Printer to the Duke of Parma, Bodoni pushed the contrast between thick and thin strokes to the extreme, at the same time as Firmin Didot in Paris. Together, they gave birth to the Didone family.
At a glance
Origin: Parma, Italy.
Designer: Giambattista Bodoni.
Date: End of the 18th century. His Manuale Tipografico, which brings his typefaces together, was published in 1818, after his death, by his widow.
Evolution
Bodoni has been reinterpreted many times, notably with Bauer Bodoni in 1926, ITC Bodoni in the 1990s and the free Bodoni Moda on Google Fonts.
Famous examples
Massimo Vignelli counted it among the handful of typefaces he needed to work, alongside Garamond, Futura and Helvetica.
Current use
It is everywhere in fashion, luxury and magazines, where its elegance and contrast shine at large sizes.
Alternatives
Didot, Bodoni Moda, Playfair Display.
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