Roman type

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roman typeface Bembo, a 1928 revival by Sanley Morison based on punches cut by Francesco Griffo in 1495.

In Typography, "roman" type has two principal meanings, both stemming from the stylistic origin of text typefaces from inscriptional capitals used in ancient Rome:

• one of the major families of traditional typefaces as a synonym for serif or antiqua fonts.

• the "regular" or upright counterpart of an italic or oblique typeface, regardless of whether the type design is seriffed or a sans serif.

Popular roman styles include Bembo, Baskerville, Caslon, Bodoni, Times New Roman and Garamond.

The name "roman" is customarily applied uncapitalized to distinguish early Italian typefaces of the Renaissance period from from classical Roman letters of antiquity.

[edit] See also

• History of western typography

[edit] References

• Nesbitt, Alexander The History and Technique of Lettering (c) 1957, Dover Publications, Inc. ISBN 0-486-40281-9, Library of Congress Catalogue Card Number: 57-13116. The Dover edition is an abridged and corrected republication of the work originally published in 1950 by Prentice-Hall, Inc. under the title Lettering: The History and Technique of Lettering as Design.

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