Typeface · Serif
Antiqua
Antiqua () is a style of typeface used to mimic styles of handwriting or calligraphy common during the 15th and 16th centuries.
About Antiqua
Antiqua () is a style of typeface used to mimic styles of handwriting or calligraphy common during the 15th and 16th centuries. Letters are designed to flow, and strokes connect together in a continuous fashion; in this way it is often contrasted with Fraktur-style typefaces where the individual strokes are broken apart. The two typefaces were used alongside each other in the Germanophone world, with the Antiqua–Fraktur dispute often dividing along ideological or political lines. After the mid-20th century, Fraktur fell out of favor and Antiqua-based typefaces became the official standard in Germany. (In German, the term "Antiqua" refers to serif typefaces.)
From the Wikipedia article “Antiqua”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Using Antiqua in a book
Serif typefaces like this are the traditional choice for book body text: the serifs guide the eye along the line in long passages. Set novels at 10.5–12 pt with 125–140% leading.
Commercial typefaces require a licence that covers embedding in PDFs and ebooks; check the foundry's licence before you publish.
Free alternatives on Google Fonts
Sources & data
- Structured data from Wikidata Q582732 (CC0).
- Summary text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).