Before Bodoni, there was Didot. With the publication by Francois Ambroise Didot of Paris in 1784 of his prospectus for Tasso’s La Gerusalemme Liberata, the rococo typographical style of Fournier de Jeune was replaced with a spartan, neo-classical style that John Baskerville pioneered. The typeface Didot used for this work was of Didot’s own creation and is considered by both G. Dowding and P. Meggs to be the first modern face. Three years later, Bodoni of Parma is using a very similar face. Just as Bodoni’s typeface evolved over time, so did that of the Didot family. The eldest son of Francois Ambroise Didot, Pierre, ran the printing office; and Firmin ran the typefoundry. Pierre used the flattened, wove paper, again pioneered by Baskerville, to permit a more accurate impression and allow the use of more delicate letterforms. Firmin took full advantage of the improved paper by further refining the typeface introduced by his father. The printing of Racine’s Oeuvres in 1801 (seen in our gallery image #2) shows the symbiotic results of their efforts, especially in the marked increase in the sharpness of the serifs when compared to their owns works of only six years earlier. It has been suggested that one reason Bodoni achieved greater popularity than Didot is the thinner hairlines of Didot were more fragile when cast in metal type and thus more expensive for printers to use than Bodoni. This ceased to be a problem with the advent of phototypesetting, opening the door for a renewed interest in the work of the Didot family and especially that of Firmin Didot. Although further refinements in the Didot typeface were to come (notably the lower case ‘g’ shown in 1819), we have chosen 1801 as the nominal basis for our presentation of HiH Firmin Didot. We like the thick-thin circumflex that replaced the evenly-stroked version of 1795, possible only with the flatter wove paper. We like the unusual coat-hanger cedilla. We like the organic, leaf-like tail of the ‘Q.’ We like the strange, little number ‘2’ and the wonderfully assertive ‘4.’ And we like the distinctive and delightful awkwardness of the double-v (w). Please note that we have provided alternative versions of the upper and lower case w that are slightly more conventional than the original designs. Personally, I find the moderns (often called Didones) hard on the eyes in extended blocks of text. That does not stop me from enjoying their cold, crisp clarity. They represent the Age of Reason and the power of man’s intellect, while reflecting also its limitations. In the title pages set by Bodoni, Bulmer and Didot, I see the spare beauty of a winter landscape. That appeals to a New Englander like myself. Another aspect that appeals to me is setting a page in HiH Firmin Didot and watching people try to figure out what typeface it is. It looks a lot like Bodoni, but it isn't!

Shakila Script is a handwritten font created at the end of March 2021. It is a unique bold font with a pretty and charming casual style with many variants of beautiful swashes, as well as an alternative to capital letters. Shakila is a lovely and delicate font duo (script and sans serif), that exudes elegance and class. This font was particularly crafted for those who need a beautiful and refreshing look to their designs. Also, this font is perfect for branding projects, logo, product designs, invitation cards, wedding cards, stationery designs, advertisements, label, photography, blogging, social media or watermark. Key Features: - Multilingual Accents - Alternative capital letters - Stylistic Alternates up to 20 choices - Has a heart connected feature for a-z and A-Z letters - Available shortcut for Stylistic Alternate by simply adding "period" (.) and “number” (1-20) to each letter. - Has lots of ligatures so the letters connect well together - Has OpenType and PUA Encodes features. This font has a total of 885 glyphs, including capital letters, uppercase alternates, lowercase, numeral and punctuation, multilingual accents, beginning and ending swashes for lowercase, and includes a large number of stylistic alternates and heart swashes (for lowercase-lowercase and uppercase-uppercase). The advantage of the Shakila Script font compared to other fonts is that the alternative capital characters are in 1 font file, so it will make it easier for you to work. Therefore, you are free to choose it as you like, especially this font has the OpenType and PUA Encodes features which means you can access all of the glyphs and swashes with ease. As I mentioned earlier, Shakila Script has a large number of Stylistic Alternates features, up to 14 options for letter a-z and up to 20 options for letter b d h k l. In fact, there is also a swash feature in the form of a connected for the combination of each lowercase-lowercase and uppercase-uppercase letters. Interestingly, you can activate all Stylistic Alternates that are owned by each letter, just by typing; letter + period + number. For example: a.1 a.2 a.3 or b.1 b.2 b.3 and so on. As for activating the heart connected for each letter a-z or A-Z is quite easy. Namely by simply typing; letter + underscore + underscore + letter. For example: a__a or A__A and so on. Shakila Script is a Font Duo pack that pairs with Shakila Sans. The two were created at about the same time, but made in separate file packages. The reason I created this font duo is to make your projects more harmonious and unique. At the end of the sentence, Shakila Font Duo is a very authentic and amazing. If there are things you want to ask, don't hesitate to contact my email. For complete details, please visit my Behance profile. Alifinart Studio alifinart@gmail.com Thank you.

Fashion style meets typography in 9 styles The Ysans designed by Jean François Porchez is a sanserif influenced by Cassandre lettering pieces and the geometric sanserif style from the inter-war period. Since Chanel logo, the geometric sanserif style is the favorite typographic thing in fashion. Ysans asserts this reference. Not only Haute-Couture houses use these categories of typefaces for their visual identity, but fashion magazines usually strength their layout with these geometric sanserif when a Didot isn’t used. Details of Ysans drawings Nevertheless, Ysans takes its sources in certain details imagined by the graphic designer Adolphe Mouron Cassandre for the monogram then logotype Yves Saint Laurent (1961 …). One thing keeps coming in again and again in Cassandre’s post-war graphic work: the pointed finish and endings, the references to the Roman capitals engraved and unique features such as the open R or other details influenced by Antiqua and calligraphic forms or ductus (you should have in mind that an earlier typeface by Cassandre is the Peignot, a modern uncial based on researches of the palaeographer Jean Mallon.) Certain letters from the Ysans are directly an homage to the Yves Saint Laurent logo, the R, the narrow U, the apex of the N, and all the details of such pointed endings on the f and t lowercases. The Ysans, a typeface between diversity and synthesis There are several ways to approach the design of a new geometric sanserif. The first approach is to follow the Bauhaus philosophy by designing in the most rational way, typographic forms based on simple geometric elements: square, round, triangle. Another approach is to start a revival based on an historical geometric typeface and optimize the original ideas, in order to adapt certain details to the contemporary needs. For Ysans, the approach is somewhat different because this project started in 2011 at ZeCraft as a typeface designed specifically for Yves Saint Laurent Beauty, still in use by the brand under its original name Singulier. The Singulier-Ysans has been conceptualized by ZeCraft, both drawing its sources from Cassandre and various historical geometric typefaces. Some will spot specific traits as in Futura, others in Metro or Kabel. By closely observing the Ysans, the result can also recall the way Eric Gill draw the curves and endings of his typefaces, of which Jean François Porchez is a fervent admirer. In the end, Ysans is like fashion as envisioned by Yves Saint Laurent who constantly revealed multiple references in his new collections, without being recognisable any other than with his unique style. “Fashions pass, style is eternal. Fashion is futile, not style.” Cherry on the cake: Ysans Mondrian Ysans Mondrian, named in reference to the Mondrian dress created by Yves Saint Laurent, is the multi-layer version of the family. Ysans, fashion style meets typography Club des directeurs artistiques, 49e palmarès