Modern Serif

A serif subgroup, also called Didone, that represents the furthest refinement of neoclassical type design, emerging at the end of the eighteenth century. Modern serifs are defined by extreme stroke contrast (very thick verticals against hairline horizontals and serifs), a strictly vertical
Axis / Stress
, and unbracketed, razor-thin serifs. The Didot and Bodoni families are the canonical examples. Their dramatic contrast lends them an air of elegance widely exploited in fashion and luxury publishing, though it can impair
Legibility
at small text sizes.