On Oct 23, 2006, at 10:28 AM, I wrote:
My suspicion is that most fonts (in the original sense of the word)
had either fixed-width numerals or variable-width, depending on the
intended use of the font, with fonts having the choice of both the
rarity. I'm trying to research that, and if I learn anything
definitive I'll let you know.
Both of the experts I consulted confirmed that numerals with descenders
("oldstyle") are the original forms. My brother (who really is a type
historian) tells me that the numerals without descenders ("lining")
were introduced in the late 1700s in Britain, whence they spread to the
continent and eventually became standard, well before the computer age.
He believes that fixed-width numerals ("tabular") were introduced
simultaneous with lining, though he can't document that for certain.
As Thomas noted, what we know today as oldstyle numerals are the
original form of numbers as they were borrowed from the Arabic/Indic
and put into type. (Thus "oldstyle.")
I believe that lining numerals (numerals that are all the same
height, all sit on the baseline, and generally align with the
capitals) arose some time in the late 1700s, in England, in
conjunction with the Industrial Revolution. I can put my hands on an
early example from a Caslon specimen, London, 1798 (Updike, Vol II,
fig. 279). But presumably the Caslon foundry was playing "catch-up"
at this time and copying popular developments by others. I believe
that the first lining numerals may have been cut by Martin.
Updike mentions the use of "ranging" (usually a synonym for "lining")
figures in logarithmic tables, published by Hunter, in 1785. He
doesn't say what body types were used.
By early 1800s, lining figures seem pretty standard fare in most
newly cut typefaces, at least in the United Kingdom. On the
continent, many founders were still cutting oldstyle figures, even
for Modern style typefaces (Walbaum, Didot, Bodoni, et al.).
I pretty sure that lining figures were originally developed on
tabular widths -- that is, all the same width; this goes hand-in-hand
with their development in response to mercantile needs. I think
proportional lining figures are actually a relatively recent
refinement. Just as tabular oldstyle figures are a completely
contemporary concoction.
I'd have to do more in-depth research to be 100% sure of any of this.
But maybe this is good enough background for your purposes.
If anyone can find an example of tabular oldstyle figures (ie, same
width, with descenders) or proportional lining figures (ie, different
width, without descenders), that's more than about 30 years old, that
would be an interesting contrary data point.
mdl
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