Old Style Serif

The earliest major subgroup of

Serif typefaces, developed between the fifteenth and eighteenth centuries for metal type composition. Old style faces are distinguished by moderate stroke contrast, a diagonal

Axis / Stress (echoing the natural angle of a broad-nib pen), bracketed serifs that may be slightly cupped or rounded, and an overall calligraphic warmth. These characteristics give old style types an organic, humanist quality rooted in Renaissance letterform ideals.