My vote for favorite serif face would have to go to Jenson (designed by Nicolas Jenson) and its various progeny.

My favorite adaptation of Jenson is Cloister Old Style (Morris Benton), but I have yet to find a really good digitization of this typeface family. Rolling Stone Magazine uses a beautiful version that they commissioned for their body face.

I also like Parkinson (Jim Parkinson), also based on Jenson.

Golden Type (William Morris), Centaur & Arrighi (Bruce Rogers, Frederic Warde) and Adobe Jenson (Robert Slimbach) are also worthy interpretations of the Jenson design forms.

I'm working on my own design, Architrave, which is partly (and loosely) based on the Jenson model, and is currently showing in the Serif Critique forum.

David

For fashion you can't ignore Bodoni's legacy in old rags like Bazaar. For a fresher take on Bodoni check out Hoefler's Didot.

PS-- Your question reminds me of own quest for the perfect serif face. The old (1998?) Klein bicycles annual report that Cahan did. It's a beautiful face that I've never had a moment to research...

//joe

The best Latin caps ever made (even better
than anything the Romans did): Perpetua.

hhp

Hrant - Why? Because of the U?

Well, overall.
But the "U" is one good example. For one thing, that's the way the Romans would have made it. But Perpetua isn't just some anachronistic affectation: it's timeless. Well, at least timeless in relation to Western culture.

Perpetua is austere, without being oppressive. It has a serious grace that doesn't need to prove itself. In comparison, Adobe Trajan is a Roman legionnaire who's been spending way too much time in Bay Area Starbuckses.

hhp

Fabian Baron was the art director behind the fashion
design work I mentioned. (His name escaped me in
my earlier post...)

Adam wrote:
> I'm particularly fond of Goudy.

I have to say, I'm not.

//joe

How can you not be fond of Goudy. I think it's so cute, especially Goudy Heavyface, it's so funny and fat. Come on, sometimes you have to give some love to awkward looking things. I mean, how do you think I get any dates?

PS. My friends and I have being dying to find a use for Cooper Black, but we haven't had the chance yet. Have you guys ever used it seriously?

Yes, I use Cooper Black on any mini condiment packet design.
Looks great in "Mustard" and "Fancy Catsup".

Kidding aside, I did a few designs with Thirstype's Oz.
The italics are particularly enjoyable. I'll post a sample later.

http://www.thirstype.com/font_oz.html

Stephen

I once used Cooper Black for a poster that
featured a big fat crayon.

Once upon a time, Emigre featured an entire article
set in Cooper Black. It was quite a treat (it was an
issue in the 40s, if I recall).

(Look at me, I'm talking about a font as if it
were a sasquatch sighting.)

//joe

stephen, I actually just saw thirstype's Oz. It was in the ACD 100 Show, which was just recently at my school, and still is until Thanksgiving weekend. I liked it somewhat. Fat faces are fun sometimes.

About the Perpetua U: I'm pretty sure there was an alternate done for the metal version (one with a foot, one not). Two Rs were done also I think. So I guess Gill/Morison didn't think that form of U was essential to Perpetua.

As for other great titling faces to be used instead of Trajan, how about: Octavian (Kindersley knows from monumental), Dante Titling, or Requiem.