mirror of
https://github.com/google/fonts.git
synced 2024-12-26 02:04:42 +03:00
41 lines
2.2 KiB
HTML
41 lines
2.2 KiB
HTML
<p>Playfair is a transitional design. From the time of enlightenment in the
|
||
late 18th century, the broad nib quills were replaced by pointed steel pens.
|
||
This influenced typographical letterforms to become increasingly detached from
|
||
the written ones. Developments in printing technology, ink, and paper making,
|
||
made it possible to print letterforms of high contrast and delicate
|
||
hairlines.</p>
|
||
|
||
<p>This design lends itself to this period, and while it is not a revival of
|
||
any particular design, it takes influence from the designs of printer and
|
||
typeface designer John Baskerville, the punchcutter William Martin’s typeface
|
||
for the ‘Boydell Shakspeare’ (sic) edition, and from the ‘Scotch Roman’
|
||
designs that followed thereafter.</p>
|
||
|
||
<p>As the name indicates, Playfair Display is well suited for titling and
|
||
headlines. It has an extra large x-height and short descenders. It can be set
|
||
with no leading if space is tight, for instance in news headlines, or for
|
||
stylistic effect in titles. Capitals are extra short, and only very slightly
|
||
heavier than the lowercase characters. This helps achieve a more even
|
||
typographical colour when typesetting proper nouns and initialisms. Languages,
|
||
like German, where nouns are capitalized, particularly benefit from this lower
|
||
contrast between lower and upper case glyphs. In German, with its many
|
||
capitalised words, and in other European languages that use many diacritical
|
||
characters, it is advised to use more leading.</p>
|
||
|
||
<p>Being a transitional design, stylistically Playfair can accompany Georgia,
|
||
where Georgia is used for body text.</p>
|
||
|
||
<p>This is the Small Cap sister family to the main
|
||
<a href="http://www.google.com/fonts/specimen/Playfair+Display">Playfair
|
||
Display</a> family. The main family downloaded font files include a full set
|
||
of small caps, common ligatures, and discretionary ligatures. For Polish, a
|
||
set of alternate diacritical characters designed with ‘kreska’s are included.
|
||
All European languages using the latin script are supported. A set of eight
|
||
arrow devices are also included.</p>
|
||
|
||
<p>To contribute to the project contact <a
|
||
href="mailto:es@forthehearts.net">Claus Eggers Sørensen</a>.</p>
|
||
|
||
<p>Updated in December 2013 with many small improvements, especially to
|
||
the Cyrillic.</p>
|