Hidden Gem Palatino®

WHY PALATINO

Palatino differs from typical old-style designs in that its counters are open, and proportions are somewhat expanded. These traits help Palatino remain legible and readable in a variety of printing and reading environments.

ANCESTRY

• The original Palatino was released in 1950, as fonts of handset metal type. Palatino was later adapted for mechanical composition on the Linotype machine and became one of the most-used typefaces of the 20th Century.
• The typeface is named after Giambattista Palatino, a master of calligraphy from the time of Leonardo da Vinci. Palatino is a typeface based on classical Italian Renaissance forms.
• Palatino Nova is a result of a collaboration of Hermann Zapf and Akira Kobayashi. Released in 2005, it’s a reimaging of the original design for digital imaging.
• Palatino Nova includes several weights and has Greek and Cyrillic character sets. The family also includes two titling designs based on earlier Zapf typefaces drawn for metal typesetting.

PAIRING PAIRING PALATINO

• Pair Palatino and Palatino Nova with simpler sans serifs for contrast. (Old-style serif fonts have a lot of character.) Also consider pairing with a clean, modern sans serif, like Helvetica® Now, Neue Frutiger®, or Avenir® Next. This will create a balance of tradition and freshness.
• Consider Palatino Sans for a subtle, complementary pairing. Just be sure that the weights used are markedly different from each other.
• Use Palatino Nova for body copy and, more decorative fonts for display headings. For display or headings, you might pick a more distinctive or decorative typeface like Antique Olive, DIN Next, or ITC Souvenir.

CLASSIC FACTS

Palatino Nova is essentially a text design intended for the setting of distinctive body copy. If you are looking for heavier-weight display designs, the original Palatino fonts should be considered.

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