In a 2013 interview, Carter explained that it used "a very simplified structure and a minimum number of curves, more straight-line segments... very economical compared to, say, Times New Roman," but noted that rapid development of printers made this unnecessary even before he had finished the design.

[6] In its simplification of serif forms, it foreshadowed Carter's later landmark design, Georgia for Microsoft.

This has resulted in open source derivatives of Bitstream Charter, including Charis SIL.

[citation needed] Carter was later asked by Monotype to consider releasing a sans-serif companion to Charter.

Finding his attempts unsatisfying, he scrapped the idea for a more radical, less directly complementary design, Carter Sans.