Didot family

The Didot family played a significant role in the development of printing over several generations, beginning in the early 18th century in France.

François Didot, the progenitor, was a Parisian merchant who founded a bookstore in 1713 and received a printer's charter in 1754, publishing notable works like the "Histoire des voyages."

The family's contributions to the industry continued with Pierre-François Didot, who established a paper factory and made advances in type-founding.

The third generation included Pierre Didot and Firmin Didot; Pierre focused on producing sophisticated, collectible books with contributions from contemporary artists, while Firmin pioneered stereotypography and was recognized for his work in type design, contributing to the "Modern" classification of typefaces.

François Didot was a learned man, and held by his colleagues in such great esteem that he was elected to the dignity of Syndic of the Booksellers' Corporation in 1735.

Among the books he published should be mentioned the Histoire des voyages ("Story of Voyages/Travels") (20 vols., quarto), the first seventeen volumes of which are attributed to the Abbé Prévost.

[2] About 1780 François-Ambroise Didot adapted the point system for sizing typefaces by width, using units of 1/72 of the pre-metric French inch.

His "point", later named the didot after him, became the prevailing unit of type measurement throughout continental Europe and its former colonies, including Latin America.

[3] Pierre hired modern painters to illustrate his works which he then printed the words in a new typeface that his brother had created especially for it.

Among the works which issued from his press were Les Ruines de Pompéi, Le Panthéon égyptien of Champollion-Figeac, and Historial du Jongleur, printed in Gothic type, with tail-pieces and vignettes, like the editions of the fifteenth century.

Along with Giambattista Bodoni of Italy, Firmin Didot is credited with designing and establishing the use of the "Modern" classification of typefaces.

In 1827, he engraved the microscopic type called 'Non Plus Ultra' that was used for the editions of the "Maximes" of La Rochefoucauld and Horace's works.

This type was so small that, to cast it, he had to invent a new mould which he called polyamatype (1819), because it founded one hundred letters at a time.

Ambroise-Firmin Didot was also involved with the 4th edition of L'Encyclopedie Moderne, 30 vols in total, published in the years 1846–1861.