Bitstream Charter

{{Infobox font

| image = 300px

| name = Bitstream Charter

| style = Serif

| classifications = Transitional serif

Slab-Serif

| creationdate = 1987

| creator = Matthew Carter

| foundry = Bitstream Inc.

| license = Permissive{{Cite web|url=http://mirrors.ctan.org/fonts/charter/readme.charter|title=Bitstream Charter}} for original version; proprietary for "Charter BT" version

}}

Bitstream Charter is a serif typeface designed by Matthew Carter in 1987 for Bitstream Inc.{{cite web|url=http://typedia.com/explore/typeface/charter/|title=Typedia: Charter|website=Typedia|access-date=24 September 2014|archive-date=11 August 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150811063753/http://typedia.com/explore/typeface/charter|url-status=dead}} Charter is based on Pierre-Simon Fournier’s characters, originating from the 18th century.{{cite web | url=http://blog.typekit.com/2014/05/20/source-serif-pro/ | title=Introducing Source Serif: A new open source typeface from Adobe | last1=Miñoza | first1=Nicole | date=20 May 2014 | website=Adobe Typekit Blog | publisher=Adobe Systems Incorporated | access-date=27 June 2014}} Classified by Bitstream as a transitional-serif typeface (Bitstream Transitional 801), it also has features of a slab-serif typeface and is often classified as such.{{cite web|title=Charter Postscript Font Metrics|url=http://mirrors.ctan.org/fonts/charter/bchr8a.afm|website=Comprehensive TeX Archive Network (open source:one of many sources)|access-date=29 September 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://edutex-wiki.tug.org/tug2014/slides/sharpe.pdf|title=Recent Additions to TeX'sFont Repertoire|last1=Sharpe|first1=Michael|date=July 2014|publication-place=Presentation to TUG, Portland|access-date=2014-09-29|archive-date=2016-03-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303233052/http://edutex-wiki.tug.org/tug2014/slides/sharpe.pdf|url-status=dead}}

Charter was originally optimized for printing on the low-resolution 300 dpi laser printers of the 1980s, and remains suitable for printing on both modern high-resolution laser printers and inexpensive lower resolution inkjet printers due to its strong, legible design. Its structure was optimised for low-memory computers and printers. In a 2013 interview, Carter explained that it used "a very simplified structure and a minimum number of curves, more straight-line segments... very economical compared to, say, Times New Roman," but noted that rapid development of printers made this unnecessary even before he had finished the design.{{cite web|last1=Middendorp|first1=Jan|title=Matthew Carter interview|url=http://www.myfonts.com/newsletters/cc/201310.html|website=MyFonts|publisher=Monotype|access-date=28 September 2014}} In its simplification of serif forms, it foreshadowed Carter's later landmark design, Georgia for Microsoft.

In 1992 Bitstream donated a version of Charter, along with its version of Courier, to the X Consortium under terms that allowed the font to be modified and redistributed. This has resulted in open source derivatives of Bitstream Charter, including Charis SIL.{{cite newsgroup | title= Bitstream contributes Type1 outlines for Charter and Courier fonts | author= Stephen Gildea | date=March 29, 1992 | newsgroup= comp.archives |message-id=r3j0kINNa64@agate.berkeley.edu | url=https://groups.google.com/group/comp.archives/msg/b5abd2af242a3e7a?dmode=source&output=gplain | access-date=August 1, 2013}} Typographer Matthew Butterick considers Bitstream Charter to be one of the best free fonts available.{{cite web | url=http://practicaltypography.com/charter.html | title=Charter | last1=Butterick | first1=Matthew | year=2013 | website=Butterick’s Practical Typography | access-date=August 1, 2013}}

Because of its popularity, a new Charter Pro release of the typeface was released in 2004, with an expanded character set including additional symbols, ranging figures (old-style) and small capitals.{{cite web|title=Charter Pro|url=http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/bitstream/charter-bt-pro/|website=MyFonts|publisher=Monotype|access-date=28 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006082217/http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/bitstream/charter-bt-pro/|archive-date=6 October 2014|url-status=dead}} This version was later added as a system font on OS X 10.13 High Sierra.

Carter was later asked by Monotype to consider releasing a sans-serif companion to Charter. Finding his attempts unsatisfying, he scrapped the idea for a more radical, less directly complementary design, Carter Sans.