The downside was that it limited the amount of text that could fit on a single page, creating longer books that required more time to set up. Gutenberg’s letterforms were based on the Blackletter calligraphy that was used to write manuscripts. While arranging the letters for each page could take an entire day, the page could then be printed as many times as necessary from that single day’s work. He drew on movable type used in East Asia and screw-type presses being used by farmers in Europe to devise the idea for the first printing press.īecause Gutenberg was a goldsmith, he was able to create durable letter blocks that could be used over and over again. Gutenberg recognized that being able to mass-produce books quickly and cheaply was a lucrative prospect. Typeface history has largely been influenced by the availability of technology throughout the centuries, starting with Gutenberg’s press and continuing through digital typography advancements by designers in the 20th and 21st centuries. They were generally reserved for the elite, though growing literacy among the middle class increased their demand. However, before the invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg in the mid-15th century, books were written by hand. For something more modern, check out the CANGGU monoline script, that’s perfect for blogs, social media, and the Web.It’s easy to take books and other printed material for granted. The Libre Caslon Text found on Google Fonts on the other hand, is optimized for the Web and would look awesome on all your digital designs.ĭo you love old, handwriting styles? Then you will love the TEMPLAR signature script, that looks as if it was indeed, written by hand.
#Caslon font history pro#
For the free versions, go to Fonts Geek for the Adobe Caslon Pro Regular and to Font Squirrel for Libre Caslon. Get all the Adobe Caslon fonts from Adobe Fonts. Don’t be afraid to complement it with similar serifs, too, such as Schnyder and Elmhurst. Of course, as a serif, it goes well with sans serifs like Akzidenz Grotesk, Interstate, and Graphik. From plays, posters, magazines, logos, even official documents and corporate letterheads – Caslon has, and always will, have a place in our time.īreathe new life to it by pairing it with unique typefaces such as NY Irvin and Schnyder. Nowadays, lots of designers still employ this Old Style serif in their works. Whether it’s for your digital portfolio or a book cover, you can’t go wrong with using Caslon. And why not? With its beautiful curves and rich history, there’s no other serif that’s as dependable.
There’s a popular saying among type setters: ‘when in doubt, use Caslon’. The result is organic letters that bear close resemblance to the beloved serif of kings. Twombly designed them by studying specimen pages printed by William Caslon between 17. In 1990, type designer Carol Twombly created a Caslon revival called Adobe Caslon, which was more suited to digital needs.
Soon, they also became famous outside of England, making their way to the New World, just in time for the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The Caslon fonts were used extensively by people from all ranks, particularly in political arenas. His works gained fame because of their attractiveness and functionality. A notable English punchcutter, he designed many typefaces during this time, until his death in 1766. Fonts 5,805 Fonts History of the Caslon FontĬaslon in essence refers to Old Style serifs originally created by William Caslon in 1722.