G eorge, Joseph, Didot, 8.
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A
Style' pre-dates the Industrial Revolution.16 The typefaces consistent with this style were originally inspired by carved Roman capitals and were based on fifteenth-century manuscripts (Figure 8). These faces were usually identified by oblique cross-strokes on the lowercase 'e', along with angular stresses and serifs. This tradition was prevalent throughout the typographic industry for many years. It was replaced by 'Transitional' style typography in the eighteenth-century (Figure 9). Those in this interim period, including John Baskerville, designed typefaces to have greater contrast between thick and thin strokes, with a more horizontal stress within the letterforms.17 By the end of the century, printers and typographers like Firmin Didot hurried to perfect Baskerville’s designs and create a new, modern typeface.18
Baskerville
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16 Hart, Dana. “Firmin-Didot: A French Legacy.” The Metro politan Museum of Art, i.e. The Met Museum. June 10, 2015. Accessed February 12, 2017. http://www.metmuseum.org/blogs/ in-circulation/2015/firmin-didot. 17 Ellison, Andy. The Complete Guide to Digital Type: Creative Use of Typography in the Digital Arts. London: Laurence King Publishing, 2006. 14.
Figure 9
18 Hart, Dana.
Typographical Styles | 15
Transitional
The typographic tradition known as 'Old
Firmin Didot | 16
Baskerville Comparison Firmin Didot was aware of the traditional
Didot also introduced the technique of
typographic styles of the period, but
regularizing the width of capital letters
designed his particular typeface to be
so they did not disrupt the consistency
much more unique and revolutionary.
of a line of text with too many different
Didot was inspired by typographers like
sizes. For example, Didot condensed wide
Baskerville and experimented with their
letters such as ‘M’, while also expanding
creations. Didot designed and constructed
narrow letters such as ‘T’ (Figure 11),
his first typeface in 1784 at the young
which created a bolder block of text.23
age of twenty years old. He utilized
In doing this, Didot created a typeface
the influence of Baskerville as well as his
that increased legibility and consistency
family’s roman face in order to create
in printed media. He also eliminated
19
this typeface that is well-known today
ligatures between letters, such as the
(Figure 10).20 The face that he created
‘ST’, which had been common in the
was similar to that of Baskerville’s in that
‘Old Style’ of typography and printing,
it consisted of clear, sharp designs, and
which brought the Didot typeface into
obliterated the cursive elements from the
the forefront of the Modern era.24
characters. Didot’s approach was unique in that he approached his typeface, not merely a medium of communication, but as an object of art in and of itself, much like his brother’s approach to book design.
22 Ibid. 19 H art, Dana.
23 Ibid.
20 George, Joseph, Didot, 13.
24 Ibid.
Figure 10 Baskerville Compairison | 17
Figure 11
Baskerville
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Didot
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Firmin Didot | 18
Neoclassicism The simple, strong, geometric qualities of Didot was comparable to the contemporary painting style known as Neoclassicism.
25
Neoclassical art revived the linear style of the Renaissance, and also simplified forms to create an abstract appearance (Figure 12). It was so popular in the nineteenth-century because this era relished law, order, and thoroughness in design. Didot derived the reductive and precise elements of his Didot typeface directly from Neoclassicism. The 26
typeface itself is a subtractive face that does away with unnecessary decoration in order to stress its clear structure. It was produced to resemble that of the ‘Old Style’, but is cut back and thus emphasizes functionality instead.27 In this way, every element of each letter is absolutely essential. The typeface with its thin lines, symmetry, consistency, and mathematically-calculated design thus perfectly reflects the eighteenth-century attitude in its legibility and clarity, which appealed to the neoclassical elite in France.
28
Figure 12 25 G eorge, Joseph, Didot,13. 26 Ibid. 27 Ibid. 28 Ibid.
Napoleon Crossing the Alps is an example of French Neoclassicism.
The typeface that resulted from Didot’s
and was the catalyst toward modern typography.
craftsmanship is regarded in the current era as
The Didot typeface is also considered to be the
being the first aesthetically ‘modern’ typeface,
most influential modern face, because it set
and is the most recognizable and famous Didot
the standard for contrast, stress, white space,
typeface. It is acclaimed primarily for the high
and geometric structure. It is also accredited
contrast between thick and thin strokes, hairline
to be the most beautiful Didot typeface due
serifs with no bracketing, and vertical stress
to its immaculate cut, open text appearance,
in rounded strokes (Figure 13). It also was
and the stark contrast between the fine
designed and engraved by Didot in order to
hairlines and the weight of the thicker strokes.
