Italique

Italique refers to a style of typography in which the letters are slanted to the right, typically as a distinct variant of the regular upright (roman) type. Italic type is used for emphasis, for the titles of works, for foreign or technical terms, and in many languages to indicate grammatical features. In mathematics and the sciences, letters representing variables and constants are commonly set in italics.

Origin and history: Italic type was developed in Renaissance Italy. The first widely adopted italic faces were cut by Francesco Griffo for the Aldine press around 1501–1502, intended to save space and to convey a more informal, humanist tone in scholarly editions. The name italic derives from Italy. Through the 16th and 17th centuries, italics were refined by numerous founders such as Garamond and others, until a relatively complete set of letterforms existed. Traditional italics are designed as true separate letter shapes with their own calligraphic logic; many modern fonts also offer oblique styles that simply slant the roman designs.

Characteristics and usage: Italics contrast with roman type in letter shapes and proportions, often featuring a distinctive cursive flow, ligatures, and altered shapes for letters such as a, g, and f. They are used for emphasis, the titles of works, foreign words and phrases, and technical terms. In mathematics, variables are typically set in italics, while emphasis in prose is conveyed through other typographic signals. In computing, HTML and CSS provide options: the HTML elements em and i, and the CSS font-style property, which can be set to italic or oblique.