In 1913, the English Monotype Corporation’s manager Frank Hinman Pierpont directed a revival of Plantin, named after the 16th-century printer, Christophe Plantin. Based on 16th-century specimens from the Plantin-Moretus Museum in Antwerp, specifically a type cut by Robert Granjon and a separate cursive italic, the Plantin typeface was conceived. Plantin was drawn for use in mechanical typesetting on the international publishing markets. More…

Plantin is an old-style typeface in the French manner, but with a larger x-height. Plantin would go on to influence another Monotype design, Times New Roman. Stanley Morison and Victor Lardent used Plantin as a reference during that typeface’s cutting.

Plantin is exceptionally legible and makes a classic, elegant impression. It is indeed a remarkably accommodating type face. The firm modelling of the strokes and the serifs in the letters make the mass appearance stronger than usual; the absence of thin elements ensures a good result on coated papers; and the compact structure of the letters, without loss of size makes Plantin one of the economical faces in use. In short, it is essentially an all-purpose face, excellent for periodical or jobbing work, and very effective in many sorts of book and magazine publishing. Plantin’s Bold weight was especially optimized to provide ample contrast: bulkiness was avoided by introducing a slight sharpening to the serifs’ forms.