Neoclassicism | 19
External Qualities
solve the major design problem: how to produce an italic typeface that accompanied a standard roman type without clashing with it. Due to Didot’s forward-thinking design, his typeface is often believed to be the first modern typeface,
Didot
Figure 13
32 Osterer, Heidrun, Philipp Stamm, and Adrian Frutiger, 362. 33 Ovink.
29 G eorge, Joseph, Didot,13.
34 George, Joseph, Didot, 13.
30 Hart, Dana.
35 Ibid, 12.
31 Elkison, 23.
36 Osterer, Heidrun, Philipp Stamm, and Adrian Frutiger, 362.
The Didot typeface features a high contrast between thick and thin strokes, hairline serifs with no brackets, and vertical stress in rounded strokes.
Firmin Didot | 20
Didot | 9-point A BCDEFGHIJK LMNOPQRSTU V W XYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1234567890
Didot | 12-point ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1234567890
Didot | 15-point ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1234567890
Didot | 18-point ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1234567890
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Didot Bold
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Didot Italic
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Firmin Didot | 21
Didot
A B C D J K LM R S T U
E FGHI N O P Q V WXYZ
Firmin Didot | 24
External Qualities After Didot released his new typeface in 1784, his contemporaries relished his creation and it completely dominated the typographic scene. The overwhelming opinion of the Didot typeface was that it clearly reflected the antiquity that the elite of neoclassical Europe admired, yet
Univers
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it was also a symbolic reproduction of the modern age, all within one typeface. Due to the combination between neoclassicism, antiquity, and modernity, France considered the Didot typeface to be the epitome of French Typography. Adrian Frutiger (Figure 14), the creator of Univers and Avenir (Figure 15) typefaces, remarked on Didot (Figure 16):
Avenir
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQ RSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 123456789 Figure 15
29 G eorge, Joseph, Didot,13. 30 Hart, Dana. 31 Elkison, 23. 32 Osterer, Heidrun, Philipp Stamm, and Adrian Frutiger, 362.
Figure 14
Right: Adrian Frutiger studying his typeface, Avenir.
Figure 16
Right: Adrian Frutiger remarks on the Didot typeface
Adrian Frutiger
Introduction | 25
In the development of the Latin typeface, the classical antigua and above all, the later forms of the alphabet cut by Firmin Didot stand out as the most remarkable formal innovations‌Didot consciously moved the stroke direction away from the skewed impact of the broad pen, by building the up and downstrokes, the serifs and the junctures on a clear horizontal-vertical grid. This tendency towards a strongly objective means of letter construction exactly mirrored the zeitgeist of the revolution that was gathering momentum at the end of the 18th century.� Today, the legacy of Firmin Didot can be seen in his modern typeface, Didot.
Firmin Didot | 26
Impact
Figure 17
Johann Unger developed a more legible version of ‘Fraktur’ inspired by the modernity and clarity of the Didot typeface.
Since its creation, many typographers have created typefaces inspired by the Didot type family, and these interpretations pay tribute to the impact that Didot had on the world of typography. German Printer Johann 37
Friedrich Unger who lived from 1753-1804 reacted to the increase of Roman forms in Europe and created a combination of this style with that of the traditional German ‘Fraktur’ typeface. The result he achieved was known as ‘Unger-Fraktur’ (Figure 17) which utilized the geometric clarity of Didot and the aesthetic of Fraktur.
38
In Italy, Giambattista Bodoni of Parma (Figure 18) was another typographer who was influenced by the career of Didot. His beautiful roman typeface named ‘Bodoni’ (Figure 19) further defined the Modern style in the nineteenth-century. According to typographic analysts, Bodoni adopted many of the innovations of Didot, but the typeface itself is less adventurous.
37 H art, Dana. 38 Elkison, 23. 39 Ibid.
39
Figure 18
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Bodoni
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A RT
Figure 19
Firmin Didot | 27
Didot
Firmin Didot | 28
Figure 20
Stereotypography greatly enhanced the efficiency of Didot’s printing establishment. He was able to produce larger runs of book editions much cheaper and quicker.
