Baskerville vs Caslon

Baskerville was influenced by Caslon.

Type specimen — Baskerville (Transitional serif); shown in Libre Baskerville (OFL)

Baskerville

John Baskerville's 1757 transitional serif — crisper and higher in contrast than the old-styles, with a near-vertical stress and sparkling sharp serifs, printed on his own glossy paper with blacker ink.

  • Higher contrast than old-style, near-vertical stress
  • Crisp, sharply finished bracketed serifs
  • Open lowercase 'g' with an unclosed lower loop
  • Flourished tail on the capital 'Q'
  • Teardrop terminals on a, c, f
Full Baskerville guide →
Type specimen — Caslon (Old-style serif); shown in Libre Caslon (OFL)

Caslon

William Caslon's sturdy English old-style of the 1720s — slightly irregular, immensely practical, and so trustworthy it set the U.S. Declaration of Independence. 'When in doubt, use Caslon.'

  • Moderate contrast, inclined-to-near-vertical stress
  • Sturdy bracketed serifs, slightly irregular fit
  • High-waisted capital A with a pointed apex
  • Robust, comfortable, even text color
  • Lively, somewhat irregular italic
Full Caslon guide →

At a glance

BaskervilleCaslon
Era17571722
DisciplineTypographyTypography
RegionEngland, BirminghamEngland, London
FamilySerifSerif
Formal traitstransitional, bracketed-serif, vertical-stress, high-contrastold-style, bracketed-serif, oblique-stress, moderate-contrast

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