Beaujon

Beaujon is an homage to French Renaissance printing types and the research of Beatrice Warde. Referencing Parmentier's Garamond and Vendome by Ganeau, it continues the legacy of its predecessors across a comprehensive range of weights and optical sizes, Display and Text, designed with variable fonts in mind.

  • Design: Connor Davenport, Luke Charsley with Léa Bruneau
  • Spacing/Kerning: Connor Davenport, Igino Marini
  • Number of glyphs: 956
  • Number of styles: 22
  • Number of languages: 282
  • Date of release: 2026
  • Version: 1.000
Paul Beaujon
est le pseudonyme
de Beatrice Warde

Interprétation:
PB–1926–FR–54238

Century après
la publication de
“Le Fleuron”, vol. V.

Vendôme Claire
The Fading Petiole

Extralight

In the mid-1920s, a young American librarian named Beatrice Warde began questioning the attribution of the so-called Garamond types. Working between archival collections in Jersey City and European printing rooms, she observed that the caractères de l'Université, long attributed to Claude Garamont, aligned more closely with the later work of Jean Jannon. What first appeared as a minor discrepancy gradually unfolded into a broader question of typographic authorship: attribution had persisted through repetition rather than evidence. Publishing under the pseudonym Paul Beaujon, Warde assembled her findings into a comparative study of printed specimens, arguing that successive reinterpretations of Renaissance roman models had not simply preserved a historical form, but continuously redefined it turning "Garamond" into a layered tradition rather than a single historical origin.

Extralight

Paul Beaujon
Beatrice Warde

Extralight Italic

UN ÉCHO DANS
L'ÉCHO typographique:
chaque revival contient
le précédent.

Extralight

RÉFÉRENCE ET
INTERPRÉTATIONS
DU GARAMOND

Extralight

ATF Garamond, 1919, États-Unis
Deberny & Peignot Garamont, 1926, France
Fonderie Olive — Vendôme, 1952, France
Beaujon, 2025, États-Unis

Extralight

THE "GARAMOND" TYPES
SIXTEENTH & SEVENTEENTH
CENTURY SOURCES CONSIDERED
by PAUL BEAUJON

Extralight Italic

“It seems that so far this century has failed to establish one new type face to distinguish its books. There is a new style, but Caslon and the other standbys have been cast for three generations before ours. There are new advertising faces that represent faithfully our age and ideals: so faithfully that they are altogether unfit for book printing. It is among the revivals that we look for that chance of decent novelty that shall prevent us from seeing too much of the one thoroughly "English-speaking" type. Among the revivals three have unusual claims. Two of these, Baskerville and Fournier, are comparative novelties in their modern versions. Each would probably retain its charm in universal use among book printers through a definite "period" of typography.

Extralight Italic

The third face, which has been the subject of endless discussion and experiment, is "Garamond" a name used by typefounders to designate an imitation of one special roman and italicowned by the Imprimerie Nationale, Paris, and called by that office caractères de l'Université. Tradition has ascribed the face-with what reason we will inquire later-to Claude Garamont, the sixteenth century punch-cutter.
This design, revived in the world's most illustrious printing office as a private face with a mysterious lustre of antiquity upon it, earned a brilliant reputation early in our century, being used on a very special kind of printed page. The design was copied in America after the war, but something was lost in the copying, naturally and one might say fortunately; for "Garamond" emerged from Jersey City, N.J., U.S.A., with a chastened expression on its Gallic face, and began to look, in this soberer version, like a real book type. And when a composing machine put its version on the market, and...”

Regular Italic

LE FLEURON, No 5
Journal de Typographie

Regular

THE TYPE SPECIMEN OF JEAN JANNON,
Edited in facsimile with an Introduction by
PAUL BEAUJON, Paris 1927

Regular

Published in Le Fleuron No. 5 in 1926, Paul Beaujon’s essay The Garamond Types: Sixteenth & Seventeenth Century Sources Considered became one of the most influential texts in twentieth-century typographic historiography. Through comparative analysis of printed specimens, Beaujon questioned the attribution of the caractères de l’Université to Claude Garamont, proposing instead a closer connection to the work of Jean Jannon.