Not only was Firmin Didot a renown
and also popularized editions of literature in
typographer, printer, and paper maker, but he
French, English and Italian. Because printers
was also a litterateur. He coined the name for
were able to produce a larger number of
stereo-typography, or “stereotyping”, which
editions less expensively, the process of
refers to the metal printing plate created for
stereo-typography changed the book trade
the actual printing of pages (Figure 20). This
dramatically. Didot utilized this process at his
process allowed for printers to print larger
type foundry and printing and paper making
runs of editions more effectively and cheaply.40
complex, which allowed him to refine the
Stereotypography was applied to the printing
print quality of his high-contrast typeface and
process of Callet’s Tables de Logarithmes
make it even more appealing to the eye.41
42 M acmillian, 73.
41 George, Joseph, Didot, 10.
Firmin Didot | 29
Figure 21
The Didot roman typeface became a standard book type in France during the nineteenth-century, and is still in use today. Not only was the face widely 42
utilized in France, but is also in the modern era in many different forms of media. For example, the use of Didot is most iconic on the covers of magazines such as Elle, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and Harper’s Bazaar. It is also currently employed in the logotype for CBS. (Figure 21). When the typeface is used, it bestows a sense of dignity, intelligence, and elegance— much like it had when Firmin Didot first created it in 1784.
42 M acmillian, 73.
Impact | 30
After a prolific career in typography,
printing were concerned. After making
printing, literature, and paper-making,
the transition from the traditional ‘Old
Firmin Didot relinquished his vast firm to
Style’ typeface traditions, Didot created
his sons. By this time, the part he played
a roman face that was admired and even
in the Didot Dynasty caused the firm to be
revered by neoclassic elite of France, yet
one of the most prominent typographic
also was legible for the common individual.
and printing establishments in the world.
43
Within one typeface, it possessed a
Toward the final chapter of his career, his
synergy that equally represented the
manufactory was a place of pilgrimage
antiquity of neoclassical Europe and the
for many printers. For a change of pace,
modern age. The result of his diligence
Didot then became printer to the Institut
and precision, Didot created the first
de France, sat as deputy for l’Eure and
modern typeface, and it has been
was also the director of the Impirie Imprial
utilized since the nineteenth-century.
Typefoundry. In his honor, the French 44
people erected a statue of Firmin Didot at the Hotel de Ville in Paris (Figure 22). The Didot Dynasty was the most prolific typographic, paper making, and printing enterprise in eighteenth and nineteenth century France. Within the family, Firmin Didot established a reputation for himself as the most successful of his family and contemporaries as far as type design and
43 “ Hoefler & Co.” 44 George, Joseph, Didot, 10.
In honor of Didot, a statue of his likeness was erected at the Hotel de Ville in Paris.
Introduction | 31
Figure 22
Firmin Didot | 32
Bibliography
Ellison, Andy. The Complete Guide to Digital Type: Creative Use of Typography in the Digital Arts. London: Laurence King Publishing, 2006. Eskilson, Stephen. Graphic Design: A New History. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2012. “Firmin Didot.” History of Graphic Design. 2017. Accessed February 12, 2017. http://www.historygraphicdesign. com/a-graphic-renaissance/an-epoch-of-typographic-genius/76-firmin-didot. George, Albert Joseph, and Pierre Didot. The Didot family and the progress of printing: a brief review of the development and accomplishments of the House of Didot: with facsimile pages and translation of Épître sur les progrès de l’imprimerie, written by Pierre Didot, printed in 1784 in italic type designed by his younger brother, Firmin, & dedicated to their father, François-Ambroise Didot. Syracuse: Syracuse University Press, 1961. Hart, Dana. “Firmin-Didot: A French Legacy.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art, i.e. The Met Museum. June 10, 2015. Accessed February 12, 2017. http://www.metmuseum.org/blogs/in-circulation/2015/firmin-didot.
“Hoefler & Co.” Didot Fonts: History | Hoefler & Co. Accessed February 12, 2017. https://www.typography.com/fonts/didot/history/. Macmillian, Neil. An A to Z of Type Designers. London: KING LAURENCE PUBLIS, 2006. Osterer, Heidrun, Philipp Stamm, and Adrian Frutiger. Adrian Frutiger Typefaces: The Complete Works. Basel: Birkhäuser, 2014. Ovink, G.w. “Nineteenth-century reactions against the didone type model - I.” Quaerendo 1, no. 2 (1971): 18-31. doi:10.1163/157006971x00301. Smith, Michael Stephen. The Emergence of Modern Business Enterprise in France: 1800-1930. Cambridge (Mass.): Harvard University Press, 2006.
Colophon
The body text is set in 8.5-point Avenir 45 Book. The figures are set in 8.5-point Avenir 45 Book Bold. The footnotes are set in 6.5-point Avenir 45 Book.
B G
The main headings are set in 17-point Didot Bold.
A E
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P A DK TV E N HM Y
Molly Stallings The Typographical Legacy of Firmin Didot
Art 430 | Peggy Re | Spring 2017 University of Maryland, Baltimore County An Undergraduate Capstone Project