Industry: Design

Caponi

A Bodoni revival built on the work he did before Bodoni became Bodoni

Commissioned by Amid Capeci for the twentieth-anniversary redesign of Entertainment Weekly and named in his memory, Caponi was designed by Paul Barnes and Christian Schwartz with Miguel Reyes. It reframes Bodoni's legacy by drawing primarily from his early Rococo-influenced work rather than the high-contrast types that dominate most revivals. The collection comprises three subfamilies—Display, Slab, and Text—each occupying a distinct typographic role while remaining visually cohesive.

Set in Caponi Display, Caponi Slab, Caponi Text, Caponi

Insights

The primary reference is Bodoni's early career output, shaped by French printer and punchcutter Pierre Simon Fournier's Rococo style—territory most revivals ignore entirely.
Caponi Text preserves idiosyncratic details from Bodoni's originals: mismatched terminal shapes and subtly varying serifs.
Caponi Slab's low-contrast construction and punchy Black weight allow it to span large display and smaller supporting roles such as pull quotes and subheads.