Distinguishing differences between a didot and a bodoni

[Sam41]

This topic was imported from the Typophile platform

I have great difficulty in recognising a didot as against a bodoni.
Could anyone please suggest ways in which one can identify between
the two in the quickest manner. Key characters, maybe ?

[Dunwich Type]

In contemporary types Didones usually have flat serifs and Bodonis usually have tapered serifs. But there are exceptions, because Bodoni’s later types are very similar to Didot family’s work.

[Sam41]

... and there are Didones with tapered serifs too. Elder Didot is a very curious didone.

[Jan]

Aren’t the counters of Didots in general rounder than those of Bodonis?

[Nick Shinn]

I have great difficulty in recognising a didot as against a bodoni.

Why not compare the alphabets?

[Mark Simonson]

Didots tend to have relatively thinner hairlines.

[Florian Hardwig]

What Nick said. Here's a starter, with the differing details that I find most striking. Always depending on the foundry/size/weight etc., of course.

F

[Dan Gayle]

This is almost an odd question to me, since there are relatively few Didots compared to the amount of Bodonis. Frutiger's Didot, H&FJ's Didot and Porchez's Ambroise seem to be the only actual Didots available. Canada Type has their new Didot, but it's self admittedly not a faithful Didot.

Am I completely missing out on some cool Modern types?

[Florian Hardwig]

Dan: The Didot You Didn't Know
Plus those that have no Didot in their names, like FF Holmen or Andreu Balius’ Carmen.

[Sam41]

Nick, I have compared quite a few bodonis with didots. I am just yet to figure
out the essence of a didot as against that of a bodoni. In many versions
the serifs of didots are very similar to a bodoni. I know the key charachter
differences, like the lowercase a and g are dead giveaways, but in capitals,
(used in magazine covers) at times I find it hard to tell if it is a bodoni
or a didot, especially when one cant really see if the serifs are flat or tapering.

[Frode Bo Helland]

Telling a Didot apart form a Bodoni is one of the few ID's I've yet to miss. Not quite sure why.

[Miss Tiffany]

That "curve" is called bracketing. Most Didots do not have bracketing.

[Mark Simonson]

One definite difference I just remembered: when a hairline meets a serif (at the top of a U or W, or bottom of an A, for instance), in Bodoni it's bracketed, in Didot it's not.

[moare]

wow... yes... Bodoni always is more compress and didot more relax.

[Stephen Coles]

On the subject of Carmen: here's a review.

[Si_Daniels]

>Am I completely missing out on some cool Modern types?

Dan, you're depriving a village somewhere of a didot.