The Bell Centennial Typeface Story

Colorful grid of various applications of the Bell Centennial typeface. The name is large and centered. Surrounding it are dates, AT&T, the label “ink trap contractors,” and a typeface sample sentence.

In 1978, Matthew Carter designed the typeface Bell Centennial. It was a special typeface, built for a unique set of goals. What manifested was an adaptable typeface that tackled the printing challenge of “dot gain.”

The Challenge

Matthew’s client, AT&T, commissioned the typeface for use in their printed telephone book. A product focused on utility, housing massive amounts of information, with vast reach.

They distributed directories to every known address with a telephone number. This included homes and businesses. And they regularly updated them.

The printing cost alone was tremendous. So they had to condense information as much as possible without compromising legibility. And they had to rely on cheaper paper, akin to newsprint. It was lightweight and cost effective. The downside? Dot gain.

Printing press proofing grid of circles with various colors and labels for each color printed above them. One is magnified to show the dot pattern from the halftone.

What You See is Not What You Get

Print designers know all about dot gain. For the rest of you, it’s a measurement system to determine how much ink will spread on paper.

Some paper, like newsprint, soaks up ink in great volume. The result is that fonts become bolder, images become darker, and everything you worked for as a designer changes on the press.

Designers who work in print have methods to combat the spread. But small fonts are one of the hardest things to get right. And in a phone book, large fonts were not an option.

Matthew’s Genius Typeface

When AT&T asked Matthew to replace their existing typeface, Bell Gothic, they had some specific goals in mind:

His solution was genius: ink traps.

A large bold capital letter N with its crotches highlighted to show their unusually large gaps. A label that reads “ink traps” is displayed with arrows that point to the highlights. Adjacent to the N is a smaller side-by-side comparison of a capital M with the same highlights and its printed equivalent, showing the fully formed typeface.

Matthew realized that he could design a typeface that would look awkward at its source. But when it spread from dot gain, it would form the fully-realized aesthetic. In short, he accommodated the dot gain upfront. It was an unfinished font that came to fruition on the press, after the dot gain.

Typefaces with a Purpose

Every typeface is designed for aesthetic and utility. Some are designed for a specific or unique use, such as Bell Centennial. Well-known typefaces like Frutiger and FF Meta Sans were among them. But Bell Centennial may have solved the most unique challenge with the most innovative result.

Black and white photo of Matthew Carter in his later years. He is sitting in a tidy office space with two desks behind him, housing his computer, a telphone, some art, and other devices. He his sitting with his body facing to the side with his head turned to look directly at the camera. His head is resting in his hand, with his elbow propped up on the arm rest. His thumb is supporting his jaw and his fingers are balled up to capture his chin.

Matthew Carter designed almost 40 typefaces during his career. The best known are Verdana, Tahoma, Helvetica Compressed, Snell Roundhand, and Georgia (one of my personal favorites). Bell Centennial isn’t one of his big hits, because it was confined for specific use. But, for me, it’s his most impressive.

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I’m Mark Wyner, an activist, dad, husband, Designer, writer, public speaker, and Mastodon moderator. If you want me to write for you or speak at your event please say hello.