FontShop AG, the renowned type foundry, conducted a survey based on historical relevance, sales at FontShop.com (opens in new tab), and aesthetic quality. With a few additions from the experts at Creative Bloq and Computer Arts magazine, the best fonts ever were selected for the new book, 100 Best Typefaces Ever.
Here we are counting down the 100 greatest fonts, but you can read interviews with some of the typefaces' creators, a brief history of type, the anatomy of a font, and much, much more in the book – find out how to get your copy in print or digital formats at the foot of this post.
But without further ado, here is the 80th best typeface…
80. PMN Caecilia (opens in new tab)
- Peter Matthias Noordzij, 1990
PMN Caecilia is the first font family by Peter Matthias Noordzij, who established The Enschedé Font Foundry in 1991. His debut work was released to Linotype, under whose care it became one of the most successful slab-serif text fonts.
The first drafts of Caecilia go back to 1983, when Noordzij was a third-year student at the Academy in The Hague. The large family’s strength is its combination of classical ideas and the typical Hague style – which is apparent in the clear forms and a dynamic italic.
The 100 Best Typefaces Ever
This is an extract from The 100 Best Typefaces Ever (opens in new tab), the definitive guide to the greatest fonts ever created, in association with FontShop AG. Over 180 premium pages, the book dissects the world's greatest typefaces, bringing you some insightful background on each and interviews with their creators.
You can pick up the book at all good newsagents today or order it online (opens in new tab). Or you can download a digital edition directly to your iPad from the Computer Arts app on iTunes (opens in new tab).
