Bodoni Fonts – History & Uses

Although its origins are over 300 years old, the Bodoni typeface is regarded as a Modern or Didone font.¹

Designed by the Italian engraver Giambattista Bodoni in 1798² the font which bears his name drew upon the influences of the older serif Baskerville face to produce a font which was seen as being more pleasing on the eye.

Bodoni's characteristic contrast between thick and thin strokes to the vertical axis combining with thin 'hairlines' resulted in an attractive, delicate font but one which could prove difficult to print. Nevertheless it was used prolifically in the publication of Italian books from the C18th – a language to which its design was obviously suited.

Much favoured in its early years in billboard advertising, Bodoni fonts were adapted in the early C20th by countless variations – most noticeably Bauer.³

With the advent of the digital age the elegance of Bodoni was initially difficult to reproduce faithfully on screen and legibility could become a problem working in certain point sizes which the very essence of Bodoni only served to exaggerate.

Today much of this has effectively been eliminated by the modern interpretations from established suppliers such as Monotype and Linotype who list more than 100 and 300 examples in their libraries respectively.

Bodoni-based fonts are still highly regarded by designers for their luxurious qualities and are often used by glossy fashion magazines. Bodoni poster-style fonts made popular in artwork produced in the Swinging Sixties are now enjoying a revival.

An up-to-date example which has received world-wide exposure is the title adopted for the film production of Abba's hit musical Mamma Mia!

References

1. I Love Typography, www.ilovetypography.com
Date/Time Accessed: 4/11/08 at 10.20 am

2. Bodoni, www.en.wikipedia.org
Date/Time Accessed: 4/11/08 at 11.15 am

3. Bodoni Type Sample, www.will-harris.com
Date/Time Accessed: 4/11/08 at 11.30 am