Plantin
Based on type made by Robert Granjon in the 1500s and named after the famous printer Christophe Plantin, Monotype recut this face in 1913 under the direction of F.H. Pierpont with modern techniques in mind.
With its solemn tone, paper-conserving width, and large x-height, Plantin has definite merit as an alternative to Times and other publication text faces. Monotype recently released Pro versions of the fonts with small caps, fractions, and both text and lining figures built in.
Though it’s actually more narrow than it looks, Plantin is fairly wide by modern standards, saving less space than most contemporary serifs. Fortunately, a more condensed version, News Plantin, was developed for London’s Observer newspaper. And for large settings there’s the very narrow Plantin Headline. Brûlé’s Wallpaper* once made use of a more whimsical Plantin, the Infant (formerly Schoolbook) version, with its primary forms of ‘a’, ‘g’, and ‘y’. Finally, Plantin Titling adds subtle detail to what is otherwise a stout and sturdy face.
See also: Plantin in use by Monocle
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News Plantin™ Std VP
| 4 fonts | $104.00
Plantin® Infant Std VP
| 4 fonts | $104.00
Plantin® Headline Std VP
| 3 fonts | $87.00
Plantin® Std Titling Roman
| 1 font | $29.00
