Labore et constantia

The starting point of the typeface Portonovo is the book Martyrologium Romanum, printed by the Plantin Press from 1690.

Photo of Martyrologium Romanum from 1690...

...and its cover

The typeface Portonovo starts with the book Martyrologium Romanum, printed by the Plantin Press in 1690. I found a copy of this book in an exhibition at the Cathedral of Cefalù in Sicily. Intrigued by the quality of the typeface and the beautiful typesetting, I wanted to bring these letters into the digital world.

The print workshop Officina Plantiniana was one of the leading publishers in the 16th century. Christophe Plantin founded this institution in Antwerp, and his work inspired many type designers. Typefaces like Times New Roman and Plantin are based on the work of Officina Plantiniana.

Labore et constantia (Labor and Constancy) was the motto of Christophe Plantin, printer and major publisher

High-definition scan of a page from Martyrologium Romanum

The Beginning

I started by analysing the typeface closely. I scanned the letters, compared the shapes, and identified common traits. I was especially interested in the smooth rhythm of the typeface. The letters reminded me of early versions of Caslon and Garamond. The style was elegant and well-organised.

But how could I digitise these forms? The letterpress printing technique, combined with cotton paper, made the details fuzzy. I chose my favourite scanned version of each letter, aiming to highlight the structure of the source font instead of the details from the printing process.

A close-up of the source typeface reveals ambiguity

A sketch made with tracing paper captures the essence of the structure

I enjoyed exploring the possibilities, especially with the serifs. They were squared and fit well with the rhythm of the source material. In other areas, I tried to stay close to the original.

The refinement process was tedious and took a long time. Getting the text’s rhythm right was challenging. Once I had the basics set, I started testing the fonts.

An early quirky version indicated the direction...

...of the final version of Portonovo.

After many laser prints, I decided Portonovo needed a second version for smaller sizes. I designed both versions to be as similar as possible, with the main difference being the larger x-height and more spaced letters.

I am excited to see the essence of the source typeface captured in Portonovo. Working with these inspiring historic books, printed by one of the most important presses, was a true pleasure.

Portonovo fills a gap in the typographic world. It offers a refined look with a modern and minimalist feel. The two versions make the font adaptable, giving designers many options.