Bodoni Posters

This set of typographic posters pays homage to the king of typographers Giambattista Bodoni. Showcasing the timeless grace of the font family, the posters highlight different aspects of the typeface. Featuring bold layouts and colors the posters incorporate every character and glyph found within the 12-weight Bauer Bodoni iteration of the typeface.

Poster Size: 18 x 24 inces

Bodoni History Overview
Initially released in the late 1700s, the Bodoni font family is considered a modern Didone serif. Named after its designer Giambattista Bodoni (1740 – 1813), the type family was a reinvention of the typical romantic typefaces of the past. Influenced by the work of typographers John Baskerville and Firmin Didot, Giambattista Bodoni sought to create a contemporary typeface that was minimalistic and clear. Bodoni is widely used for posters, headlines, and high-end fashion branding. Some of the most notable uses of the typestyle can be found in the logos of Elizabeth Arden and Calvin Klein.

Classical in its display, Bodoni is known for its extreme contrast between thick and thin strokes and unbracketed hairline serifs. Other prominent features of the typeface include vertical stress, and a small x-height and aperture. Characterized by geometric lines and sharp contrast, Bodoni was a departure from the typical scribe style fonts of the early 18th century. Although newer variations of the typeface are considered modern, older renditions of Bodoni are referred to as transitional fonts. 

Despite a stunning visual quality, Bodoni’s extreme contrast makes it hard to read at smaller sizes or in long passages of text. This illegibility often makes Bodoni challenging to use, and why it is referred to as the “thoroughbred” of typestyles. However, when used well, body text set in Bodoni often becomes sophisticated and elegant. Although difficult to use at times, Giambattista Bodoni’s Bodoni type family is one of the most refined and structured typefaces ever created and has led to its continued success throughout modern typographic history.