The Revivalist

Who is Carol Twombly, and how did she become a master of reviving historic letterforms for modern use? Best known for typefaces such as Trajan, Lithos, and Adobe Caslon, Twombly brought a rigorous scholarship and elegant sensibility to each design. Here, we explore her life and work: her studies at the Rhode Island School of Design, her tenure at Adobe, and the lasting influence of her typefaces on digital and print design today.

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Brief Overview

Carol Twombly (b. 1959) is an American type designer celebrated for her work at Adobe Systems, where she revived historical letterforms for contemporary use. Drawing inspiration from classical Roman inscriptions, calligraphy, and international lettering traditions, she designed iconic typefaces including Trajan, Lithos, Charlemagne, and Adobe Caslon. Her work is defined by precision, balance, and timeless elegance. Twombly won the Morisawa Gold Prize in her first international type design competition (1984) and became the first woman—and second American—to receive the Prix Charles Peignot from ATypI (1994).