In 1768, Bodoni was invited to run the newly established Stamperia Reale, or Royal Press of Duke Ferdinand in Parma. When Bodoni arrived in Parma, he immediately got to work stocking up on type by the famed French punchcutter Pierre Simon Fournier (1712–68). When Bodoni began to make his own typefaces, he credited Fournier as his primary influence. But from the 1770s, we begin to see a change in Bodoni’s style. Initially, his typography imitated that of Fournier with its rococo decoration and [transitional](/glossary/transitional_neo_classical) style typefaces, but he gradually moved toward a new and distinctive style of his own. He rejected all forms of typographic ornamentation and borders, preferring instead vast expanses of white space, and generous margins. In his typefaces, he increased contrast and introduced very fine—almost unbracketed—serifs, longer ascenders and descenders, and more generous line-spacing. Now, line-spacing we would usually associate with typography rather than the design of typefaces. For centuries, type had typically been set solid; that is with no additional spacers inserted between lines of type. But Bodoni incorporated extra line-space into the type itself. He did this by casting his type on a larger body, thus imitating the appearance of additional line spacing.
-Reproduction of the fine details in Bodoni’s type was made possible by exceptionally smooth paper, new inks, and improved type casting methods. Under magnification, Bodoni’s typefaces reveal remarkably crisp outlines and even fill. Bodoni became a celebrity during his own lifetime for his Modern typefaces and his meticulous typography. And the Modern style took Europe by storm, even reaching America and winning the praise of a printer named Benjamin Franklin, in future to become president of the United States, Franklin wrote to Bodoni in 1787 praising his printing and type: “It is one of the most beautiful that Art has hitherto produced.” Bodoni also counted the Pope and Napoleon as admirers of his work.
+Reproduction of the fine details in Bodoni’s type was made possible by exceptionally smooth paper, new inks, and improved type casting methods. Under magnification, Bodoni’s typefaces reveal remarkably crisp outlines and even fill. Bodoni became a celebrity during his own lifetime for his Modern typefaces and his meticulous typography. And the Modern style took Europe by storm, even reaching America and winning the praise of a printer named Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, who wrote to Bodoni in 1787 praising his printing and type: “It is one of the most beautiful that Art has hitherto produced.” Bodoni also counted the Pope and Napoleon as admirers of his work.
As an interesting historical aside, Bodoni and the Didots did not get along. Unable to fault Bodoni’s typefaces and typography, the brothers Didot, Firmin and his older brother Pierre, chose to attack the textual accuracy of Bodoni’s editions, jumping on even the smallest typos. In 1799 Firmin Didot wrote, “As a literary man, I condemn his editions, as a typographer I admire them.” The snub was fueled by national rivalry, snobbery, and no doubt a good amount of jealousy, too.
projects / thirdparty / google / fonts.git / commitdiff