Regular

The caractères de l’Université preserved at the Imprimerie Nationale in Paris were long regarded as authentic examples of Garamont’s work. Their sharp contrast, narrow rhythm, and irregular construction would later become central evidence in the argument linking the collection to Jean Jannon’s seventeenth-century types, originally printed in Sedan in 1621.

Regular

The Imprimerie Nationale later reproduced facsimiles composed directly with the so-called Garamond types from its archive. When compared against surviving pages from Jannon’s 1621 specimen, the similarities in proportions, terminals, and italic construction revealed striking formal correspondences, reinforcing Beaujon’s attribution research.

Regular

C. 1530
ROMANS DE L'UNIVERSITÉ
ATTRIBUÉS POST MORTEM A
CLAUDE GARAMONT (1510–1561)

Regular

C. 1615
SPECIMEN DE CARACTÈRES DE
JEAN JANNON (1580–1658)
ATTRIBUÉS Á GARAMONT

Regular Italic

Deberny & Peignot

Regular





L'enquête
d'un siècle




Regular

1926 —
LONDON

Regular

2026 —
NEW YORK

Regular

Caractères de l'Université § Matrices saisies par décret royal, 1641 → Imprimerie Nationale, Paris ¶ Attribution: Claude Garamont, c. 1530 ™ Réattribuées à Jean Jannon, Sedan, c. 1615 © Warde, Beatrice, The Fleuron, Vol. V, 1926 ® № IN–1641–003 ″ Conservation: 16° to 18° · Humidité: 45 to 55% ′ See also: Beaujon, Paul → pseudonyme → The Fleuron, Vol. V → London, 1926

Regular

The 'Garamond' Types ™ Sixteenth & Seventeenth Century Sources Considered by Paul Beaujon § Paul Beaujon (Beatrice Warde, b. New York, 1900) → The Fleuron, A Journal of Typography, Vol. V, London, 1926 ¶ First Edition © Chiswick Press ed. ® All rights in the facsimile edition reserved № FR–1926–023 ″ Transcribed from the original proof, annotated by hand.

Regular

Caractères de l'Université § Matrices & poinçons saisis par décret royal du Cardinal de Richelieu, 1641 → Transférés à l'Imprimerie Nationale, Paris · Salle IV · Armoire 12 ¶ Attribution d'origine: Claude Garamont, tailleur de caractères, Paris, c. 1530™ Réattribuées à Jean Jannon, graveur de poinçons, Sedan, c. 1615 © Warde, Beatrice (pseud. Paul Beaujon), The 'Garamond' Types · The Fleuron, Vol. V, London, 1926®

Regular Italic

Tim Burton-esque swashes, the razor-like “C”
and “G”, the drunkenly stumbling “g”

Regular

IMPRIMERIE NATIONALE
Direction des collections
typographiques, Rue de la
Convention, Paris XVe

Regular

FICHE D'INVENTAIRE

Medium

ÉTABLI PAR:
APPROUVÉ PAR:
PROCHAIN RÉVISION:



Medium Italic

CONSERVATEUR A. DELORME
DIRECTION GÉNÉRALE
RÉF. CT–PROT–001

Medium

Les documents typographiques conservés dans les collections permanentes de l'Imprimerie Nationale, incluant specimens imprimés, épreuves annotées, correspondances d'atelier, matrices et poinçons, sont soumis aux conditions de conservation suivantes. Ces conditions s'appliquent sans exception à l'ensemble des pièces classées sous la désignation Caractères de l'Université, ainsi qu'aux documents associés datant de la période 1615–1926. Température ambiante recommandée: 16°–18° Température maximale tolérée: 20° Température minimale tolérée: 14° † Toute exposition prolongée à des températures supérieures à 20° entraîne une dégradation accélérée des fibres papetières et une oxydation des surfaces métalliques. Les matrices en alliage plomb-antimoine sont particulièrement sensibles aux variations thermiques supérieures à 4° sur une période de 24 heures. Humidité relative recommandée: 45–55% .
Les documents ypographiques conservés dans les collections permanentes de l'Imprimerie Nationale, incluant specimens imprimés, épreuves annotées, correspondances d'atelier, matrices et poinçons, sont soumis aux conditions de conservation suivantes. Ces conditions s'appliquent sans exception à l'ensemble des pièces classées sous la désignation Caractères de l'Université, ainsi qu'aux documents associés datant de la période 1615–1926. Température ambiante recommandée: 16°–18° Température maximale tolérée: 20° Température minimale tolérée: 14° † Toute exposition prolongée à des températures supérieures à 20° entraîne une dégradation accélérée des fibres papetières et une oxydation des surfaces métalliques. Les matrices en alliage plomb-antimoine sont particulièrement sensibles aux variations thermiques supérieures à 4° sur une période de 24 heures. Humidité relative recommandée: 45–55%.

