Century Schoolbook
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Typeface | Century Schoolbook |
|---|---|
| Category | Serif |
| Designer(s) | Morris Fuller Benton |
| Foundry | American Type Founders |
| Re-issuing foundries | Scangraphic, DTP Types, Elsner+Flake, URW, Bitstream, Monotype, Ascender Corporation |
Century Schoolbook is a modern or didone classification serif typeface designed by Morris Fuller Benton in 1919 for the American Type Founders (ATF). It is classified as old style, but the Schoolbook variation has elements similar to the Didone classification. Century Schoolbook is based on the earlier Century Expanded typefaces begun by Linn Boyd Benton (Morris Fuller Benton's father) as a text and display face for The Century Magazine in 1890.
Century Schoolbook is familiar to many in North America as being the typeface many first learned to read with. Morris Fuller Benton utilized research that showed young readers more quickly identified letterforms with contrasting weight, but with the lighter strokes maintaining presence. Tests also showed the importance of maintaining counter-form (the white space around the black letterform) in recognizing the face at smaller sizes. In designing Century Schoolbook, Morris Fuller Benton increased the x-height, the stroke width, and overall letterspacing. The original ATF Century Schoolbook was designed without italics. Later revivals by Linotype and the International Typeface Corporation (ITC) added italics. Use of the typeface remains strong, for periodicals, textbooks, and literature. An infant variety also exists, which features single-story versions of the letters A and G, although it is not for sale to the general public.
[edit] See also
- Typefaces category
- List of typefaces
[edit] References
- Meggs, Philip and Rob Carter. Typographic Specimens: The Great Typefaces. Van Nostrand Reinhold: 1993. ISBN 0-442-00758-2
- Meggs, Philip B. and Roy McKelvey. Revival of the Fittest. RC Publications, Inc.: 2000. ISBN 1-883915-08-2
