didot - book design

didotTypeface, Designer, Legacy

Komal Zehrah


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Komal Zehrah

813202629

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LegacyAnalysisComparisonConclusionTimeline

Didot Legacyg

A FAMILY BUSINESSAmbroise-Firmin Didot has been credited

with the production of the original Didot

typeface, though its success is due largely

to the esteem and accomplishments of

the Didot household as a whole. The Didot

family had produced a legacy in the realm

of publishing and printing. Firmin’s father,

Francois-Ambroise had established himself

as a renowned printer in the 18th century,

and his father before him, Francois I, was

also a printer and had originally founded

the family publishing business in 1713. Fran-

cois’s father, Denis Didot, was a printer, too.1

The Didot dynasty of publishing and print-

ing is in fact believed to have dated back

to 1698, to a bookseller named Marie-Anne

Didot.2

FRANCOIS TO FIRMINFrancois II had revolutionized typography in

France by introducing reforms in the system

of typographical measurements, a version

of which is still in use today. He had become 1 Linda Whiteley. “Didot.” Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Online. Oxford University Press,

2 Roxane Jubert, Typography and Graphic Design, (Paris: Flammarion, 2006), 77-79.

3 Whiteley, Grove Art Online.

Figure 1Portrait of Firmin Didot, circa 1823. Anne-Louis Girodet Trioson

Didot | 9

Didot Family Tree

Didot | 10

Denis Didot

Francois-Ambroise Didot (Francois II)

Ambroise-Firmin Didot

Pierre Didot

Francois Didot (Francois I)

so reputable, that he was commissioned to

produce printwork for the king of France.4

Benjamin Franklin Bache, grandson of

Benjamin Franklin, was an apprentice to

Francoise II. According to Bache, he was

the best printer of his time.5

Francois II initiated what are said to be the

early versions of the Didone style typefaces.

The Didone typefaces all have the same

common characteristics: “horizontal and

linear unbracketed serifs, a large contrast

between thick and thin parts, and vertical

stress.” Firmin’s Didot typeface was most

definitely inspired by and derived from the

typeface designs of his father, particularly

the “troisieme manieres” (Fig. 2).6

The development of these typefaces was in

part helped by the improvement of paper

quality. Francois II, following the footsteps

of John Baskerville, experimented with

processes to make better paper and also

to improve the printing press. The paper he

ahpgFigure 2 Francois-Ambroise’s “troisieme manieres” (above) compared to Firmin Didot’s Didot typeface (below). Roxane Jubert

Didot | 11

4 Unger, Gerard. 2001. “The types of François-Ambroise Didot and Pierre-Louis Vafflard.” Quaerendo 31, no. 3: 165-191.

5 2013. “François Didot.” Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition 1.

6 Unger, Quaerendo, 165-191.

developed allowed the more refined letters

of his typefaces to be seen more clearly.

Aside from his father, Firmin’s influences

for his typeface include Pierre-Louis Vafflard.

Vafflard was one of the punchcutters who

worked alongside Firmin’s father in the

printing business and he taught Firmin the

art of punchcutting.7 The main purpose

of developing the Didot typeface, was to

provide a typeface for his brother Pierre’s

book. The success of their book publishing

and selling business helped to bring success

to the typeface as well.

ROYAL RECOgNITIONFirmin enjoyed similar successes to his

father. Like his father, Firmin also made

endeavors to make advancements in print

technology. He was the first in France to

print books from stereotype plates. He had

obtained metal presses in 1810, which gave

more regularity in the print quality. He had

actually improved the process, and it allowed

him to make less expensive books. He also

worked for royalty, just as his father had. In

fact, Firmin became the printer to the king,

and the head of the royal foundry.8

Figure 3Punches based on the Ambroise type family, derived from Didone types found in the Imprimerie Nationale in France. Jean François Porchez

Didot | 12

7 Jubert, Typography and Graphic Design, 79.

8 2013. “François Didot.” Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition.

TypeAnalysissy

ABCDEFGH I J K L M NOPQRSTU

VWXYZ

Didot | 14

a b c d e f gh i j k l m no p q r s t uv w x y z

Didot | 15

TYPE ORIgINSReinterpreted, revised, and replicated for centuries, Didot is a classic modern typeface that

has withstood much criticism to continue to be widely successful. It has now become the

typeface of many of the big names in the fashion industry known today. Gracing the covers

of magazines such as Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, as well as serving as the typeface choice

for the Giorgio Armani logo, Didot and its derivatives are very commonly used typefaces.

Even in its early days it was widely used in Europe. Firmin Didot had produced the Didot

typeface in Paris, France in the early 1780s. By the end of the 18th century, it was introduced

in other European countries, and in Germany it became a widespread type and resulted in

many imitations in the following century.1

Didot | 16

Figure 1A custom logo made for Vogue with slight variations to Didot typeface.Terminal Design

1Roxane Jubert, Typography and Graphic Design, (Paris: Flammarion,

2006), 77-79.

VISUAL ANALYSISCharacterized by its thin, hairline serifs

and the drastic variation between stroke

weights, Didot has a very neoclassical look.

