# IM Fell Great Primer font

> A digital revival of a seventeenth-century Oxford type, roman and italic, with the rough edges of old printing.

IM Fell Great Primer is a serif typeface digitised by Igino Marini from the Great Primer size of the Fell Types, the seventeenth-century collection that John Fell left to the University of Oxford. IM Fell Great Primer has two styles, Regular and Italic. It is released under the SIL Open Font License 1.1 and suits period books, titles and quotations.

## Facts

- Classification: [Serif](https://trendhub.net/fonts/category/serif)
- Designed by: Igino Marini
- License: SIL Open Font License 1.1 (https://openfontlicense.org/open-font-license-official-text/)
- Styles: 2 (Regular 400; with italics)
- Variable font: No
- Glyphs: 388
- Character sets: latin, latin-ext
- Last updated: 2025-05-30
- Official source: https://fonts.google.com/specimen/IM+Fell+Great+Primer
- Page: https://trendhub.net/fonts/im-fell-great-primer
- Tagged for: Headlines, Editorial, Retro, Elegant

## About IM Fell Great Primer

IM Fell Great Primer is an old-style serif that reproduces a historical printing type together with its imperfections. The outlines keep the wobble and ink spread of letterpress: stems are slightly uneven, serifs are blunt and irregular, and the numerals are old-style figures that hang below and rise above the x-height. In the specimen the Q has a long tail that runs under the following letter. The source is the Great Primer roman and italic of the Fell Types, the punches and matrices gathered by John Fell, Bishop of Oxford, and bequeathed to the University of Oxford on his death in 1686. The official notes record that Fell's own type-founder, Peter de Walpergen, cut this and the other larger sizes. Igino Marini made the digital version, which has two styles, Regular and Italic, and 388 glyphs.

## License

SIL Open Font License 1.1. Copyright (c) 2010, Igino Marini (mail@iginomarini.com)

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

- **Historical book design**: Uneven outlines and old-style figures reproduce the look of a seventeenth-century page.
- **Titles and epigraphs**: Great Primer was one of the larger bodies of the Fell Types, and the rough detail shows clearly at heading sizes.
- **Quotations with italic**: A true italic from the same historical source sets titles and emphasis inside roman text.
- **Theatre, museum and heritage print**: Programmes and labels gain a period voice without scanned artwork.
- **Fantasy maps and game props**: Irregular serifs and ink-worn edges pass for old printed documents.

## Things to know

- **Deliberately rough**: The irregular edges belong to the design: the digitisation preserves the printed impression of the original type.
- **Roman and italic, no bold**: The family offers one weight in upright and italic form. No bold is provided.
- **Old-style figures**: Numerals vary in height and alignment, as the specimen shows, which suits text but not tables.

## FAQs

### Is IM Fell Great Primer free for commercial use?

IM Fell Great Primer is free to use in commercial and personal work under the SIL Open Font License 1.1. The license also permits modification and redistribution; the font cannot be sold on its own, and derivatives remain under the same license and may not use a Reserved Font Name without permission.

### Who designed IM Fell Great Primer?

The digital IM Fell Great Primer is the work of Igino Marini. The original type was cut in the seventeenth century by Peter de Walpergen for John Fell.

### What are the Fell Types?

The Fell Types are the collection of punches and matrices assembled by John Fell, Bishop of Oxford, and left to the University of Oxford in 1686. IM Fell Great Primer revives one size from that collection.

### How many styles does IM Fell Great Primer have?

IM Fell Great Primer has two styles, Regular and Italic, both at weight 400. There is no bold.

### Which languages does IM Fell Great Primer support?

IM Fell Great Primer includes the letters needed for English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Turkish, Polish, Czech, Romanian and other European languages written in Latin script.

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Source: https://trendhub.net/fonts/im-fell-great-primer (trendhub)
