I occurred to me in my font to be designed for specific optical sizes that I was focusing too much on one size, so I’m trying to get a good sense of balance for the other sizes now before getting too far. This post is more for advice on getting the font’s optical sizes right early as the font’s not ready for fuller critique yet, perhaps some words of warning on things to avoid when dealing with optical sizes. Didots are often suggested for display type, but I want mine to be viable in running text as it was used in manuscripts and decently printable on the average printer at each size. I am using the /l to gauge the main values to use.
The serif height currently matches the spread of the ink seen in the manuscripts, I am designing for 8, 12, 16, 24, 42, 64, and 96 points. I made the serifs a little longer at 8 points, and will probably do the same for 12 and 16 points. (I liked HTF Didot’s size plan, 16 points even matches the manuscript I’m using, but the smallest sizes were a bit too small for the font.)
The attached PDF has vectors at their respective sizes on the first page, and a scan of the printed result on the second (the printed result is cleaner in real life, but there is a sort of thin, gray, subtle “drop shadow” appearance immediately under serifs). I appreciate you.

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Here’s a preliminary evaluation I was doing on some glyphs with Howland, also to consider width consistency. Right to left these are sizes ranging from 12 pt to 60 pt (text sizes can even be more sturdy, but I’d avoid an almost monotonal treatment if the design has contrast to begin with).
It is elegant but also is quite rigid. Not by chance, ITC when did the new Bodoni with optical sizes in the 1990s, took hints from the original lead types (even travelling to Parma, here!) and adopted quite a different approach for – say – 12 and 72 point sizes.
ITC Bodoni Seventy-Two:
ITC Bodoni Six (Ugh!)
And the fact these digital versions were meant for print.
Bodoni-inspired later faces used since the post-war, when printing quality improved, when used in books for long passages of text, quite always gave me the headache. High contrast is never good for small size text, especially in essays and books.