| Thomas Detrie | detrie@detrie.asu.edu | Rev 15 Feb 99 |

Font Fundamentals

Copyright 1995-1999 Thomas Detrie. All rights reserved.

Bodoni letters   Bodoni R

Figures 11 and 12.
In the days of hand-cast type, type punches were made optimal for each point size. Bodoni displays one hundred and forty-four cuts of his roman type in the first volume of Manuale Tipografico. Four examples are shown here from smallest to largest: 1) Font name: Parmingianina. Cut name and number: Parma 1; 2) Font name: Garamone. Cut name and number: Oneglia 3; 3) Font name: Silvio. Cut name and number: Vercelli 7; 4) Font name: Testo. Cut name and number: Novara 14.

The practice of creating an optimal design for each type size has unfortunately disappeared because of economic factors, despite the development of machines like Benton's pantograph punch-cutter (1885) which made it easier to cut master patterns.


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