# Caudex font

> A serif with 2,017 glyphs for medieval texts: MUFI characters, Greek and runes, in four styles.

Caudex is a serif family made for setting old and medieval texts, credited to Nidud on the official page. Caudex has two weights, Regular and Bold, each with an italic, four styles in total, and 2,017 glyphs that include Greek, runes and medieval characters. It is released under the SIL Open Font License 1.1 and suits scholarly editions.

## Facts

- Classification: [Serif](https://trendhub.net/fonts/category/serif)
- Designed by: Nidud
- License: SIL Open Font License 1.1 (https://openfontlicense.org/open-font-license-official-text/)
- Styles: 4 (Regular 400, Bold 700; with italics)
- Variable font: No
- Glyphs: 2017
- Character sets: greek, latin, latin-ext, runic
- Last updated: 2025-09-05
- Official source: https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Caudex
- Page: https://trendhub.net/fonts/caudex
- Tagged for: Body text, Editorial

## About Caudex

Caudex is a serif typeface built around an unusually large character set for historical texts. According to the official notes it began in the late nineties as a font for printing old handwritten text, was later rebuilt as a Unicode font with FontForge, and includes most of the characters recommended by the Medieval Unicode Font Initiative (MUFI) in version 3.0. Each font holds 2,017 glyphs, covering Latin, Latin Extended, Greek and the Runic script. In the specimen the letters are wide, with wedge-shaped, flaring serifs, a pen-like slope in the lowercase a, and a W whose inner strokes cross. The four styles are Regular, Italic, Bold and Bold Italic as static files; Caudex is not a variable font. The official page names Nidud as designer, the copyright notice names Hjort Nidudsson, and the license is the SIL Open Font License 1.1.

## License

SIL Open Font License 1.1. Copyright (c) 2011, Hjort Nidudsson (http://caudex.sf.net), with Reserved Font Name Caudex.

Allowed:
- Use the fonts in personal and commercial work, in print, on the web and in apps.
- Modify the fonts and build new versions from them.
- Redistribute the fonts, on their own or bundled with software, as long as the license text and copyright notice go with them.

Conditions:
- The fonts cannot be sold by themselves.
- A modified version must stay under the same license and cannot use a Reserved Font Name without the copyright holder's permission.
- The authors' names cannot be used to promote a modified version without permission.

Summary only, not legal advice. Full text: https://openfontlicense.org/open-font-license-official-text/

## Where it works

- **Editions of medieval texts**: Most MUFI 3.0 characters are present, so abbreviations and special letters of medieval manuscripts can be typed instead of drawn.
- **Transcriptions with runes**: The Runic script is in the same font as the Latin letters, which keeps inscriptions and commentary in one typeface.
- **Classical studies with Greek quotations**: Greek is included, so a Greek word can sit inside a Latin-script sentence without a font change.
- **History books and journals**: Regular and Bold with italics cover text, titles of works and headings.

## Things to know

- **Two weights**: Caudex has Regular 400 and Bold 700 with italics. There are no lighter or intermediate weights.
- **Large files**: The four TTF files hold 2,017 glyphs each and total about 1.9 MB; for the web, subsetting is worth considering.
- **Designer name is given in two forms**: The official page lists Nidud, while the copyright notice reads Hjort Nidudsson. The font's own name table leaves the designer field empty.

## FAQs

### Is Caudex free for commercial use?

Yes. Caudex is licensed under the SIL Open Font License 1.1: use in personal and commercial work, modification and redistribution are allowed. The fonts cannot be sold on their own, a modified version keeps the same license and may not use a Reserved Font Name without permission.

### Who designed Caudex?

The official page credits Caudex to Nidud, and the copyright notice in the license names Hjort Nidudsson.

### What is Caudex used for?

Caudex was made for printing old handwritten text and includes most of the characters recommended by the Medieval Unicode Font Initiative, which makes it a tool for medieval and historical scholarship.

### Does Caudex support Greek and runes?

Yes. Caudex contains Greek and the Runic script in addition to Latin and Latin Extended.

### How many weights does Caudex have?

Caudex has two weights, Regular 400 and Bold 700, each with an italic.

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Source: https://trendhub.net/fonts/caudex (trendhub)