bembo’s zoo

“An abecedary of animals made entirely from Bembo”: “Monotype Bembo, released in 1929, was a brilliantly realized revival of type in use in 1495 Venice by the printer Aldus Manutius. In its metal version, Bembo is my favourite thing to read; with acknowledged subjectivity, it is the most beautiful and readable text face of all. The great loss is that its digital incarnation is sloppy in comparison: thin, wispy, it shudders apart and its character evaporates unless used at sizes too large to be practical. Because of licensing and ownership of the design, this is the Bembo we are stuck with. Robert Slimbach’s Minion is a revival of Bembo, but it is no Bembo — Dean Allen”.