BLACK LETTER, the name of the type copied from the fifteenth-century style of handwriting used in Germany, Holland and England. It was first employed by Caxton before 148o, and was later used in all his books. Black letter, also called Gothic, did not give way to the Roman type revived in the Italian Ren aissance until the i6th century. In the accompanying drawings are shown (I) a reproduction of Caxton's type and (2) a speci men of modern "Old English" used for decorative purposes. Black letter is still commonly used in Germany in books and newspapers.
(See TYPOGRAPHY.)