Garalde (Old-style) vs Garamond

Garamond evolved from Garalde (Old-style) — the defining old-style face.

Type specimen — Garalde (Old-style) (Old-style serif); set in EB Garamond (OFL)

Garalde (Old-style)

The classic old-style serif — humanist roots refined by Aldus Manutius and the French punchcutters, with moderate stroke contrast, bracketed serifs, and an inclined stress that recalls the broad-nib pen.

  • Moderate contrast between thick and thin strokes
  • Fully bracketed serifs flowing into the stems
  • Angled (oblique) stress, from the broad-nib pen
  • Slanted, pen-formed serifs on the ascenders
  • Even, warm text color tuned for long reading
Full Garalde (Old-style) guide →
Type specimen — Garamond (Old-style serif); set in EB Garamond (OFL)

Garamond

Claude Garamond's sixteenth-century French old-style — the most refined Garalde of all and arguably the most enduring book type in the Latin alphabet. Pen-warm, even-colored, and effortlessly readable.

  • Moderate, gently modulated stroke contrast
  • Inclined (oblique) axis of stress
  • Elegantly bracketed serifs, slanted on the ascenders
  • Small x-height with graceful, long ascenders
  • Small eye in the lowercase 'e', open apertures
Full Garamond guide →

At a glance

Garalde (Old-style)Garamond
Era1490s–1700s1530s–1540s
DisciplineTypographyTypography
RegionItaly, FranceFrance, Paris
FamilySerifSerif
Formal traitsold-style, bracketed-serif, moderate-contrast, calligraphicold-style, bracketed-serif, oblique-stress, moderate-contrast

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