TYPE DESIGN INFORMATION PAGE last updated on Fri Dec 13 00:42:11 EST 2024

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ABOUT

Firmin Didot

Celebrated Parisian punchcutter (b. Paris 1764, d. Mesnic-sur-l'Estrée, 1836), son of the printer François Ambroise Didot, and grandchild of the Didot printing business founder, François Didot. He produced the earliest modern typeface about 1784. Designer of a sloped script typeface called Anglaise (1809). He became the director of the Imprimerie Impériale type foundry in 1812. Along with Giambattista Bodoni of Italy, Firmin Didot is credited with establishing the use of the Modern classification of typefaces. The types that Didot used are characterized by extreme stroke contrast, by the use of straight hairline serifs and by the vertical stress of the letters.

Digitizations of his typefaces:

• Linotype Didot has 12 weights, and was digitized in 1991 by the Linotype crew and Adrian Frutiger.
• Hoefler type foundry makes a 42-weight Didot HTF, which I believe is superior to the Linotype version.
• LetterPerfect has made a Didot LP family.
• His Initiales Grecques (ca. 1800) was digitized by ARTypes in 2007: see here.
• URW Firmin Didot is a digitization of a typeface made in 1927 by Ludwig & Mayer, which in turn was true to the original.

Biography by Nicholas Fabian. Linotype link. FontShop link. MyFonts link. Wikipedia.

EXTERNAL LINKS
Firmin Didot
 [Designer info]
Monotype link
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INTERNAL LINKS
Type designers ⦿ Type designers ⦿ History of type ⦿ Type design in France ⦿ Modern style [Bodoni, Didot, Walbaum, Thorowgood, Computer Modern, etc.] ⦿