The BATTISTA typeface stands in the long tradition of the designs developed by Giambattista Bodoni, who made his famous typefaces in the end of the eighteenth century. Similar designs can be found on various specimen books e.g. Alexander Wilson, John Bell, Edmund Fry and Alexander Thibaudeau. One of the best italics was available by Stephenson Blake & Co. foundry form Sheffield, England. In the end of the nineteenth century an unknown punch cutter at the German type foundry Schelter & Giesecke made an very bold cut of this Bodoni design. He brought both designs, the regular and the italic to an new level of harmony.

Compared to the original Bodoni designs the new typeface was a lot bolder, which was well taken by the audience in this time. The BATTISTA typeface is an remarkable design, assembled of ultra bold and very fine shapes, but in all, the spirit of Bodonis design was well preserved.