Garamond /ˈɡærəmɒnd/ is the name given to a group of old-style serif typefaces named after the punch-cutter Claude Garamont (also spelled as Garamond, Latinised as garamondus) (c. 1480–1561). Many of the Garamond faces are more closely related to the work of a later punch-cutter, Jean Jannon. A direct relationship between Garamond’s letterforms and contemporary type can be found in the Roman versions of the typefaces Adobe Garamond, Granjon, Sabon, and Stempel Garamond.
Garamond’s letterforms convey a sense of fluidity and consistency. Some unique characteristics in his letters are the small bowl of the a and the small eye of the e. Long extenders and top serifs have a downward slope.
Garamond is considered to be among the most legible and readable serif typefaces for use in print (offline) applications.[1][2] It has been noted that it uses much less ink than Times New Roman at a similar point size,[3][4] a fact partially attributable to Garamond having shorter characters at the same point size compared to Times New Roman[5] and also to Garamond's narrower stroke widths. Garamond, along with Times New Roman and Century Gothic, has been identified by the GSA as a "toner-efficient" font.[6]