TypeTalk: Good Looking Bodoni at Any Size

Giambattista Bodoni
Bodoni is one of those classic typefaces (neoclassical, to be specific) that never gets
old. Its elegant, sophisticated appearance characterized by extreme stroke contrast and
ultra-thin hairlines is timeless. It can be seen in logos, titles and headlines, branding,
packaging, publishing, and a lot more.
Giambattista Bodoni (1740 1813) was a typographer, type designer,
compositor, printer and publisher from Parma, Italy who created some of the most
beautiful and majestic typefaces ever produced. Most were intended for display usage,
but several were designed for text. It is believed by many that Bodoni is one typeface
design, but in actuality, Giambattista Bodoni designed over 200 fonts bearing his name.
They are all the same basic style, but with varying design details such as stroke
thickness, x-height, proportion and weight.

Actual Bodoni punches, courtesy of Sumner Stone.

There have been numerous versions of Bodoni. Some of the more faithful revivals are
ITC Bodoni, E+F Bauer Bodoni, URW Bodoni Antiqua, Monotype Bodoni, ATF Bodoni,
Berthold Bodoni Antiqua, Poster Bodoni, and WTC Our Bodoni. All Bodoni typefaces are
different interpretations of this classic design some with subtle differences (such as
those listed above), while others barely resemble their historical inspirations; this last
category includes Bodoni Brush, Bodoni Egyption, Bodoni Classic Chancery, and Bodoni
Ornamental, plus many more.

Six different Bodoni revivals, from the thinnest thin strokes, and up from
there

You can more easily see their differences in an enlarged letter b.

Poster Bodoni, Bodoni Brush, Bodoni Egyptian, Bodoni Classic Chancery, and
Bodoni Ornamental
A major cause for confusion is that Bodoni designs have very similar names, that is,
they all include the word Bodoni. That being said, they are all different to varying
degrees. Often, the designer or foundry creating the revival will merely add a prefix or
suffix to the name of the original design to distinguish it from its competitors. Some are
closely based on historic models, such as original matrices, punches, or printed
documents, while others are inspired by original Bodoni typefaces.

Bodonis Manuale Tipografico is one of the greatest specimen books ever printed. Issued
in 1818 at Parma, Italy by Bodonis widow, the two-volume work shows an impressive
array of 142 roman alphabets including some foreign language versions, such as Greek
and Cyrillic. Many designers have used this text as a resource when designing a Bodoni
typeface.

Bodonis Papale from his Manuale Tipografico was the model for ITC Bodoni
Seventy-Two.

Bodonis Filosofia was the model for ITC Bodoni Six.

Bodoni in Use
The Bodoni typestyle is not an all-purpose workhorse. It is, rather a high-strung
thoroughbred, says Allan Haley, Monotypes director of words and letters. He is
absolutely correct! Most currently available Bodoni designs are intended for, and best
used for display sizes. Their extreme thin strokes wont reproduce well at smaller sizes,
which can degrade their appearance and lessen readability. Using a Bodoni outside of
that versions sweet spot size range can have unintended results: if youre using one
that is intended for display, but setting it at small point sizes, the thins might not hold
up, spacing will most likely appear too tight, and overall readability will begin to be
compromised. Conversely, if youre setting a text version at larger sizes, the thins will
look too heavy and clunky, and the spacing will look progressively too open, all which
can compromise readability and typographic color.
There are a few Bodoni versions that were designed for text usage, and others that will
hold up at smaller sizes. The ITC Bodoni family consists of three size-sensitive versions,
including two intended for text: ITC Bodoni Six, Twelve, and Seventy-Two. ITC Bodoni Six,
based on Bodonis Filosofia was intended for very small type in the range of six point
and is useful for captions, credits, and other small settings, while ITC Bodoni Twelve was
designed for text copy. ITC Bodoni Seventy-Two was based on Bodonis Papale, and is
intended for display settings.

The three size-sensitive versions of the ITC Bodoni Series.

The quote above is set in the beautiful ITC Bodoni Seventy-Two Italic with
swash, while the credit is set in ITC Bodoni Twelve.
Another Bodoni typeface optimized for book printing (around 9 point) is Bodoni Old
Face. Bodoni Old Face was overseen by by Gnter Gerhard Lange, art
director of Berthold Type Foundry, in 1983, and is known for legibility and clarity even in
the smallest sizes. Lange adapted this Bodoni to meet the demands of current
technology. The results are a Bodoni strictly dedicated to Giambattista Bodonis originals
of the late 1700s, but with more color and stroke variations than other Bodoni versions.

This quote by Giambattista Bodoni is set in three versions suitable for text:
ITC Bodoni Six, ITC Bodoni Twelve, and Bodoni Old Face.
There are many Bodoni revivals to choose from for larger settings. Other than the
aesthetics and personal preference, which one is best for your intended usage can be
determined primarily by the thin strokes, which should remain proportionally thin at the
intended size. Other considerations when selecting the right Bodoni for a job are the
width, the look of the italics, and the existence of swashes and typographic features
that might be desired for a particular job. Therefore, when selecting a Bodoni typeface
that is right for your any particular job, allow plenty of time to explore the dozens of
available options.

by Strizver I, 2016, Typetalk: Good looking Bodoni at any size, accessed 6

September 2016, < http://creativepro.com/typetalk-good-looking-bodoni-at-anysize/>.
Posted on: March 23, 2016
Accessed Sep 6, 2016
< http://creativepro.com/typetalk-good-looking-bodoni-at-any-size/>.

TypeTalk: Optical and Size-specific Fonts

ITC Bodoni
ITC Bodoni was designed by a team of designers after studying Bodonis steel punches
at the Museo Bodoniana in Parma, Italy. They sought to do a revival that reected the
subtleties of Bodonis actual work. The result was three size-specific versions: ITC
Bodoni Six for captions and footnotes, ITC Bodoni Twelve for text settings, and ITC
Bodoni Seventy-Two a display design modeled on Bodonis 72-point Papale design.

by Ilene Strizver
Posted on: June 27, 2016
Accessed Sep 6, 2016
<http://creativepro.com/typetalk-optical-and-size-specific-fonts/>