The Old Style

From late 15th Century to mid-18th Century

(Renaissance Period)

Main Characteristics of the Old Style

 The contrast in character stroke weight is not dramatic, and hairlines tend to be
on the heavy side.

 The axis of curved strokes is normally inclined to the left in these designs, so
that weight stress is at approximately 8:00 and 2:00 o’clock.

 Serifs are almost always bracketed in old style designs and head serifs are often
angled.

 Some versions are distinguished by the diagonal cross stroke of the lowercase.

Examples

 Adobe Jenson

 ITC Berkeley Old Style

 Goudy Old Style

Herod's Banquet
by Domenico Ghirlandaio

San Marco Altarpiece

by Fra Angelico
Mystical Marriage of St Catherine
by Paolo Veronese

The Last Supper

by Andrea del Castagno
 The Transitional Style
Initiated from mid-18th Century to late 19th Century
(Romanticism Period)

Main Characteristics of the Transitional Style

 While the axis of curve strokes can be inclined in transitional designs

 The strokes normally have a vertical stress

 Weight contrast is more pronounced than in old style designs.

 Serifs are still bracketed and head serifs are oblique

Examples

 Baskerville

 Georgia

 Times New Roman

Venice Grand Canal
by Joseph Mallord William Turner

The Course of Empire Destruction 1836

by Cole Thomas
Saturn Devouring his Son
by Francisco de Goya

Der Heuwagen
by John Constable
 The Modern Style
From 19th Century to Present
(Neoclassical / Modern Period)

Main Characteristics of the Modern Style

 In many cases, stroke terminals are “ball” shapes rather than an evocation of a
broad pen effect.

 The axis of curved strokes is vertical, with little or no bracketing.

 Contrast between thick and thin strokes is abrupt and dramatic.

 These tend to be highly mannered designs, with clearly constructed letters.

Examples

 Didot

 Bodoni

 Elephant
The Boulevard Montmartre at Night
by Camille Pissarro

A Bar at the Folies-Bergère

by Édouard Manet
A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of the Grand Jatte
by Georges Seurat

The Road Menders

by Vincent van Gogh
Practice Different Serif Fonts in Double Scale
Submitted to

Salma Nur
Lecturer of SMUCT

Department of Graphic Design & Multimedia

Submitted by

Shovan Kumar

ID:191031051

Semester: 4th, Batch: 35th

Department: Graphic Design & Multimedia

Typography-01

(TYP-2101)

Date of submission
10 March. 2020

Shanto-Mariam University of Creative Technology