Baskerville vs Times New Roman: Serif Comparison
The Baskerville vs Times New Roman question pits two transitional serifs against each other, but they sit at opposite ends of the same family. Baskerville is the elegant ancestor optimized for beautiful printing; Times New Roman is the pragmatic descendant optimized for fitting news into tight columns. Both are excellent for body text, yet they project very different personalities.
What is Baskerville?
Baskerville was designed by John Baskerville in 1750s England and is a defining example of the transitional serif. It has higher stroke contrast than old-style faces, a nearly vertical stress, sharp and crisply bracketed serifs, wide spacing, and an air of refined elegance. Baskerville pushed the technical limits of letterpress printing in its day and became a model for fine book typography. Digital revivals include ITC New Baskerville and the free, screen-friendly Libre Baskerville on Google Fonts.
What is Times New Roman?
Times New Roman was created by Stanley Morison with Victor Lardent in 1932 for The Times of London. Also a transitional serif, it was engineered for economy: condensed letterforms, tighter spacing, and a relatively compact footprint that packs maximum words into narrow newspaper columns while staying legible. As a system font on Windows and macOS, it became the default for academic essays, reports, and formal documents, carrying a measured, newspaper-bred authority.
What’s the difference between Baskerville and Times New Roman?
Though both are transitional serifs, Baskerville is wider, more open, and higher in contrast, while Times New Roman is narrower and built to save space. One reads as graceful, the other as efficient.
| Property | Baskerville | Times New Roman |
|---|---|---|
| Classification | Transitional serif | Transitional serif (newspaper) |
| Designer / year | John Baskerville, 1750s | Stanley Morison & Victor Lardent, 1932 |
| X-height | Smaller, traditional | Small, condensed |
| Contrast | High thick/thin contrast | Moderate to high contrast |
| Best used for | Books, elegant print, headings | Academic papers, reports, print |
| Availability / license | Many cuts; Libre Baskerville free on Google Fonts | System font, free with OS |
When should you use each?
Use Baskerville when elegance and craft matter: literary books, invitations, editorial spreads, luxury branding, and large headings where its contrast can breathe. Its wide spacing gives a calm, refined texture on the page. Use Times New Roman when you need a compact, conventional default that satisfies formal requirements and conserves space: academic submissions, legal filings, and dense reports. Both are transitional serifs, so for a sense of how they relate to old-style faces, our serif vs sans-serif overview gives helpful context, and these two sit firmly in the serif camp.
Which is more readable / better for body text?
For relaxed, long-form reading in print, Baskerville is often the more pleasant choice; its open spacing and balanced contrast reduce fatigue and lend a graceful rhythm. Times New Roman is highly legible and far more economical, so it wins when you must fit a lot of text into limited space or columns. The tradeoff is comfort versus density: Baskerville for unhurried reading and beauty, Times New Roman for efficient, conventional documents. You can compare both against other classics in our roundup of the best serif fonts.
Are Baskerville and Times New Roman free?
Times New Roman is free as a system font on Windows, macOS, and Office, though embedding it as a webfont needs a Monotype license. Baskerville’s status depends on the cut: the historical design is public domain, but digital revivals like ITC New Baskerville are licensed commercially. For a free and embeddable option, Libre Baskerville is available on Google Fonts under the SIL Open Font License. See our font licensing guide to understand which uses each license permits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Baskerville better than Times New Roman?
Neither is universally better; they serve different goals. Baskerville is more elegant and comfortable for long print reading, making it ideal for books and refined branding. Times New Roman is more compact and conventional, making it the safe default for academic and formal documents. The best choice depends on whether you value beauty or efficiency and conformity.
Why does Baskerville take up more space than Times New Roman?
Baskerville has wider letterforms and more generous spacing, both deliberate choices that give it an open, elegant texture. Times New Roman was condensed specifically to fit narrow newspaper columns, so it uses less horizontal space. As a result, the same text set in Baskerville runs longer than in Times New Roman.
Can I use Baskerville for an academic paper?
If your style guide does not mandate Times New Roman, Baskerville can be a sophisticated alternative, especially via Libre Baskerville. However, many institutions specifically require Times New Roman at 12pt, so check the requirements first. Baskerville’s wider setting also means your document may run longer than expected.
Are both Baskerville and Times New Roman transitional serifs?
Yes. Both belong to the transitional serif category, sitting between old-style faces like Garamond and high-contrast moderns like Bodoni. They share an upright stress and bracketed serifs, but Baskerville leans more elegant and high-contrast while Times New Roman leans compact and utilitarian.
Which font is better for headings?
Baskerville is the stronger choice for headings. Its higher contrast and refined serifs look striking at large sizes, giving titles a confident, editorial presence. Times New Roman works at large sizes too, but its newspaper economy gives it a plainer feel that is less distinctive for display use.
