In
typography
Typography is the art and technique of arranging type to make written language legible, readable and appealing when displayed. The arrangement of type involves selecting typefaces, point sizes, line lengths, line-spacing ( leading), an ...
, the Thibaudeau Classification is a way to group
typefaces into four general families, according to shape and serif character. Invented in 1921 by the French typographer
Francis Thibaudeau, it was expanded by
Maximilien Vox in 1954, and again in 1962 by
Association Typographique Internationale (ATypI) into the
VOX-ATypI classification of 11 families. The Thibaudeau system is nevertheless still beneficial in that it is simple to comprehend. Thibaudeau later supplemented the classification by adding the category of the ''Écritures'' (for the scripts) and the ''Fantaisies'' (for the advertising or display typefaces).
Elzévirs
This family contains typefaces with triangular serifs.
It corresponds to the three classical categories (humanists, garaldes and transitionals) from the
Vox-ATypI classification.
Examples:
Garamond
Garamond is a group of many serif typefaces, named for sixteenth-century Parisian engraver Claude Garamond, generally spelled as Garamont in his lifetime. Garamond-style typefaces are popular and particularly often used for book printing and ...
,
Palatino,
Times Roman
Didots
This family groups typefaces with linear or hairline serifs. It generally corresponds to modern or
Didone categories.
Examples:
Didot,
Bodoni,
Walbaum Roman
Égyptiennes
This family contains
slab serif typefaces, called Mechanistic in the Vox-ATypI classification.
Examples: Memphis,
Rockwell
Antiques
This is the
sans serif family. In Vox-ATypI classification, this family corresponds to the Lineals.
Examples:
Futura,
Univers,
Arial,
Helvetica
Helvetica (originally Neue Haas Grotesk) is a widely used sans-serif typeface developed in 1957 by Swiss typeface designer Max Miedinger and Eduard Hoffmann.
Helvetica is a neo-grotesque design, one influenced by the famous 19th century (189 ...
...
References
*Devroye, Lu
"Typeface Classification" McGill University.
*''Typographie & Civilisation'' web site (French)
Typography