Didot

Named after well known French printer and type family. Didot was inspired by a collection from related types developed during 1784 to 1811. Pierre Didot (1760 – 1853) was the first to use the type for printing. But it was his younger brother; Firmin Didot (1760 – 1853) who first cut the letters then later cast the type. Firmin was born into a family of Printers in Paris, but also acquired skills in engraving and as a type founder. He was student of Pierre-Louis Vafflard and father of Ambroise Firmin-Didot.

Didot is classified as modern or Didone. The typeface takes inspiration from John Baskerville and William Caslon’s abandonment of prevalent humanism in 1700s for the ‘the flexible steel pen and the pointed quill, instruments that rendered a fluid, swelling path.’ (Thinking with Type, 2004, p17). Didot paved the road for a new style of typography that separated itself from calligraphy with its extreme contrast between thin and thick lines, sharp squared serifs and a wholly vertical axis. Didot is described as ‘the Romantic Neoclassical’ Letter, and is a reflection of the Age of Enlightenment. Neoclassic letters are ‘in their quiet way, neitherhanded’ (The Elements of Typographic Style, 2005, p128), as typefaces of neoclassicism are often dictated by their axis rather than the truth of human anatomy, avoiding the more complex beauty of organic forms. The rationalist axis took the natural writing angle of calligraphy. The unexpected modulation of the stroke, the variations in line weight create dramatic contracts, which is ‘essential to much Romantic music and painting, is essential to Romantic type design as well’ (The Elements of Typographic Style, 2005, p130). The hardening o terminals from lachrymal to round, thinner serifs and reduced aperture also contribute to the Romanticism of this typeface. Romantic typefaces such as Didot, ‘featured straight-edged serifs that were unbracketed’ (Anatomy of a Typeface, 1990, p202) are often described as beautiful but lack the rhythm and flow that exist in other more legible typefaces. And often it is this rhythm that transforms a ‘looker’ to a reader, but in terms of Didot, most ‘lookers’ will stay as ‘lookers’.

Didot has been a source of inspiration for many contemporary typographers; the Linotype Didot by Adrian Frutiger in 1991 is amongst one of the more successful adaptations in recent times. The thin hairline strokes effected some of the early digital versions of Didot, hence to anticipate this degradation of the hairline in smaller point size, heavier line strokes are been employed for smaller point sizes. Didot in many ways lack rhythm and flow with its vertical axis and its ‘neitherhandedness’. Linotype Modem, designed in 1969, was based on Didot, ‘approach the vertical stress of the Bodoni-Didot models, but without the thinning of light stroke of serifs’ (Anatomy of a Typeface, 1990, p293) in trying to improve the legibility of Didot. CBS broadcast networks have used a version of the typeface for many years, alongside its well-known ‘eye’ logo. Didot is a true title typeface, with its beautiful curves, dramatic contrast in line weight and artwork like elegance; it is a typeface that will light up an invitation, document or a letter.

Bringhurst, R, 2005, The Elements of Typographic Style, Hartley & Marks: Vanvourver

Lawson, A, 1990, Anatomy of a Typeface, David R Godine

Lupton, E, 2004, Thinking with Type, Princeton Architectural Press: New York