Franklin Gothic
| Category | Sans-serif |
|---|---|
| Classification | Grotesque |
| Designer(s) | Morris Fuller Benton |
| Foundry | American Type Founders |
| Date released | 1902–1967 |
| Design based on | Akzidenz-Grotesk (Berthold) |
| Also known as | Gothic #1, Square Gothic Heavy, Gothic #16 |
Franklin Gothic is an extra-bold sans-serif type which can be distinguished from other sans serif typefaces, as it has a more traditional double-story g and a. Other main distinguishing characteristics are the tail of the Q and the ear of the g. The tail of the Q curls down from the bottom center of the letterform in the book weight and shifts slightly to the right in the bolder fonts. It draws upon earlier, nineteenth century models, from many of the twenty-three foundries consolidated into American Type Founders in 1892. Historian Alexander Lawson speculated that Franklin Gothic was influenced by Berthold’s Akizdenz-Grotesk types but offered no evidence to support this theory which was later presented as fact by Philip Meggs and Rob Carter. It was named in honor of a prolific American printer, Benjamin Franklin. The faces were issued over a period of ten years, all of which were designed by Benton and issued by A.T.F.
- Franklin Gothic (1903)
- Franklin Gothic Condensed + Extra Condensed (1906)
- Franklin Gothic Italic (1910)
- Franklin Gothic Condensed Shaded (1912)
Some time later, the foundry again expanded the line, adding two more variants:
- Franklin Gothic Wide (1952) designed by John L. “Bud” Renshaw
- Franklin Gothic Condensed Italic (1967) designed by Whedon Davis
Read more about this topic: Franklin Gothic
Famous quotes containing the words franklin and/or gothic:
“Most people dislike vanity in others, whatever share they have of it themselves; but I give it fair quarter, wherever I meet with it, being persuaded that it is often productive of good to the possessor, and to others who are within his sphere of action: and therefore, in many cases, it would not be altogether absurd if a man were to thank God for his vanity among the other comforts of life.”
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790)
“A Gothic cathedral affirms that it was done by us and not done by us.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)