Italic

The use of italic fonts for emphasis has become common practice in the digital age. Italics convey movement and dynamism, appeal to the sensory experience of reading, and evoke handwritten text. This vibrant characteristic, which once stemmed from the act of writing, is increasingly lost when words are simply slanted with a mouse click. To provide foundational knowledge about this typographic feature and to develop a general definition as a writing style, the author has compiled design patterns of italic fonts and presents the specific formal properties, characteristics, and functions of italics. Furthermore, he delves deeply into the historical development of italics from handwriting to digital typesetting. This monograph is the first comprehensive treatise on this typographic topic and is particularly aimed at anyone who enjoys working with letters.