Unlike many of the typefaces preceding it,

Didot had no bracketing (Fig.2), and had

vertical stress as opposed to the diagonal

stress of the calligraphic Old Styles (Fig.2).

It has the double-story lowercase a and

g and much of the lowercase letters were

created in consideration with each other.

The p and q are almost mirror reflections

of each other (Fig.4), as are the b and d.

Its uppercase H and M are narrower than

most of the book types that were used at

the time. Thus the Didot family had altered

quite a few of the standards for book types. 2

Though it is frequently compared to Bodoni,

the major differences between the two are

the lowercase a’s: the counter on Didot’s

p qo oA A

Figure 2Didot (left) with unbracketed, hairline serifsGoudy (right) with bracketed serifs

Figure 3Didot (left) with vertical stressGoudy (right) with diagonal stress

Figure 4Didot’s mirrored lowercase p is the same as its q

Didot | 17

2 W. Pincus Jaspert, W. Turner Berry, and A. F. Johnson, The Encyclopaedia of Type Faces, (London: Blandford Press, 1970), 69.

droops down, and the tails on the uppercase Q: Didot’s is swash-like whereas Bodoni’s is

much simpler and centered (Fig. 4).

CRITICAL ANALYSISCriticism of Didot lies mainly in the use of the hairline serifs and the extreme stroke weight

difference. “If some appreciated the alphabet’s grandeur…others saw its excessive rigor as

posing problems for readers…”3At smaller sizes, the thinner strokes become less visible.

Therefore, it is not used much in body text. However, it is very successful as a display face,

which is why it is so frequently utilized in titles, headings, and logos. The straight, thin

strokes give it elegance and make it stand out. Historian Alber Kapt states that Didot seems

“intellectual, sober, and cold, but when looked at more closely turns out to be witty and

delightful”.4

Figure 4Bodoni Q and a (leftt). Didot Q and a (right)

Didot | 18



“Alber Kapf, on Didot

Didot | 19

intellectual, sober, and cold, but when

looked at more closely, turns out to be witty

and delightful

Didot | 20

TypeComparison

rm

1 Bedoin, Laurence , Thierry Claerr, and Matthieu Cortat. Ministry of Culture and Communication, Garamond, Last modified 2011. http://www.garamond.culture.fr/en.

Figure 1Etching of Claude Garamont by artist William Sharp. Cornell University Library

Didot | 21

CLAUDE gARAMONTFrench typography went through periods

of rise and decline as technology and

politics brought swift changes to the

design industry. The Didots were credited

as being highly influential in generating

much of the positive revolutions in type

and printing in France in the 18th century.

However, even before them, Claude

Garamont had helped bring an earlier

revival for French typography in the 16th

century. Similar to the Didots, Garamont

also came from a family of printers, as both

his mother and father’s side of the family

had many printers and punch-cutters.1

FIRMIN & CLAUDEThe typefaces of Didot and Garamond are

among the type designers that have been

credited with restoring the glory of French

typography. Both designers had enjoyed

much success and critical acclaim for their

work. Also, both created typefaces that

spurred many imitations and variations,

Didot | 22

u

Didot | 23

2 Philip B. Meggs, Meggs’ History of Graphic Design, (Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, 2012), 114.

3 Bedoin et al., Garamond, 2011

due to the amount of popularity they

garnered. Garamont’s type designs were

so well known and appreciated for their

legibility and beauty, that for about two

hundred years, other typographers merely

refined or altered his types rather than

creating novelty types.2 Didot experienced

similar achievements with his typeface, as it

is still widely used today, over two hundred

years later. Though both types originated

in France and had similar success stories,

they vary in their individual designs.

FROM OLD STYLE TO MODERNGaramond is categorized as an Old-Style

type, with the original Garamond typefaces

having been produced in the mid 1500s.3

These were in the style of Roman humanist

types, derived from Italy, but perfected by

typographers in France.

While other type designers at his time and

before him merely reproduced hand-written

manuscripts, Garamont had created letters

that could be independently considered as

types. For about two centuries after they

were made, his typefaces

continued to flourish and to

influence typographers. It was

in fact in the late 1700’s that

Firmin Didot produced his

typeface. If Garamond was

revolutionizing humanist type,

Firmin took it to a greater

level, by creating one of the

first Modern typefaces.

Figure 2Examples of common characteristics of some of the main type styles, illustrating their evolution over the years. (left) Matthew Chan

“And while other type designers at his time and before him

merely reproduced hand-written manuscripts, Garamont had created letters that could be

independently considered as types.”

Figure 3Garamond (bottom).Didot (top).

Didot | 24

ANATOMY OF THE TwO TYPESGaramond and other Old Style types are known for their low stroke contrast, whereas Didot

is a typeface that exhibits extreme contrast between thick and thin strokes. Garamond’s

letters exhibit angled strokes, whereas Didot’s seem to all be very straight and most are

perpendicular (Fig. 3a). While Didot has vertical stress, there is diagonal stress on Garamond’s

letters (Fig 3b). Angled strokes and diagonal stress are some of the distinguishing traits of

Old Style and humanist typefaces, which had characteristics of handwritten text. As type

designers diverged from emulating handwriting, they experimented with less of this diagonal

stress, and the Didone typefaces set the trend of vertical stress. Though they both have

similar x-heights, it varies among some letters in Garamond due to the angled serifs (Fig 3c).

