Giambattista Bodoni Essay

Bodoni is the name given to the serif typefaces first designed by Giambattista Bodoni (1740–1813) in the late eighteenth century and frequently revived since.[1][2] Bodoni's typefaces are classified as Didone or modern. Bodoni followed the ideas of John Baskerville, as found in the printing type Baskerville—increased stroke contrast reflecting developing printing technology and a more vertical axis—but he took them to a more extreme conclusion. Bodoni had a long career and his designs changed and varied, ending with a typeface of a slightly condensed underlying structure with flat, unbracketed serifs, extreme contrast between thick and thin strokes, and an overall geometric construction.[3]

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vDuring the 1790s Italian publisher and typographer Giambattista Bodoni designed a series of serif typefaces that came to carry his name. Over the years a number of foundries created new versions of the typeface. These include Adobe, ITC, Bauer and FontFont.

Bodoni is not easy to use. Its extreme contrast in stroke weight and hairline serifs make for a typeface that is, in many circumstances, difficult to read. When used well, however, Bodoni almost always creates a favorable impression. Text
Not few people think that Bodoni was influenced by Didot. While it is evident that there are distinct similarities in the two designers’ work, and it is clear that Bodoni studied Didot’s designs carefully, a close examination reveals that the weight transitions of Bodoni’s designs are more gradual, and serifs still maintain a slight degree of bracketing. Many people who use Bodoni agree that Bodoni is not easy to use. Its extreme contrast in stroke weight and hairline serifs make for a typeface that is, in many conditions, hard to