Optima AN INTRODUCTION
cap height x-height
baseline
Optima 1
2
4
3
[1]contrast between thick and thin strokes [2]vertical axis [3] [4]larger x-height
Humanist Sans-Serif
Optima retains the wonderfully classic proportions of a Roman
lapidary
serif typeface, yet is modern because it is essentially serif-less. —Allan Haley Optima was designed by Hermann Zapf (1918-) between 1952 and 1955. Zapf was inspired by an inscription that he saw on a Roman-era headstone in Florence, Italy, during the time of his research on typeface design at the Basilica di Santa Croce. The face which he observed was a sans-serif, unusual for a time when the serif style dominated classic roman lettering. Optima is therefore considered a Humanist Sans-Serif, as it takes inspiration from calligraphic letterforms and hand lettering. Optima’s capitals were designed with direct refrence to the Roman square capitals, which serve as the foundation for the capital letters we know today. One of the advantages Optima presents is it’s ability to maintain legibility in body text, while conveying elegance at display sizes. It also compliments a variety of both serif and Sans-serif faces.
Aa Aa Aa Aa Aa Optima Regular
Optima Italic
Optima Bold
Optima Bold Italic
Optima ExtraBold
Q G A B C D E F H I J K L M O P Q R S U V W X Y a b c d e f h i j k l m o p q r s u v w x y
G N T Z g n t z
arc shaped counter of lowercase f
Q tail of Uppercase Q extends well below baseline
1 2 3 4 56 7 8 9 0 ! ? @ * $ % & ( ) . , : ‘ “ ”
j
I ought to live here. Optima Bold 24 pt
On retirement pay I could make it all right. Optima Regular 18/20 pt
No Gritti Palace. A room in a house like that and the tides and the boats going by. Optima Bold 24 pt
I could read in the mornings and walk around town before lunch and go every day to see the Tintorettos at the Accademia Optima Regular 14/16 pt
and to the Sculoa San Rocco and eat in good cheap joints behind the market or, maybe, the woman that ran the house would cook in the evenings. Optima Italic 18/22 pt
OptimaExtra Black 18/22 pt
- Mark Twain, Across the River and Into Trees (1950)