Bodoni

typeface

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Last updated

June 22, 2026

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Bodoni is a typeface designed by Giambattista Bodoni, an Italian printer and type designer, in 1790. Bodoni is characterized by its extreme contrast between thick and thin strokes, sharp horizontal serifs, and vertical stress. This style is often referred to as a "modern" typeface.1

Giambattista Bodoni was born in 1740 and worked as a printer in Parma, Italy. He designed several typefaces, but the one that bears his name became widely used and is still popular today. His work is known for its typographical excellence and beauty. Bodoni died in 1813.1

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Giambattista Bodoni
The typeface that retained the Bodoni name appeared in 1790. Of the many books that he produced during this period, the best known is his Manuale tipografico (1788; “Inventory of Types”), a folio collection of 291 roman and italic typefaces, along with samples of Russian, Greek, and other types. A…
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The typeface that retained the Bodoni name appeared in 1790. Of the many books that he produced during this period, the best known is his Manuale tipografico (1788; “Inventory of Types”), a folio collection of 291 roman and italic typefaces, along with samples of Russian, Greek, and other types. A…
Read More