Gothic

typeface

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June 29, 2026

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The term "Gothic" has multiple meanings. In typography, it refers to a style of black letter type that evolved from the 11th-century script characterized by compressed letters, thicker strokes, and pointed angles. This style was the first model for printers when printing was invented. However, Italian printers found it unsuitable for Humanist texts and developed the roman typeface, which became known as Antiqua.12

Separately, the Gothic alphabet is a writing system invented in the 4th century by Ulfilas for the Gothic language, which is now extinct. This alphabet should not be confused with Gothic script. The term "Gothic" can also refer to a style of art, decoration, or a genre of literature and film.34

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typography
Typography as a useful art
…to the West’s roman, and Gothic, functionally a Japanese sans serif. In the 1960s a group of Japanese designers produced a third typeface called Typos.
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…to the West’s roman, and Gothic, functionally a Japanese sans serif. In the 1960s a group of Japanese designers produced a third typeface called Typos.
Read More