As typefaces shifted from Old Style to Transitional to Modern, the x-heights started to get

larger as well. Though both are serif types, many of the letters in Garamond have

TypophilicTypophilic

c.

c.

b.

b.

a.

a.

Figure 4Garamond (left) with triangular serifs.Didot (right) with hairline serifs.

Figure 5Garamond (left).Didot (right).

a.

Didot | 25

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ADVANTAgES AND USAgEThe characteristics of both typefaces give them their own individual appeal, and contribute

to their advantages, but also their disadvantages. Garamond is largely used as type for body

text, since it is very legible and was created with the intent for being used as such. The

letterforms are very open and round, and that helps to make them very readable. Didot on

the other hand, is difficult to read as body text, especially at smaller font sizes. This is due to

the extremely contrasted strokes and the hairlines serifs. Therefore, it is best to use a greater

amount of leading for Didot. It is generally used purely as display type for these same reasons,

and it has flourished as a stylish display, while Garamond is commonly found in books.

triangular serifs (Fig. 4a). Didot, however,

has thin, hairline serifs (Fig. 4b). Another

aspect of Garamond’s letters is that each

has its own individual characteristics,

whereas Didot’s seem to be based off one

another. Looking at the d and b it is very

apparent that Didot’s are almost mirrored

off each other, whereas Garamond’s are

designed differently (Fig. 4). One defining

characteristic of Garamont’s typefaces is

the narrow lowercase a. On the otherhand,

Didot’s a has an elegant teardrop shaped

counter, complementary to the teardrop

terminal on the a as well (Fig. 5).

a ab.

Didot | 26

Conclusion

c s

Figure 1Didot used on the cover of Vanity Fair’s commemorative book. Luke Hayman

Figure 2Didot featured on the cover of the February 2013 issue of Turkey’s Harper’s Bazaar. Koray Birand

Didot | 27

IMPACTFrequenting the covers of fashion magazines

and logos, Didot has established itself as

a sophisticated and elegant typeface. Its

slender serifs, contrasted with the bold

teardrop terminals give it a distinctive look,

one that is memorable and makes it easy

to distinguish from other typefaces. Its

delicate strokes are juxtaposed with its

thick strokes, and this particular feature has

been adapted into much of the typefaces

used in the fashion industry. This stylish

aspect of the typeface became quite a

trend in the later part of 20th century,

but Didot has transcended the ephemeral

bounds of trends, and has established a

more indelible presence in the world of type.

MODERN VERSIONSIt has been altered and imitated and

refined numerous times since its initial

production by Firmin Didot. In 1991, Adrian

Frutiger refined the type, and even handled

some of the flaws it had. At smaller point

Figure 3CBS logo utilizing a Didot variant. Erik Thayer

Figure 4Variation of Didot created by Jonathan Hoefler. Hoefler & Co

Figure 5Variation of Didot created by Adrian Frutiget. Monotype GmbH

Didot | 28

sizes, the thin strokes of the type seem to disappear on the page. This effect was called

“dazzle”, so Frutiger increased the stroke width at smaller point sizes to resolve this issue

in his typeface Linotype Didot.1 Hoefler and Frere-Jones also recreated the type with similar

adjustments around the same time as Frutiger, and called it HTF Didot.2 Both Linotype Didot

and HTF Didot are frequently used today, mainly to give and old-fashioned look to books

and magazines. What was once considered modern and novel has now become vintage, but

still retaining its elegance and appeal.

1 Monotype GmbH. “Type Gallery – Linotype Didot.” Linotype Type Gal-lery. http://www.linotype.com/171/linotypedidot.html

2 Hoefler & Co. “Didot Fonts.” Didot Fonts. http://www.typography.com/fonts/didot/overview/

Timeline

Ti

1530

1689

1713

1730

1754

1764

1784

1788

1789

1804

1814

1827

1836

1943

1991

1992

1701-1789Age of Enlightenment

1789-1799French Revolution

1500

1700

1600

1800

1900

2000

Claude Garamont published his first typeface

Francois Didot born in Paris, France; merchant and the grandfather of Firmin Didot.

Francois Didot opened a bookstore, À la Bible d’or

Francois-Ambroise Didot born in Paris, France. Father of Firmin Didot; printer type and designer.

Francois Didot received printer’s charter from the king

Firmin Didot was born in Paris France.

Firmin Didot developed the original Didot typeface

Francois-Ambroise was appointed printer to the clergy

Francois-Ambroise retired, and Firmin took over his father’s business

Napoleon became the Emperor of France

Napoleon appointed Firmin as the Director of the Imperial Foundry

Firmin Didot gave up business.

Firmin Didot passed away at the age of 72.

A custom designed Didot graced the cover of Vogue magazine as the official Vogue logo

Jonathan Hoefler developed HTF Didot

Adrian Frutiger developed Linotype Didot

16th, 17th Centuries

18th Century

19th Century

20th Century

didot - book design

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