b is for bodoni and...

...Bembo, Baker Signet, Baskerville, Bookman Old Style, Broadway, or even Braggadocio. But no, it's Bell Gothic.

You see, spoilt for choice, aren't we? So, when you're stuck in a rut and using the same fonts day in and day out, this little series is here to remind you that there are all sorts of typeface choices available to you. And there's a great deal in what Rob said in his comment to following the first post in this series: "narrowing your view can expand your inspiration". So why not have a bit of Christmas fun and set every job you do for the next week in Braggadocio?

But if it's timeless elegance that you're after, or your client is an Italian fashion house, then choice number one would really have to be Bodoni. And do you know how long Bodoni's been around? Over 200 years (it was designed by Giambattista Bodoni in 1798). The Wikipedia entry is as good a general description as you'll get.

And my second B choice is something a little more modern - Bell Gothic. Designed by Chauncey H. Griffith in 1938, it was commissioned by AT&T as a proprietary typeface for use in their telephone directories, and was superseded (as far as AT&T are concerned) by Matthew Carter's Bell Centennial in 1978, the one hundredth anniversary of AT&T's founding.

Comments

[Adrian McEwen]

Old Giambattista has even got his own piazza here in Turin. And knowing that his font was making an appearance here, I took a photo of it last week - http://www.flickr.com/photos/rj_andreo/2105719981/

Sadly that isn't him sat on the horse in the middle, but the street signs do list him as "Editore e Tipografo" - editor and typographer.

[davidthedesigner]

Nice one, Adrian. Makes me feel jealous, though.

[Loïc]

"Piazza Bodoni"… goddam, it sounds grat! I wish there was a Place Garamond in Rouen. Viva Italia!

[davidthedesigner]

I couldn't agree more, Loïc. I'm rooting for a Snell Roundhand Square in Southampton.

[Richard]

Eeek! Sorry David but I can't help but feel Bell Gothic is quite inelegant. That horrible lowercase "r". I've seen it used for logos! A typeface designed for small type in a telephone directory used for a logo. For god's sake, they'll be serving red wine with fish next.

[Richard]

Talking of "B" fonts, I've used Bookman recently. Like Palatino, because you used to get Bookman shipped with your Mac SE, I developed a strong dislike for it. All those years ago it seemed like it was part of the palette of the "Desktop Publishers" (damn those dtp'ers!). I'm big enough to admit I was wrong about Bookman (and Palatino for that matter), it's actually strangely lovely.

Font Bureau do an absolutely beautiful, Clarendon-esque Belizio too.

[davidthedesigner]

I've always had a fondness for Palatino, Richard - ever since I won an RSA Typography Bursary many, many years ago. It's been good to me, and maybe I'll return the favour when I get to the letter 'P'.