“John Baskerville [was] an innovator who broke the prevailing rules of design and printing in fifty-six editions produced at his press in Birmingham, England. . . .
Baskerville’s type designs, which bear his name to this day, represent the zenith of the transitional style bridging the gap between Old Style and modern type design. His letters possessed a new elegance and lightness. In comparison with earlier designs, his types are wider, the weight contrast between thick and thin strokes is increased, and the placement of the thickest part of the letter is different. The treament of the serifs is new: they flow smoothly out of the major strokes and terminate as refined points. His italic fonts most clearly show the influence of master handwriting.”

—Phil Meggs & Alston Purvis, Meggs’ History of Graphic Design, 2006.