As seen in the diagram to the left, the Bodoni typeface is very distinct in its serif construction in comparison to Baskerville and Didot. In contemporary typefaces, Didot fonts generally have flat serifs, while the Bodoni serif is sightly tapered and the Baskerville serif is more slanted. The stem for the Bodoni letter “r,” is also more robust than that of the other two fonts, weighing the letterform down to the page. The Didot “r” stem is extremely long, accentuating the verticality of the font. Another difference between the three typefaces is the terminal shape on the letter “q.” The Bodoni terminal is abrupt and extremely round. On the other hand, the
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Didot and Baskerville terminals are more graceful in there transition and slightly more square in shape. Specifically, the Baskerville terminal provides a very delicate finish to the letter form juxtaposed against the extreme thick-thin stroke contrast of Bodoni.
Above The capital letter “Q” set in 90 pt. Bodoni, Baskerville and Didot. The tail of the “Q” in each typeface is unique. A feature of Bodoni is that the tail of the “Q” is centered under the letter’s counter.
Q Q Q
Bodoni
Didot
Baskerville
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