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{{Infobox font
| image = [[File:Bitstream Charter spec.svg|300px]]
| name = Bitstream Charter
| style = [[Serif]]
| classifications = [[Serif#Transitional|Transitional serif]]
[[Slab-Serif]]
| creationdate = 1987
| creator = [[Matthew Carter]]
| foundry = [[Bitstream Inc.]]
| license = Permissive<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://mirrors.ctan.org/fonts/charter/readme.charter|title=Bitstream Charter}}</ref> for original version; proprietary for "Charter BT" version
}}

'''Bitstream Charter''' is a serif typeface designed by [[Matthew Carter]] in 1987 for [[Bitstream Inc.]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://typedia.com/explore/typeface/charter/|title=Typedia: Charter|website=Typedia|access-date=24 September 2014|archive-date=11 August 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150811063753/http://typedia.com/explore/typeface/charter|url-status=dead}}</ref> Charter is based on [[Pierre-Simon Fournier]]’s characters, originating from the 18th century.<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite web | url=http://blog.typekit.com/2014/05/20/source-serif-pro/ | title=Introducing Source Serif: A new open source typeface from Adobe | last1=Miñoza | first1=Nicole | date=20 May 2014 | website=Adobe Typekit Blog | publisher=Adobe Systems Incorporated | access-date=27 June 2014}}</ref> Classified by Bitstream as a [[Serif#Transitional|transitional-serif]] typeface (Bitstream Transitional 801), it also has features of a [[slab-serif]] typeface and is often classified as such.<ref>{{cite web|title=Charter Postscript Font Metrics|url=http://mirrors.ctan.org/fonts/charter/bchr8a.afm|website=Comprehensive TeX Archive Network (open source:one of many sources)|access-date=29 September 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://edutex-wiki.tug.org/tug2014/slides/sharpe.pdf|title=Recent Additions to TeX'sFont Repertoire|last1=Sharpe|first1=Michael|date=July 2014|publication-place=Presentation to TUG, Portland|access-date=2014-09-29|archive-date=2016-03-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303233052/http://edutex-wiki.tug.org/tug2014/slides/sharpe.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Charter was originally optimized for printing on the low-resolution 300 dpi laser printers of the 1980s, and remains suitable for printing on both modern high-resolution laser printers and inexpensive lower resolution inkjet printers due to its strong, legible design. Its structure was optimised for low-memory computers and printers. 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.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Middendorp|first1=Jan|title=Matthew Carter interview|url=http://www.myfonts.com/newsletters/cc/201310.html|website=MyFonts|publisher=Monotype|access-date=28 September 2014}}</ref> In its simplification of serif forms, it foreshadowed Carter's later landmark design, [[Georgia (typeface)|Georgia]] for Microsoft.

In 1992 Bitstream donated a version of Charter, along with its version of Courier, to the [[X Consortium]] under terms that allowed the font to be modified and redistributed. This has resulted in open source derivatives of Bitstream Charter, including [[Charis SIL]].<ref>{{cite newsgroup | title= Bitstream contributes Type1 outlines for Charter and Courier fonts | author= Stephen Gildea | date=March 29, 1992 | newsgroup= comp.archives |message-id=r3j0kINNa64@agate.berkeley.edu | url=https://groups.google.com/group/comp.archives/msg/b5abd2af242a3e7a?dmode=source&output=gplain | access-date=August 1, 2013}}</ref> Typographer [[Matthew Butterick]] considers Bitstream Charter to be one of the best free fonts available.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://practicaltypography.com/charter.html | title=Charter | last1=Butterick | first1=Matthew | year=2013 | website=Butterick’s Practical Typography | access-date=August 1, 2013}}</ref>

Because of its popularity, a new Charter Pro release of the typeface was released in 2004, with an expanded character set including additional symbols, [[ranging figures]] (old-style) and small capitals.<ref>{{cite web|title=Charter Pro|url=http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/bitstream/charter-bt-pro/|website=MyFonts|publisher=Monotype|access-date=28 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006082217/http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/bitstream/charter-bt-pro/|archive-date=6 October 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> This version was [[List of typefaces included with macOS|later added as a system font]] on [[OS X]] 10.13 High Sierra.

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]].

==History==
Charter is based on the characters<ref name=autogenerated1 /> of [[Pierre-Simon Fournier]], a French 18th century punch-cutter, typefounder and typographic theoretician who invented the “point system”, a standardized measurement system for font sizes.
[[File:Type sample, Pierre Simon Fournier, Manuel Typographique 1766.png|center|480px|Type sample (Pierre Simon Fournier, Manuel Typographique, 1766)]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Bitstream Charter}}
* Original [https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/xorg/font/bitstream-type1 Bitstream Charter] [[Type 1 font]] maintained by the [[X.Org Foundation]]
* [https://practicaltypography.com/charter.html Free Bitstream Charter as OTF, TTF and webfonts]
* [http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/bitstream/charter/ Updated Bitstream Charter for sale on MyFonts]
* [http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/02/graphic-content-carter-sans/ Graphic Content: Carter Sans], by Steven Heller, New York Times, February 2, 2011
* [[List of Canon products]]
* [[Canon Inc.]]
* [https://archive.org/download/canontruetypefontpack/Canon%20Truetype%20Font%20Pack.img Canon TrueType font Pack]
{{OS X typefaces}}
{{free and open-source typography}}

[[Category:Transitional serif typefaces]]
[[Category:Slab serif typefaces]]
[[Category:Typefaces and fonts introduced in 1987]]
[[Category:Typefaces designed by Matthew Carter]]
[[Category:International Typeface Corporation typefaces]]

Bitstream Charter - Revision history

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