| Category | Serif |
|---|---|
| Classification | Transitional, Slab serif |
| Designer(s) | Chauncey H. Griffith |
| Foundry | Mergenthaler Linotype Company |
| Date released | 1925 |
| Design based on | 6 point Monotype Ionic 156-J |
Ionic No. 5 is a serif typeface, designed by Chauncey H. Griffith, and presented by Mergenthaler Linotype in 1925. It is one of five typefaces in Griffith's 'Legibility Group' which contains typefaces especially well-suited to newsprint including Corona, Excelsior, Opticon, Paragon, and Textype. Griffith took Lanston’s sturdy 6 point Monotype Ionic 156-J as a starting point for Ionic No. 5, and in five trials produced the first contemporary typeface designed specifically to solve the technical problems posed by stereotyping and high speed printing of newspaper text.
The News 701 typeface by BitStream is almost identical to Ionic No. 5.