Rounded guillemets
One thing we rarely enjoy, when typesetting in french, is the opportunity to have rounded guillemets.
No one is to blame of course!
This form has always been rare and can mostly only be found in fonts by Imprimerie Nationale (as the exemple here provided shows).
Whats the advantage? Some typefaces have pointed guillemets which are - to my taste - too visible. Rounded ones would be softer to the eye and blend in better in text - much like the quotes (“such”).
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7.Jul.2005 2.36pm
The only drawback that I can think of that it it could be ((possible)) that they be confused for parentheses.
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www.typeoff.de
7.Jul.2005 2.51pm
If they're drawn too large yes.
But if they're the same size as pointed guillemets it can work.
http://www.cestmartin.com/carnet/images/guillemets_ronds2.jpg
7.Jul.2005 5.10pm
1) It depends on the overall design of the face.
2) It depends how much/little they should stand out. Formal harmony is great for display setting, but during immersion you often need a little jolt.
My favorite guillemets? The ones in IN's "Nouvelle Gravure".
As far as I'm concerned they can be used for both French and English!
Did I put a sample of them on Typophile recently? I'm blanking out.
hhp
7.Jul.2005 5.52pm
i must admit, i am quite font of the guillemets that i put in LTC Caslon.
7.Jul.2005 5.55pm
> i am quite font
Now that's funny.
Those are buties though!
hhp
7.Jul.2005 6.04pm
type on the brain... heh
8.Jul.2005 11.41am
Good point Hrant about display usage. Maybe such guillemets would be a good option (opentype “.alt”) in that context, especially.
10.Mar.2010 6.34am
I know this i an ancient thread, but...
Arabic uses rounded guillemets as additional quotation marks besides regular single and double quotation marks, And French-like guillemets are never used in a serious publication.
10.Mar.2010 6.58am
There are different kinds of serious.
hhp
10.Mar.2010 7.55am
I meant seriousness in production not content, well, If I'd to rephrase it I'd say: in any good quality typeset book, e.g. any pre-computer work.
10.Mar.2010 8.36am
There are different kinds of quality. :-)
For example, I think a blind reliance on the conventional quotes for English
typesetting indicates a lack of seriousness in terms of typographic progress.
hhp