Bembo vs Humanist (Venetian) Serif

Bembo evolved from Humanist (Venetian) Serif.

Type specimen — Bembo (Old-style serif); shown in EB Garamond, a close match (OFL)

Bembo

The refined Aldine old-style cut by Francesco Griffo for Aldus Manutius in 1495 — lighter and more even than Jenson, and the direct ancestor of the entire Garalde line. Monotype's 1929 revival made it a modern book classic.

  • Moderate contrast, inclined (oblique) stress
  • Crisp, bracketed serifs lighter than Jenson's
  • Small x-height with long, elegant ascenders
  • Slightly slanted serifs on the ascenders
  • Even, harmonious, bright text color
Full Bembo guide →
Type specimen — Humanist (Venetian) Serif (Serif family); set in Cormorant (OFL)

Humanist (Venetian) Serif

The earliest roman printing types, cut in Renaissance Italy to imitate the humanist scribal hand. Warm, sturdy, and unmistakably pen-formed, with a strongly slanted stress and a sloping crossbar on the lowercase e.

  • Steeply inclined (oblique) axis of stress
  • Low to moderate stroke contrast, heavy overall color
  • Sloping bar on the lowercase 'e'
  • Heavily bracketed, often blunt asymmetric serifs
  • Short ascenders/descenders with sturdy, rounded proportions
Full Humanist (Venetian) Serif guide →

At a glance

BemboHumanist (Venetian) Serif
Era14951460s–1490s
DisciplineTypographyTypography
RegionVenice, ItalyItaly, Venice
FamilySerifSerif
Formal traitsold-style, bracketed-serif, oblique-stress, moderate-contrasthumanist, old-style, bracketed-serif, oblique-stress

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