Blackletter

Blackletter refers to a family of heavy, dark typefaces and scripts.

It originated as a medieval book hand known as Textualis or Textura. This style is part of the Gothic script family. People often call it Gothic type or Gothic minuscule. Blackletter served as one of the major typefaces in Western typography history. It stands in contrast to thinner "white letter" or humanistic scripts. The name likely describes its thick, dark appearance. Some suggest the term refers to "black-letter days" associated with mourning.

Today, the term usually describes modern typefaces rather than handwriting.

The mechanism of blackletter involves a specific way of forming letters. These scripts are characterized by lateral compression. This means the letters are narrow and tall. They often have square aspects and elaborate minims. A minim is a short vertical stroke used in many letters. The term Textura comes from the Latin verb *texo*, meaning "to weave." This describes how the letters appear to be woven together. They fit together in an intricate, regular pattern. This creates a very dense and rhythmic visual texture.

Palaeographers identify four distinct grades of the Textualis script. The first is Prescissa, also called *Sine Pedibus*. This means "cut off," because the minims lack feet or serifs. The second is Quadrata, which means "square." The third is Semi-Quadrata, a more intermediate form. The final type is Rotunda, which means "round." These variations allowed for a hierarchy of books. A scribe could choose a style for a deluxe liturgical volume. They could also use simpler versions for university textbooks.

History shows how blackletter evolved alongside the printing press. Johannes Gutenberg used a Textualis typeface for his 42-line Bible in 1455.

He also used a metal design called the Donatus-Kalender. This design was named after two specific works. One was a Latin grammar by Aelius Donatus. The other was a calendar. By 1480, a style called Schwabacher began to dominate in Germany. Schwabacher features more rounded letters with specific angles. It remained in use occasionally until the 20th century. By the early 17th century, Fraktur replaced it as the primary German style.

Fraktur is a notable and highly recognizable blackletter script.

In this style, the left side of a small letter is angular. The right side of the letter is rounded. Both strokes join at an angle at the top and bottom. Capital letters in Fraktur are compounds of rounded strokes. Because of its popularity, many people simply call all blackletter "Fraktur." This script was used for many centuries across different nations. It remained common in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden until the 1870s. In Finland, it lasted until the turn of the 20th century.

The use of blackletter saw significant changes during political shifts. In Estonia and Latvia, it was used until the 1930s. In Germany, it was common until 1941. That year, Adolf Hitler officially banned the script. The Nazi party claimed it was not a German script. They falsely claimed it consisted of "Jew letters." They ordered a conversion to the Antiqua script instead. This new "normal script" was used for street signs and textbooks. This change forced a transition away from centuries of typographic tradition.

Modern uses of blackletter connect it to concepts of authority and history. Many famous newspapers use blackletter in their logos. The New York Times and The Los Angeles Times use it. This choice lends *gravitas*, or weight, to their publications. It evokes the era of the original printing press. Even pop culture uses these visual cues. Taylor Swift used Textura blackletter for her 2017 album, *Reputation*. This choice helped convey the media scrutiny she faced.

Finally, blackletter exists in digital systems through Unicode. Mathematical blackletter characters are used to set specific mathematical texts.