“Bembo History.” Typography and Graphic Design. Kevin Ayers, John Cale, Eno, Nico Jalbum art 1974. English Pronunciation Illustrated by John Trim (Cambridge University Press, 1975) 1975. “History of Typography: Old Style.” ilovetypography. Roxette Church of Your Heart single cover 1992. Bembo is the definition of a true, classic typeface that carries history and tradition as it continues to travel today through literature, advertisements, and pop culture.
The typeface can be purchased from various websites such as and, who sell the typeface and allow it be used for commercial use and promotional purposes as stated in the end-user license agreement.īembo is a strong example of a typeface that has been carried through the centuries, succesfully adapting to new technologies and audiences. The digital typeface can be bought from several website that license out the rights to use the type on various platforms. Why not call it Griffo or Manutius you may well ask. This version of the digital typeface is said to be more similar to the original metal font than the first digital rendition of Bembo. The author of the book was the Italian scholar and poet, Pietro Bembo, and when, in 1929, the British Monotype Corporation issued a redesigned version of a typeface based on the font used in De Aetna, they called it after the book's author. The most current digital revival of this font was designed in 2005 by Robin Nicholas and goes by the name of “Bembo Book”. The typeface is classified as “old-style” due to factors such as the angled serifs on the ascenders, a grander contrast between the thick and think strokes, and the upright position the letters demonstrate rather than tilting or slanting to the side. This revival of Bembo is a slightly adapted take on Griffo’s original design, and is the style of Bembo most similar to the typeface seen in the 21 st century, although the digitalization of Bembo has faced some struggles in recreating the typeface into it’s original beauty.īembo was most commonly used as a typeface for books, escpecially book faces, as it was viewed as flowing and being pleasing for the eyes, while still remaining strong and relatively formal.
But as this book of letters reveals, there was real substance, and real faces, to both of them. Cardinal Bembo is remembered primarily as the namesake of a popular typeface. In 1929, the typeface was revived through the guidance of Stanley Morison who worked in collaboration with the “Monotype Coorporation”. If history remembers Lucrezia Borgia at all, it is as a woman of extravagant vices whose name has become synonymous with political intrigue and poison. The design was first used in the book “De Aetna” written by Cardinal Pietro Bembo, whom the typeface was later named after.