Medium

Specimens imprimés : papier vergé, papier chiffon Température: 16°–18° · Humidité: 45–50% Lumière: obscurité totale recommandée Conservation: chemises en papier neutre · pH 7–8 § Les specimens datant d'avant 1700 doivent être conservés en chemises individuelles. Tout contact direct entre documents est à proscrire. Consultation autorisée uniquement sous supervision du conservateur responsable. Épreuves annotées : encre manuscrite sur papier Température: 16°–18° · Humidité: 45–50% ¶ Les annotations manuscrites à l'encre fer-gallique présentent un risque de corrosion du support papier. Ces documents doivent faire l'objet d'un contrôle visuel annuel. Toute dégradation constatée doit être signalée au service de restauration dans un délai de 30 jours. Matrices : alliage plomb-antimoine-étain Température: 14°–16° · Humidité: 40–45% † Conservation horizontale obligatoire · Tiroirs de bois non traité.

Medium

© IN · 1924Réf. CT–04

Medium

Garamond[t]

Medium Italic

Pour and drink; and according to your
choice of goblet, I shall know whether or not
you are a connoisseur of wine.

Medium Italic

The Crystal Goblet

Medium

Beatrice Warde
STATE OF NEW YORK.
CERTIFICATE AND
RECORD OF BIRTH
No. of Certificate: 38151

Medium

How I wish you were coming over here this summer. It is the most charming of ironies that my dearest and most dependable friend in the American typographic world should be the bright star of the Opposition. With warmest regards as always,

Medium

I am, yours sincerely,
PAUL BEAUJON

Available Styles

Beaujon

  • Beaujon Razor
  • Beaujon Razor Italic
  • Beaujon Extralight
  • Beaujon Extralight Italic
  • Beaujon Light
  • Beaujon Light Italic
  • Beaujon Regular
  • Beaujon Regular Italic
  • Beaujon Medium
  • Beaujon Medium Italic
  • Beaujon Bold
  • Beaujon Bold Italic
  • Beaujon Extrabold
  • Beaujon Extrabold Italic

Beaujon Text

  • Beaujon Text Regular
  • Beaujon Text Regular Italic
  • Beaujon Text Medium
  • Beaujon Text Medium Italic
  • Beaujon Text Bold
  • Beaujon Text Bold Italic
  • Beaujon Text Extrabold
  • Beaujon Text Extrabold Italic

1.100

About

Beaujon is an homage to the French Renaissance printing types and the late Beatrice Warde, who conducted invaluable research on the subject. It also references Henri Parmentier’s Garamond from 1926 and Vendome by Francois Ganeau for Fonderie Olive. Beaujon does not provide an answer or a definitive solution; rather, it continues the legacy of its predecessors, offering a comprehensive range of weights from Razor to Extrabold and optical sizes; Display and Text. Designed with variable fonts in mind, Beaujon serves as a practical tool for contemporary designers.

