A printer and calligrapher, John Baskerville sought to improve the quality of printing: he developed new, blacker inks and smoother paper, which allowed him to design letters with more contrast. His first major work was an edition of Virgil.
At a glance
Origin: Birmingham, England.
Designer: John Baskerville.
Date: 1757.
Evolution
Little appreciated in England during his lifetime, it was brought back into favor in the 20th century, notably by Monotype in 1923. It belongs to the Transitional typefaces, between Garaldes and Didones.
Famous examples
In 2012, an experiment by Errol Morris for The New York Times suggested that the same text seemed more credible when set in Baskerville. Zuzana Licko's Mrs Eaves, released in 1996, is a famous reinterpretation.
Current use
It is widely used in publishing, book covers and identities that want to evoke seriousness and tradition.
Alternatives
Mrs Eaves, Libre Baskerville, Times New Roman.
Great typefaces glossary
Akzidenz-Grotesk, Arial, Avenir, Baskerville, Bodoni, Caslon, Circular, Cooper Black, Didot, DIN, FF Meta, Franklin Gothic, Frutiger, Futura, Garamond, Georgia, Gill Sans, Gotham, Graphik, Helvetica, IBM Plex, Inter, Minion, Montserrat, Myriad, Neue Haas Grotesk, Optima, Poppins, Roboto, Sabon, SF Pro, Source Sans, Source Serif, Times New Roman, Univers, Verdana