DIN 16518

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Logo of the German Institute for Standardization DIN 16518
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Brief description: Classification system for fonts
Latest edition 8.1964
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The DIN standard DIN 16518 of the German Institute for Standardization is a classification system for fonts . It is based on the proposal of the Association Typographique Internationale ( ATypI ). For this and for comparable national classifications, however, it differs through a different content in group VII “Antiqua variants”, the further subdivision of group X “Broken Scripts” and the addition to Group XI “Foreign Scripts”. Their practicability is controversial today.

regulation

The DIN 16518 standard defines eleven font groups.

Example of a Venetian Renaissance Antiqua

Group I: Venetian Renaissance Antiqua

Fonts derived from forms of the early printing period (around 1450 to 1530). Capital letters are based on the Roman capitalis , lower case letters on the humanistic minuscule . The font is characterized by strong serifs , axles inclined to the left and relatively large ascenders and descenders, the horizontal line of the e is usually at an angle. Examples: Stempel-Schneidler , Jenson, Centaur

Example of a French Renaissance Antiqua

Group II: French Renaissance Antiqua

Fonts whose form originated in the 16th century. Slight differences in line widths, axis inclined to the left, rounded serifs, wedge-shaped approaches to the vertical lines. Very easy to read thanks to the calm lines. The ascenders of the minuscule are usually slightly longer than the height of the capital letters . Today is the group with the most scriptures. Examples: Garamond , Bembo , Palatino

Example of a baroque antiqua

Group III: Baroque Antiqua

Due to the effect of the copper engraving , the line widths are different, the axis of the curves is almost vertical. Lowercase letters usually have sloping serifs at the top and straight serifs at the bottom. The curves on the serifs are also less pronounced. Examples: Caslon , Baskerville , Times

Example of a classical antiqua

Group IV: Classicist Antiqua

Made around 1800, strong differences between hairline and base lines, horizontally applied serifs, vertical axis for curves. Hardly any curves at the serif base. Examples: Bodoni , Walbaum , Didot

Example of a serif linear antiqua

Group V: Serif linear antiqua

Formerly called Egyptienne , appeared at the beginning of the 19th century. More or less strong but striking emphasis on the serifs. Hair and base lines are almost equally thick. Examples: Rockwell, Clarendon , Serifa

Example of a sans serif linear antiqua

Group VI: Sans Serif Linear Antiqua

Also called grotesque or (after Jan Tschichold ) end strokeless writing that originated at the beginning of the 19th century. Visually, some of the fonts in this group have the same line width, but others can also differ greatly. Today this group includes very many different scriptures that would actually require subclassification. Some are based on Classicist Antiqua ( e.g. Akzidenz Grotesk , Univers ), others on Renaissance Antiqua ( e.g. Lucida Sans , Syntax ). At the same time, the so-called American Grotesque was created in the USA ( e.g. Franklin Gothic ). At the beginning of the 20th century, the constructed grotesque appeared, which were based on exact geometric basic forms ( e.g. Futura , Eurostile ).

Example of an Antiqua variant

Group VII: Antiqua variants

All antiqua variants that do not fit into groups I to III, VIII and IX are sorted here because their lines do not correspond to their character. Mainly fonts for decorative purposes can be found here. Examples: Optima , Largo, Souvenir, Eckmann

Example of a script

Group VIII: Scripts

Fonts that imitate the effect of today's cursive script . They already existed in the lead-type era, but only became more fashionable with their use on computers . The letters are connected to each other. Examples: Mistral , Pepita

Example of a handwritten antiqua

Group IX: Handwritten Antiqua

Fonts that are based on the Antiqua, but alter the letters by hand and thus convey a "personal" appearance. The letters are not connected to each other. Examples: Post-Antiqua, Wiesbaden Swing

Examples of the broken scripts

Group X: Broken Scripts

Before 1941 (see Ordinance on Standard Fonts ) the most common everyday fonts in Germany.

They are further divided into five subgroups:

Group XI: Foreign Writings

Examples: Chinese , Cyrillic , Arabic , Greek, Hebrew

criticism

The standard is controversial among font experts, but it is still mostly the basis for training in professions in the graphic industry. It is criticized for the fact that it mixes formal and historical criteria, that the more recent development of fonts falls into two groups and that group XI “Foreign Fonts” has no international relevance. The standard is currently being revised, but an agreement between the experts on the new version is not yet in sight.

In 1998, Indra Kupferschmid , in coordination with Max Bollwage and Hans Peter Willberg, presented a classification based on the form principle in the standardization committee, which deals with the structure and effect of the fonts. This is in her textbook Letters Seldom Come Alone ( ISBN 3-7212-0501-4 ) as well as in the books Wegweiser Schrift ( ISBN 3-87439-569-3 ) by Willberg and Typografie Kompakt ( ISBN 3-540-22376-2 ) Published by Bollwage and meanwhile taught at many universities. It provides for a division of the scriptures into only five groups.

Further classification models

See also

Web links

  • Font Classification - Information about font classification and font history
  • www.typosuche.de - Florian Stürmer, Michael Amarotico - a suggestion not only to order fonts from the Latin alphabet and symbols, but also to incorporate them into a search engine based on stylistic features
  • Font classification according to DIN (PDF; 0.9 MB)

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ NN: Font classification according to the form principle - meaning / definition. In: Typografie.info, January 30, 2013. Retrieved September 15, 2019.