Package: fonts-gfs-olga (1.1-5)

ancient Greek oblique font revival (companion to GFS Didot)

In Greece the terms italic and oblique have the same meaning since they are borrowed from the latin typographic practice without any real historical equivalent in Greek history. Until the end of the 19th century Greek typefaces were cut and cast independently, not as members of a typefamily. The mechanisation of typecutting allowed the transformation of upright Greek typefaces to oblique designs. Nonetheless, the typesetting practice of a cursive Greek font to complement an upright one did not survive the 19th century. The experimental font GFS Olga (1995) attempts to revive this lost tradition. The typeface was designed and digitised by George Matthiopoulos, based on the historical Porson Greek type (1803) with the intention to be the companion of the upright GFS Didot font whenever there is a need for an italic alternative.