TYPOGRAPHERS GO TO EXTREME LENGTHS to ensure that each character, each number and each element of punctuation in a typeface is in perfect harmony with all the others. Creating a typeface a complex and painstaking process.

The one area where these masters of self-control allow themselves a little latitude is in the design of the ampersand, which varies greatly from font to font. And, to some extent, this means that ampersands are interchangeable; if your design requires one of these quaint Victorian relics, you aren’t limited to the current font.

The most beautiful ampersand of all, in my opinion, is to be found in Baskerville Italic. Elegant, curvaceous and florid, it can link any pair of words with class and style.