| Date: 1724
Designer:
William Caslon
Foundry:
Caslon founder and printer
Location:
London, England
Current equivalent:
Adobe Caslon shown above
See also:
Linotype Caslon 3, 471, 540, ATF Caslon Recut, Big Caslon by Matthew Carter, ITC Founders Caslon by Justin Howes
Technologies:
Metal (foundry)
Metal (machine)
Photosetting
Postscript
Opentype |
| Famous for:
The definitive English old style typeface. Applications: Book Publishing & General Purpose Text Setting Ubiquity:
Very widely used Category:
Old Style Stress: Angled
Serifs: Oblique | | Design history:
This was the type used by Benjamin Franklin to print the American Declaration of Independence in 1776. Caslon's roman was designed for very different circumstances from modern printing; as a consequence, Caslon Old Face looks pale and spidery when printed by offset litho on smooth coated papers. In the 1850s the Caslon foundry merged with Stephenson Blake and recut the Old Face. Recent attempts to rehabilitate the original spirit of Caslon Old Face are now producing types that at larger sizes echo the vitality of the original. Adobe Caslon by Carol Twombly, is admirable at text sizes and carries the most comprehensive range of weights, italics, display swashes and ornaments. | | |
