Ronde script

Ronde, bookplate on the Encyclopédie, by calligrapher Charles Paillasson

Proportions of ronde script

Ronde ('round' in French) is a kind of script in which the heavy strokes are nearly upright, giving the characters when taken together a round look. It appeared in France at the end of the 16th century, and was popularized by writing masters such as Louis Barbedor in the 17th century. In its original form, it borrowed some of its letterforms from the round Gothic style.

While this style of writing fell out of popularity after the invention of a mass-produced pointed pen from steel in early 19th century, in 1870s Friedrich Soennecken reintroduced it again (this time with a steel broad-nibbed pen) in the modified form of his Rundschrift. It was still in wide use until the 20th century because it was used in French school manuals to teach the bases of cursive writing, and was also commonly used by the scribes of the French Ministry of Finance until right after World War II, which gave this style the name of écriture ronde finnancière ('round financial writing', not to be confused with the financière writing style).

The classic French rondes where also very present in the work of 18th century type founder and calligrapher Nicholas Gando, which has been revived for the digital medium by way of the French 111 font.