At TriMedia, we take an interest in publishing right down to the letter. So, beginning today, we will be bringing our followers a regular column, Typeface of the Week; a brief insight into where the typefaces we use come from, what they are famous for and how they are best used.
Of all the commonly used typefaces out there, Georgia ranks very highly. The serif face was designed in 1993 by Matthew Carter and adapted by Tom Rickner for Microsoft as one that would be easily legible and elegant even on a small and low-resolution screen. This may be less of an issue today in the era of HD, OLED and LCD screens, but Georgia’s simplicity and clarity make it one of the most popular for online publication.
The typeface is inspired by Scotch Roman designs of the 19th century. When asked about his inspiration, Carter said: “I was familiar with Scotch Romans, and was puzzled by the fact that they were once so popular… and then disappeared completely.”
So popular was Georgia’s look, feel, and practical application that in 2007 the New York Times switched to it from Times New Roman.
Georgia was jokingly named after a tabloid headline: “Alien heads found in Georgia”, but graphic designers are now happily marching to its tune (as is this post).