Supported Languages

Acheron, Achinese, Acholi, Achuar-Shiwiar, Afar, Afrikaans, Aguaruna, Alekano, Aleut, Amahuaca, Amarakaeri, Amis, Anaang, Andaandi, Anuta, Arabela, Aragonese, Arbëreshë Albanian, Asháninka, Ashéninka Perené, Asturian, Awa-Cuaiquer, Balinese, Banjar, Bari, Basque, Batak Dairi, Batak Karo, Batak Mandailing, Batak Simalungun, Batak Toba, Bemba (Zambia), Bena (Tanzania), Bikol, Bini, Bislama, Bora, Borana-Arsi-Guji Oromo, Bosnian, Breton, Buginese, Candoshi-Shapra, Caquinte, Cashibo-Cacataibo, Cashinahua, Catalan, Cebuano, Central Aymara, Central Kurdish, Central Nahuatl, Chachi, Chamorro, Chavacano, Chayahuita, Chiga, Chiltepec Chinantec, Chokwe, Chuukese, Cimbrian, Cofán, Cornish, Corsican, Creek, Crimean Tatar, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dehu, Dutch, Eastern Arrernte, Eastern Oromo, Efik, English, Faroese, Fijian, Filipino, Finnish, French, Friulian, Gagauz, Galician, Ganda, German, Gheg Albanian, Gilbertese, Gooniyandi, Gourmanchéma, Guadeloupean Creole French, Gusii, Gwichʼin, Haitian, Hani, Hiligaynon, Hopi, Huastec, Hungarian, Icelandic, Iloko, Inari Sami, Indonesian, Irish, Istro Romanian, Italian, Ixcatlán Mazatec, Jamaican Creole English, Javanese, Jola-Fonyi, K'iche', Kabuverdianu, Kaingang, Kala Lagaw Ya, Kalaallisut, Kalenjin, Kamba (Kenya), Kaonde, Karelian, Kashubian, Kekchí, Mattokki, Khasi, Kikuyu, Kimbundu, Kinyarwanda, Kongo, Konzo, Koyraboro Senni Songhai, Kven Finnish, Kölsch, Ladin, Ladino, Langi, Latgalian, Lithuanian, Lombard, Low German, Lower Sorbian, Luba-Lulua, Lule Sami, Luo (Kenya and Tanzania), Luxembourgish, Macedo-Romanian, Madurese, Makonde, Malagasy, Maltese, Mandinka, Mandjak, Mankanya, Manx, Maore Comorian, Maori, Mapudungun, Matsés, Meriam Mir, Meru, Metlatónoc Mixtec, Mi'kmaq, Minangkabau, Mirandese, Mohawk, Montenegrin, Munsee, Murrinh-Patha, Murui Huitoto, Mwani, Mískito, Naga Pidgin, Ndonga, Neapolitan, Ngazidja Comorian, Niuean, Nobiin, Nomatsiguenga, North Ndebele, Northern Kurdish, Northern Qiandong Miao, Northern Sami, Northern Uzbek, Norwegian, Nyanja, Nyankole, Orma, Oroqen, Palauan, Pampanga, Papiamento, Pedi, Picard, Pichis Ashéninka, Piemontese, Pijin, Pintupi-Luritja, Pohnpeian, Polish, Portuguese, Potawatomi, Páez, Quechua, Romanian, Romansh, Rotokas, Rundi, Samoan, Sango, Sangu (Tanzania), Saramaccan, Sardinian, Scots, Scottish Gaelic, Sena, Seri, Seselwa Creole French, Sharanahua, Shawnee, Shipibo-Conibo, Shona, Shuar, Sicilian, Silesian, Slovak, Slovenian, Soga, Somali, Soninke, South Ndebele, Southern Aymara, Southern Qiandong Miao, Southern Sami, Southern Sotho, Spanish, Sranan Tongo, Standard Estonian, Standard Latvian, Standard Malay, Sundanese, Swedish, Swiss German, Tagalog, Tahitian, Tedim Chin, Tetum, Tetun Dili, Toba, Tok Pisin, Tokelau, Tonga (Tonga Islands), Tosk Albanian, Tumbuka, Turkish, Turkmen, Tuvalu, Tzeltal, Tzotzil, Uab Meto, Umbundu, Ume Sami, Upper Guinea Crioulo, Upper Sorbian, Urarina, Venetian, Veps, Võro, Walloon, Walser, Waray (Philippines), Warlpiri, Wayuu, Welsh, West Central Oromo, Western Abnaki, Western Frisian, Wiradjuri, Wolof, Xhosa, Yagua, Yanesha', Yao, Yoruba, Yucateco, Zarma, Zulu, Záparo

OpenType Features

Localized Forms
Lining Figures
Oldstyle Figures
Proportional Figures
Tabular Figures
Case-Sensitive Forms
Stylistic Set 1 (alternate R)
Stylistic Set 3 (alternate Q)

Character Set

ASCII
Windows 1250 (Central European)
Windows 1254 (Turkish)
Windows 1257 (Baltic)
Adobe Latin 1
Adobe Latin 2