23 Fun Font Facts

I recently finished reading Just My Type: A Book About Fonts by Simon Garfield.

Because I’m a big enough nerd to read (and enjoy) a book about fonts, I’m certainly a big enough nerd to take (and share) notes on what I learned.

You’re welcome.

1. Guttenburg printed the first Bible in a font known as Textura.
2. The Declaration of Independence was printed in Caslon. Ironically, Caslon was a popular British font.
3. Vincent Connare created Comic Sans for Microsoft in 1994. Much to his own chagrin.
4. Eric Gill designed the popular font Gills Sans, but was also an extreme sexual deviant (think incest and bestiality). Yikes.
5. Steve Jobs took a calligraphy class at Reed College, which inspired him to including many fonts choices on the first Mac computers.
6. IKEA switched from Futura to Verdana in 2009. People were not happy.
7. Three of the most readable fonts are: Bembo, Bodoni and Garamond.
8. Italics was invented by an Italian.
9. The Doves font was thrown into the Thames river in 1908 by it’s inventor to prevent his business partner from taking it from him.
10. British designer Mathew Carter created some of the popular modern fonts, including Verdana, Georgia…