Typeface-Naming Issues

Certain typeface names have been copyrighted, but many are in the common domain. This can create enormous confusion when specifying a particular typeface for a job. Take Bodoni, for example. Nearly every large type foundry has a typeface modeled on the ones made popular by their namesake. The same is true for typefaces based on the designs of Baskerville, Caslon, and Garamond and those based on stylistic characteristics, such as Clarendon, Egyptian, or Gothic. Some popular typefaces are produced by many vendors, but they are not necessarily the vendors (such as M. Olive and Fundicion Tipografica Neufville) who hold the copyright on a typeface’s name and design (Antique Olive and Futura, respectively).

It’s important to be precise about not only the names of the typefaces you use but also which vendors their fonts come from. This is especially important if you’re trying to match the type from an existing job, as for a printed piece.