PCS Graphic Design Class

Caslon Typeface History- Miss Alamilla

Posted on December 9, 2013

Font: Caslon

Designer: William Caslon I

“When in doubt, use Caslon.”- Letterpress printers used this saying in reference to printing books with a legible, clear typeface(font)

WIlliam Caslon I, all his life was spent as an engraver and surrounded by other typefaces. As a young man, he interned at a type foundry and became an excellent engraver which led to the creation of his own type foundry and creating a font named after himself, Caslon. This typeface was used in many printings of books, and modernized it in the sense that there wasn’t a need to recreate books with the handwritten style, since this typeface was considered legible, and reliable.

Caslon is used today in the body text of magazines, books, and journals. Due to it’s popularity there have been revivals of Caslon which include minor changes to the design of the font, Examples: True-Cut Caslon Italic, Caslon Old Face Heavy, Calson Bold

Sources:

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/98016/William-Caslon

http://www.fontbureau.com/fonts/WilliamsCaslonText/

http://www.prepressure.com/fonts/interesting/caslon

http://typophile.com/node/12782?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caslon#Revivals