Cochin (typeface)
{{short description|Serif typeface}}
{{Infobox font
| name = Cochin
| image = Cochin.png
| style = Serif
| classifications = Transitional{{cite web|url=http://store1.adobe.com/cfusion/store/html/index.cfm?store=OLS-US&event=displayFont&code=CCHQ10005000 |title=Cochin™ Std Roman |publisher=Adobe |date=2012-02-14 |accessdate=2012-03-19}}
| creationdate = 1912
| aka = Sonderdruck{{dubious|Google has no "Sonderdruck typeface" in English|date=December 2020}}{{cn|date=December 2020}}
| creator = Georges Peignot, Matthew Carter
| foundry = G. Peignot et Fils
| foundries = American Type Founders, Monotype, Linotype, Letraset, URW++
}}
Cochin is a serif typeface designed by Georges Peignot for the Paris foundry G. Peignot et Fils (future Deberny & Peignot) in 1912. It is based on the copperplate engravings of 18th century French artist Charles-Nicolas Cochin, from whom the typeface also takes its name. The font has a small x-height with long ascenders. Georges Peignot also created the design Nicolas-Cochin as a looser variation in the same style.{{cite web|title=Nicholas Cochin LT|url=http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/linotype/nicolas-cochin-lt/|website=MyFonts|publisher=Linotype|accessdate=11 September 2015}}
Characteristics
With a very low x-height and delicate design, Cochin is described by Walter Tracy an example of a style of lettering and graphic design popular in the early twentieth century in several countries.{{cite book|last1=Tracy|first1=Walter|title=Letters of Credit: a view of type design|date=2003|publisher=David R. Godine|location=Boston|isbn=9781567922400|pages=50, 139–140, 180}} Similar designs are Astrée and later Bernhard Modern and Koch-Antiqua, as well as several designs by Frederic Goudy such as Pabst and Goudy Modern.
It had considerable success, for example becoming available on Monotype's hot metal typesetting system in the United States (Tracy describes this version as disappointing due to changes to the italic) and was also sold by American Type Founders.{{cite web|last1=Shaw|first1=Paul|author-link=Paul Shaw (design historian)|title="Stop Making Type": The Quixiotic Quest of the National Board on Printing Type Faces|url=https://www.paulshawletterdesign.com/2014/06/stop-making-type-the-quixiotic-quest-of-the-national-board-on-printing-type-faces/|website=Paul Shaw Letter Design/Print|accessdate=24 January 2017}}
In 1927 Monotype UK produced a typeface Cochin Series 165, Roman and Italic, based on an 1812-face Cochin 18c of the Peignot-foundry.Alembic-press [http://www.alembicpress.co.uk/Typecaster/numb.htm Monotype faces] The Monotype font has fewer high ascenders compared with other Cochin-fonts. This makes Series-165 more usable for long texts.
=Releases=
In 1977 Cochin was adapted and expanded by Matthew Carter for Linotype, and this four-weight version is well-known today as a system font on macOS.{{cite web|title=Cochin LT|url=http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/linotype/cochin/|website=MyFonts|publisher=Linotype|accessdate=11 September 2015}}{{cite book|last1=Drucker|first1=Margaret Re ; essays by Johanna|last2=Mosley|first2=James|title=Typographically speaking : the art of Matthew Carter|date=2003|publisher=Princeton Architectural|location=New York|isbn=9781568984278|page=73|edition=2.}} Other companies issued versions of the design in the metal type era.
The original Cochin and Nicolas-Cochin designs were also digitised by LTC and Linotype, and other versions are available from others including URW++, which adds an additional black weight not available from Linotype.{{cite web|title=LTC Nicholas Cochin|url=http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/lanston/ltc-nicolas-cochin/|website=MyFonts|publisher=LTC|accessdate=11 September 2015}}{{cite web|title=URW++ Cochin|url=http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/urw/cochin/|website=MyFonts|publisher=URW++|accessdate=11 September 2015}} Sol Hess designed a bold design in the same style.{{cite web|title=LTC Hess Monoblack|url=http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/lanston/ltc-hess-monoblack/|website=MyFonts|publisher=LTC|accessdate=11 September 2015}} Badr is an Arabic font from Linotype by Osman Husseini which uses Cochin for its Latin alphabet.{{cite web|title=Badr LT|url=http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/linotype/badr-lt/|website=MyFonts|publisher=Linotype|accessdate=11 September 2015}}
Cochin had a display open-face companion, with an empty space in the middle of the letter, named Moreau-le-jeune.{{cite web |title=Moreau-le-jeune |url=https://fontsinuse.com/typefaces/45042/moreau-le-jeune |website=Fonts in Use |access-date=26 May 2022}} This was sold as "Caslon Open Face" in the United States.{{cite web |title=Caslon Open Face |url=https://fontsinuse.com/typefaces/10265/caslon-open-face |website=Fonts in Use |access-date=26 May 2022}} A derivative design with boosted x-height is Academy Engraved by Letraset.{{cite web |title=Academy Engraved |url=https://fontsinuse.com/typefaces/13033/academy-engraved |website=Fonts in Use |access-date=26 May 2022 |language=en}}
=Gallery=
File:Nicholas Cochin Type Specimen (8090183979).jpg|Nicholas Cochin
File:Nicholas Cochin italic.jpg|Nicholas Cochin italic
File:Cochin Outline Initials.jpg|Outline capitals sold with Cochin
=Uses=
The typeface is used in the Harry Potter covers produced by Bloomsbury Publishing.{{cite web|url=http://www.bloomsbury.com/media/bookseller_image_tandcs.pdf |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070710055833/http://www.bloomsbury.com/media/bookseller_image_tandcs.pdf |archivedate=2007-07-10 |title=Harry Potter Books (UK Editions) Terms and Conditions for Use of Images for Book Promotion |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing Plc |date=2007-07-10 |accessdate=2012-09-07}}
Cochin is used in The Spiderwick Chronicles (written by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi).
The Editorial Nascimento of Santiago Chile, used Cochin in many of its 6500 publications, which included books by Pablo Neruda and Gabriela Mistral from 1923 onwards.
Cochin was previously a font option in iBooks for the iPad but was replaced in version 1.5 when Athelas, ITC Charter, Iowan Old Style, and Seravek were added.{{cite web|author=J.D. Biersdorfer |url=http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/09/qa-a-new-look-for-ibooks/ |title=Q&A: A New Look for iBooks |work=The New York Times |date=2012-01-09 |accessdate=2012-09-07}}{{cite web|url=http://www.itproportal.com/2011/12/07/apple-releases-update-ibook-app/#ixzz25oiWCISH |title=Apple Releases Update for iBook App |author=Erica Thinesen |publisher=Net Communities |date=2011-12-07 |accessdate=2012-09-07}}
The English alternative rock band Keane used the typeface for their first official logo. {{Cite web|url=https://www.keanemusic.com|title=Official Keane webpage}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{commons category-inline|Cochin (typeface)}}
{{OS X typefaces}}